BEGINNING our perambulation of the town from the north front of the Castle, we pass on eastward in a line with the town wall, which remains here, nearly entire, serving as a foundation for garden walls, continued almost to the Church. Not far from the north-east corner of the Castle, tradition says there has formerly been a Priory, and some writers describe vestiges of the chapel belonging to it; but these accounts are doubtful.

We enter the Church-yard, where the gate called Linney gate formerly stood. This name it either receives from, or gives to, the lane into which it opens; which lane leads circuitously into the lower part of Corve Street.

A literary gentleman of Ludlow is of opinion that the name Linney has arose from this lane having been the way to the chapel of Saint Leonard, deriving the term etymologically, Leonard, Lenney, Linney: but it is altogether as probable that the name has been given in the British æra of Ludlow, from Llan-llheney, the place, or receptacle of monks, or learned men.

The Church of Ludlow stands in the highest part of the town, and is a stately and very spacious structure, in the form of a cross, with a lofty and well-adorned tower in the centre, in which is a melodious peal of eight bells. The principal entrance from the town is by a large hexagonal porch. The nave is divided from the aisles by six lofty pointed arches on each side, springing from light clustered pillars, each consisting of four taper shafts, with the intermediate spaces hollowed. Above them is a clerestory, with a range of heavy unpleasing windows. The great western window is entirely modernised and its richly ornamented mullions destroyed. The four great arches under the tower are remarkably bold: beneath the eastern arch is the choral rood loft, the lower part of which is embellished with open carved work, but upon it has been erected a modern gallery. Above which stands a large and very fine-toned organ,

given by Henry Arthur Earl of Powis, in the year 1764; it cost £1000. A set of Chimes was put up at the expense of the Parish, in the year 1795, to play seven tunes for the respective days of the week, namely, 104th. Psalm; Conquering Hero; Highland Laddie; Innocence; Rule Britannia; Life let us cherish; Britons strike home.

The choir is spacious, and lighted by five lofty pointed windows on each side, and one of much larger dimensions at the east end, which occupies the whole breadth, and nearly the whole height of this part of the building. This great window is entirely filled with painted glass, though not of rich colouring, representing chiefly the legend of St. Lawrence, the patron saint of the Church. In the side windows, are also large remains of stained glass, principally figures of Saints, of richer colouring than those of the eastern window. The oak stalls are still perfect, but injudiciously daubed over with paint.

On each side of the choir is a chantry chapel, and at the north transept is a square building called fletcher's chancel, on the top of which is an arrow. It is a probable conjecture, that this erection has been for the use of a company of arrow-makers or fletchers, (as they were anciently denominated) who are supposed to have

held

held their meetings here, and to have kept their books and records in the recess at the northeast corner of the building.

In the windows of the north chancel (called St. John's chapel) are paintings representing the history of the Apostles, and also very splendid remnants of stained glass portraying the story of the ring presented by some Pilgrims to Edward the Confessor, who as the Chronicles relate, "was warned of hys death certain dayes before hee dyed, by a ring that was brought to him by certain Pilgrimes comming from Hierusalem, which ring hee hadde secretly given to a poore man that asked hys charitie in the name of God and sainte John the Evangelist." These Pilgrims, as the legend recites, were men of Ludlow.

The whole of this noble parish Church is ceiled with fine oak, and embellished with carving. The extreme length from east to west is 203 feet, of which the nave is 93, der the tower 30, and the choir 80.

the space un

The breadth of the nave and aisles is 82 feet; the transept measures 130 feet; and the breadth of the choir is 22 feet. The Tower rises 131 feet, and forming a prominent object, gives considerable beauty to many prospects from the neighbouring country. It is quadrangular, and the upper part near the battlements was originally

adorned

adorned with highly finished statues of saints, &c. These were deemed by Oliver Cromwell's officers, when they were possessed of this town, superfluous and irreligious, and were accordingly either much mutilated or entirely destroyed. Numerous similar works in various parts of the Church suffered the same fate.

Leland and other old authors notice this church, as being superior to any in this part of the country; it is indeed of contemporary erection. The pure architecture of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and practised by the immortal Wykeham, in the nave of Winchester, and at New College, Oxford.

It will grieve the lover of elaborate monumental sculpture, so prevalent in the last century but one, to see the mutilation which the highly finished effigies in white marble, of Judge Bridgeman and his lady, have undergone. These recumbent figures are in a style of execution superior to that of Nicholas Stone, who does not particularize this work in his catalogue preserved by Vertue, and given by Mr. Walpole. From the very minute resemblance to portraits by Vandyke, it may be presumed that they were finished, as those mentioned in the Cathedral at Gloucester, by the ingenious Francisco Fanelli, who was much em

ployed