St. Bartholomew the Great - Part 2

 

A view along the south aisle

Continuing with my exploration of the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, I entered the rather dark south aisle, where the best feature is the Elizabethan tomb of Sir Walter Mildmay, a Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I, and his wife Lady Mary.

 

The tomb of Sir Walter Mildmay

 

The lighting arrangement in this part of the south aisle is quite poor and I wasn’t able to get a close look at the alabaster and the other decorative stones used in the monument and I also couldn’t really see the exposed walling stone behind the monument to Edward Cooke.

 

The monument to Edward Cooke

To the north side of the aisle, the four bay arcade to the apsed choir forms part of the original east end of the church, which was completed by the time of Rahere’s death in 1143; however, as part of the restoration under Sir Aston Webb, in the 1880’s and 90’s, the apse and the east end were altered considerably and much of the masonry here is not Norman.

 

Columns in the apse

The south aisle continues as an ambulatory, which passes around the back of the stout circular columns that form the apse. In several places it is very dirty, with indents in Portland stone being quite obvious, although I didn’t examine any of the stone with my hand lens.

 

A view of the newer columns in the apse

 

Compared to the columns that I had previously seen, the two central columns to the apse look relatively new and unweathered, which suggests that Portland stone has been used for these. Although I am no expert on Caen stone, it has been used in the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and various cathedrals and I have made the assumption that the oldest part of this important Priory church is built with it too.

 

Columns in the apse at the end of the north aisle

Moving around to the north aisle, the columns here are seen again to be very blackened and therefore original. Looking along the ambulatory towards the south aisle, a later mediaeval Gothic arch - incorporating a fragment of an earlier near round arch - is set into coursed and squared walling that forms the beginning of the Lady Chapel, which was closed due to restoration work.

 

The ambulatory

Looking along the north aisle, which has natural light shining down into it from the clerestory, the bays are marked out with round arches composed of flint and what I assume is Reigate Stone, with simple vaulted ceilings to the bays.

 

Arches in the north aisle

I didn’t stop to look closely at them, but their are many ledger stones – including those made in Belgian black ‘marble’ - set into the tiled floor and glimpses of flint and Kentish Rag walling can be seen in the surround to the north-west window.

 

Ledger stones in the north aisle

Carrying on along the north aisle, a section of lime plastered squared masonry with three small square headed and cusped traceried windows marks the position of Rahere’s tomb, which can be seen on the other side of the wall in the choir.

 

The rear wall of Rahere's tomb

Arriving at the crossing, which was completely restored during the rebuilding of the north transept in 1891, there is a fragment of an older limewashed mediaeval wall containing two four-centred arches. Again, I didn’t look closely at the stonework, but I think it could also be Reigate Stone.

 

Four-centred arches in the crossing

Rising above this is the north side of the crossing, which has shafts of Portland stone – presumably restored – rising to an arch that is composed of many small moulded voussoirs, which looks it could be made of a different stone.

 

The crossing