Dec. 15.

Mr. URBAN,
URING a trip into Worcester-

sional surveys, I at intervals made the following few memoranda:

Kidderminster Church first attracted my attention: its dimensions are considerable, and gives in the plan a body, side ailes, chancel, and Lady's chapel. At West end a lofty square tower much decorated, in which are triformed niches with statues. Battlements compartmented with tracery of four turns; excellent tracery to windows; style, fourteenth century. On all this, Innovation has laid its hands; some of the statues are gone, many battlements renewed with modern vulgar coping heads, tracery much pared down, and magnificent East great window filled up.

Interior. According to the usual method, when square towers distinguish the West end of Churches, as making part of that front, the great arch of West window, and those of tower, North, East, and South, imparting a superior degree of grandeur, have, when open to view, a high ef fective appearance; here such sensa

tion was in full force. Clusters of columns and arches divide the body

gives entrance into the chancel. Late

innovations are in a manner fatal to the antient importance and symmetry of the uprights. Arches of tower stopped up with galleries, and that preposterous object an organ-box; East window entirely (as before noted) closed up side ailes and their decorations nearly hid from view by pews and galleries. Covering over head, whatever form it might have assumed, done away, and a clean flat moderu drawing-room ceiling, with roses for chandeliers, substituted. There are four or five large and much-enriched monuments, having recumbent statues, from style of fourteenth cen tury to sixteenth ditto. The earliest of them, being in the full Edwardian design, is of course elegant to a degree; containing a tomb, on which is a most chastely costumic attired female statue in the best preservation. This is guarded round by open arches, but tresses, pediments, spires, and battle ments in the groin-work of general canopy, profuse tracery. How will

it

it be credited, that so much of beauteous art is to be hunted for, and with difficulty found, in an obscure Southeast corner of the South aile of thebody, nearly blocked up in its lower lines by pews, and its terminating lines by gallery ceiling!

It is not to be doubted but the mechanick who has thus been exercising his skill about this Church, went on with his ready hand, as we find set up here and there pew-fences, standards, and awnings, in the true Gothic (bastard Pointed architecture) guise. The pulpit, according to London modern Church pleasantry, is also placed directly before the altar, and the Ladychapel is converted into a schoolroom. On South side of the Churchyard is the base of a grand Cross.

As the

Arley Hall. A good family residence of the reign of Elizabeth; a body and two bow wings. surrounding country is of a romantic cast, some well-arranged works, on a true imitative castellated idea attached to the elevation, would not come upon the eye without their due effect. Contiguous is the Parish Church of the neighbouring village. Though not on so large a dimension as the one just particularized, it has many pleasing properties; shews two distinct styles in two ailes: that South, Edwardian; that North, early Tudor. There are some remarkables in the upper tier of windows, a long square head, and tracery of a very uncom

mon

turn within it: walls battlemented. West end of South aile a square tower, its parapet degraded with modern balusters; the only innovation, however, of any direct seeming. Interior: Nothing done of late times to offend Antiquarian predilection, but what may with ease be set to rights, by removing a hutch ringing-gallery in the tower, whereby the whole of the West window would then, as formerly, be on view, with the assimilating attending arches, &c. A good sculpture of a cross-legged knight, now laid on sill of ditto window, to be removed also to some appropriate part of the ailes-then every line of the scene might bear well on old recollection and old feelings.

Bromsgrove Church. Large and magnificent; square tower West end of the edifice, containing tri-formed wiches and statues on each of the four

sides: tracery to windows excellent and well preserved.

Passing on towards Stratford-uponAvon, encountered on the left one of those modern piles called a Castle, or any thing that Whimsicality can raise up to humour the imagination fond of trifles and fantastic shew. It is said to be in part an original Tudor erection be it so; but if to stick a line of modern windows and gables as wings, and half-renovated Tudor windows in centre of elevation in an assembly octangular bow, sided by turrets, having a multiplicity of useless sham modern windows and notched battlements, can make it so, why then the Castle fancy is effected, and all are satisfied.

Stratford-upon-Avon.

Classic

The

ground; far-famed by all for dramatic excellence; still let not its architectural merits be unheeded. Two Churches, the smaller one containing many prepossessing features, and well demands particularizing; but the short time opportunity afforded bound me more immediately to the larger fabrick, rendered hallowed by being the sepulchral inclosure of the remains of the immortal Shakspeare. Dimensions great; plan, a cross; transepts much extended, and Our Lady's chapel hauging over the brow of Avon's murmuring stream. elevation maintains two distinct styles, early Pointed, and that of the fourteenth century. The tower, in centre of the building, being part of the first construction, bas capped battlements; general cornice, machicolations supported by costumic heads. story of the tower, semicircular headed windows, filled in with treble columns, or early conceived mullions, and Pointed heads in two divisions for light. Second story; circular windows, deep and imposing architraves, and the tracery edging the openings for light most pleasing, and varied ou each front of the tower. Having a dis tant prospect of making a more decided survey of the entire Church the ensuing summer, I shall at present only allude to windows of the transepts, which are in possession of all that pre-eminent and profuse display of mullions and tracery so characteristic of the period second in historic consideration, as hinted above. Yours, &c.

First

J. CARTER.

Mr.

Mr. URBAN,

MR.

Dec. 26. R. Archdeacon Coxe (p. 389.) might have been further informed, that the Rev. Mr. Maundrell, the well-known Traveller from Alep. po to Jerusalem, speaks of Sir Charles Hedges, then Judge of the Court of Admiralty, as his honoured uncle.

You have never regularly informed your Readers that the Lady Berkeley, of whom you give them a curious account in Sept. p. 209, was Katharine, daughter of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and wife of Henry, 11th Lord Berkeley.

You seem not aware that the Rev. Joseph Townsend, rector of Pewsey, p. 477, was one of the sons of Chauncey Townsend, formerly a respectable merchant in Austin Friars, and brother to the famous Alderman James Townsend, to the wife of Mr. John Smith, solicitor to the East India Company, and Clerk to the Drapers' Company--and to another lady who, I think, was twice married, but her names I have forgot. I think Joseph married a Lady Clarke-was she wi dow of Sir Robert Clarke, bart. ?

It will be a matter of no small in. terest to the Geological world to watch who may become the next proprietor of the late Rev. Joseph Townsend's extensive, exquisitely beautiful, and scientifically arranged Collection of Minerals, andOrganic Remains illustrative of the strata of the Earth, and particularly of the strata of this Island, the fruit of researches of a long and active life, which he briefly touched upon in the first volume of "Moses," his last and most eminent monument of united knowledge, genius, and industry.

E.

**Having announced in our last, p. 542, Mr. RAINE's intention of publishing the History of North Durham, (intended both as a sequel to the "History" of Mr. Surtees, and as a distinct publication for the accommodation of those who are exclusively interested in its subject),we with pleasure extract from his Prospectus the outline of his plan, and the account of his ample materials, of which we are confident he will make the best use : 90%

The Topography of North Durham will necessarily connect itself with the history of those ancient feuds which prevailed in the contiguous provinces of England and Scotland. In these districts

were situated the principal places of strength for the protection of the Eastern Marchés: and their remains exhibit the few and almost only memorials of that ancient rivalry, which for ages existed between two gallait Nations. But of this it is unnecessary to say

more: it is sufficient to have indicated how extensive and interesting a field is torian. here open for the labours of the His- With regard to the Ecclesiastical and Parochial History of North Durham, although no objects of such magnitude here present themselves, either in respect of splendid edifices or names of high descent, as in many other districts, yet it may be safely promised, that this deficiency will be amply compensated by the extent and accuracy of the information in regard to those that do exist. By the wonted liberality of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, the Author has access to sources of information which have hitherto been unexplored, and he will thus

be enabled to furnish the most authentie records respecting the endowments of churches, the transmission of pro perty, and the descent of families. It is his intention also to comprehend within his plan the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the Priory of Coldingham. The necessity of including the former must be obvious. Relative to the latter, which was originally dependent upon the Church of Durham, he will be able to publish at once a new and most detailed account. Among the important records preserved at Durham, in reference to that Monastery,

there exist charters of not fewer than? with Dunean, either immediately conso twelve Kings of Scotland, commencing veying benefactions, or confirming does nations made by eleven successive Earls of March. To all these charters, and to numerous other grants from the most distinguished Border families, seals are appended in a state of high preserva tion, of which finished engravings will be given from drawings by Mr. Blore, as well as of the most important objects of local interest. With regard to another department, the Author can have no ap-1 prehension. The unsolicited kindness and liberality of William Radclyffe, Esq.! Rouge Croix, in supplying him with such evidence as he can discover in the College of Arms relative to the district, leaves him no room for anxiety or diffidence on this head. - It is scarcely necessary to observe, that any communication which: may have a tendency to facilitate thes labours of the Author will be thankfully received."