FINDS IN CHURCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

FINDS IN CHURCHES.

ANOTHER LONDON SECRET. FOURTEENTH CENTURY CRYPT .;■ A PADRE GOES " NAVVYING." FORMER BATMAN FOR MATE. London yielded up another secret recently, when an untouched fourteenthcentury crypt, in an almost perfect state of preservation, was disclosed to a small party at All Hallows Church, Barking. by-the-Tower, by the vicar, the Rev. P. B. Clayton. Until a few months ago no one suspected the existence of the crypt, and the manner of its discovery, only a stone-throw from Mark Lane . Underground Station, is one of the romances of modern excavation.

Mr. Clayton, who is far better know, by the affectionate nickname of "Tubby,** is for ever examining odd corners of his church arid churchyard in the hope of making discoveries. In this he has the assistance of " General " Pettifer, who was iiis batman in France, and now takes as much interest in AD Hallows—the Cathedral Church of Toe H., that splendid movement of postwar comradeship which " Tubby " Clayton founded —as the padre himself. In one of their tours they chanced upon a curious spot beside the vestry wall, and digging revealed that, contrary to general belief, All Hallows was built over an anterior building. The excavators had good fortune from the beginning, for the removal of tho first spadesful of earth showed a stone step. Then, digging with the eagerness of discoverers, they cleared an entire flight of steep stops to a depth of 15ft, Hero they were confronted with a brick wall with an iron door on either side leading to vaults, of eighteenth-century brickwork. It was no part of their object to disturb these, and they had decided to give up tho work when they noticed a tiny point of mediaeval moulding. Then they set to work with a. will, and after many- days laid bare the jamb of a very old doorway. For more than a month they carried on. "Wo grubbed away on our stomachs as ii wo were'making a dug-out," " Tubby " Clayton said in telling the story. Only those who know Mr. Clayton's generous proportions can realise what navvying means to him. " But it was great fun, and when at last the cxipt was clear we knew wo had not worked in vaiia." Uavisited lor Oonturies.

Mr. Clayton, " General " Psttifej and other volunteer workers have found ia a crypt 27ft. long. Tho roof, about six feot below the floor of the southeast aisle, is well-nigh intact. It is evident that the crypt had not seen human foot for many centuries—probably not since the day of Dick Whittington, who flourished 100 years after its construction. Its walls ore of primitive chalk blocks, and the roof is vaulted with six simply-moulded arches. Its character of 14th century work is confirmed by Professor Lethaby, the authority on old churches, who eays that the crypt is " neat and jjood," and suggests that with a few searchings for foundations probably a complete plan of the church of 1350 could bo maida out.

Appropriately enough, Mr. Clayton has made known his secret in the week of the birthday of All Hallows. The crjpt was on view for ten days, when it was closed for final details of work, family to become an invaluable lower chapel. An interesting addition has been made to North Chapel, All Hallows. It is a sword which was picked up at Omdurman by the late Lord Kitchener, who believed that it was probably wielded by one of the old Crusaders.

The sword was presented,. by Lord Kitchener to the late Marquess of Salisbury, and has now been handed over to Toe H. It lies before the Lamp of Re« memhrance in the chape!, which, tradition has it, was founded by Richard L as the chapol in which his heart was to rest. Ancient Wall Paintings. A remarkable series of wall paintings, probably dating from the end of' the fourteenth-century or the first half of the fifteenth., have been discovered in Hoxno Church, near Eye, Suffolk. The walls were covered with many coats of wash, which havo now been removed, revealing the paintings on the north wall, above the arches which separate the navo from the north aisle. The paintings include a largo figure of St. Christopher crossing the river with the child Christ on hie shoulder. The next scene !5 most unusual, and the meaning is still obscure. There is a large tree, and seated at the foot are two men—or devils, fo? one has a tail—who are sawing the trunk with a long two-handled saw. Above are branches which sprout into dragons, from the open mouths of ; which issue small figures of kings. At the top Our Lord is seated in glory with sceptre and orb. _ A third scerte is too broken to bo intelligible. A fourth shows a figure with staff in hand either meeting or taking leave of another. There is « figure with a bell, with what appears to be a representation of the Virgin Mary. Scrolls contain inscriptions in black letter. The last , scene appears to be a Dor-<m or Last Judgment. Consecration Crosses, On the west wall of the nave, just behind the font, in the north of the tower arch, has also been found the lower part of a consecration cross, while the remains of four others have been discovered above the pillars and beneath the other paintings. These crosses are of the usual form with expanding ends enclosed within a circle, '.they are part of a scries of twelve, painted at intervals round the wa,lls of the church inside, and there were probably also another twelve outside.

These crosses marked the points at, which the cbufch walls were anointed by: the bishop when the building wan consecrated. Every church had them at one time, but in roost cases they have disappeared.