Peculiar

Acrylic-bob · 15-10-2004, 14:51

Here's an interesting architectural oddity, seen from two slightly different angles. Any Ideas about what, where and why?

simon · 15-10-2004, 14:57

Church kirk...?

Acrylic-bob · 15-10-2004, 16:13

Ok I'll give you that one Simon, have a coconut. but what about the rest of it? Why is only this corner of the building treated in this way. It looks a bit like the thing on the warehouse next to the Commercial.

WillowTheWhisp · 15-10-2004, 19:51

Could it be that something needs to get close to the wall?

Doug · 16-10-2004, 13:39

It's undercut to take a memorial plaque.

Darby · 16-10-2004, 14:36

Or a spot where a sculpture of (say) an angel could be placed? or a Gargoyle? (not you A-Bob). Nice piccys though!

WillowTheWhisp · 16-10-2004, 16:22

I'd have expected a proper niche for an angel, and a gargoyle would be higher up.

It needs a bit of serious thinking does this one.

Darby · 18-10-2004, 09:43

The only other thing I could think of was that it is to prevent erosion at the bottom of the wall, by overhanging the lower level?

Yes ..........Gargoyles are normally on the edge of the roof or parapet. But I've seen some walking down town!!

WillowTheWhisp · 18-10-2004, 09:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darby

Yes ..........Gargoyles are normally on the edge of the roof or parapet. But I've seen some walking down town!!

...............................

Acrylic-bob · 18-10-2004, 09:56

It certainly is a puzzler, since it only occurs on one corner of the entire building. It is on a part of the building that forms the late 18th century extension. To my mind there are two possibilities here and both involve avoiding something; (a) it is to avoid an existing grave. (b) it is to avoid something else already in situ.

The grave theory is a bit suspect since it would have been entirely reasonable to move the grave to make way for the foundations.

The second theory allows only one other possibility; the site of the Holy Well.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-10-2004, 10:01

Don't you know either A-b? O was expecting you to come back and put us all out of our misery.

I thought the Holy Well was supposed to be over by the wall. I must admit that I wouldn't have even wondered about the reason for this corner. I'd have just put it down to an architectural whim. I wonder if there are any records detailing the 'design' (for want of a better word)

Acrylic-bob · 18-10-2004, 10:43

Ah there you see Willow. Everything is done for a reason.

I too was of the impression that the well was by the Eastern wall. However, looking at the graves in that portion of the churchyard they are all from the 1830's onward. The earliest map I have seen is the 1845 OS map. Which shows the outline we see today.

There are Three different styles of building visible on the exterior of the church: the medieval tower, the 18th century nave, and the 19th century chancel. The latter two extend the church successively in an Eastern direction. Is it possible, do you think, that the portion of the churchyard from the end of the nave to the current churchyard wall is an addition and that the churchyard originally ended where the current chancel begins. If so, this would place the architectural anomaly against the eastern wall.