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THE ARCHITECTUEE OF LEDBUEY CHUECH. 

 By the Rev. John Jackson, M.A., Rector. 



Ecclesiastical architecture must always be regarded with peculiar interest. A 

 thoughtful mind cannot but experience melancholy feeling on beholding the bar- 

 barous mutilations and additions to which the Gothic piles of the middle ages 

 have been subjected, which nevertheless still retain a holy and venerable character 

 appearing through the land like monuments reared to bear testimony to the genius 

 and piety of our forefathers. In former times the fabrics set apart for religious 

 purposes were usually buUt from drawings under the immediate superintendence 

 of the ecclesiastics themselves, who sometimes even worked for the love of Christ's 

 Holy Church, and although no vestige of their plans or their names exist, yet 

 they wrought out for themselves each his own monument " aere perennius " : the 

 wonder and admiration of succeeding generations. The appearance of an ancient 

 Gothic church is often most magnificent and imposing, and even when of a plain 

 and homely description it is impressive and beautiful. There is a spirit in its 

 time-honoured walls, and a reality about the building that is extremely pleasing ; 

 for however rude the materials employed in its erection, there is never any at- 

 tempt to make them appear other than they really are. The faithful builders, 

 conscious of having exerted themselves to the uttermost, seem to have felt that 

 any false pretensions would be at variance with the holiness of the service to 

 which the building was to be consecrated, and that alone in their estimation 

 would invest it with sufficient majesty. The great charm, however, of all the 

 ancient churches, consists in their possessing a sacred and devotional character, 

 which at once distinguishes them from every other class of buildings, so that, 

 notwithstanding the different styles and variety of their architecture, they have 

 a certain similarity of appearance which marks in a very significant and expres- 

 sive manner that they are alike dedicated to the same Holy Service. At the 

 Reformation, in the sixteenth century, they were generally despoiled of their 

 sumptuous furniture and costly decorations ; but in other respects their appear- 

 ance was not very materially affected by the alterations that were then made. 



They were afterwards subjected to many wanton and disgraceful mutilations 

 during the reign of Charles I., but since that stormy and eventful period the 

 injuries which the buildings have sustained are for the most part the result of 

 shameful neglect or tasteless reparations. 



THE CHURCH. 



On the south side of the church is a paved narrow way leading therefrom to 

 the main road, which bears the rather uninviting title of " Cabbage Lane," being 

 a corruption of the word "Capuchin," which would indicate that at an early 

 period of English History a body of Capuchin monks were established here. It is 

 placed beyond doubt that a priest was stationed at Ledbury at the time of the 



