A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE 



that the design is arranged in two horizontal bands. Only the lower band is complete and 

 consists of a rude sort of arcading of six arches. The capitals of the columns of the arcading 

 are ornamented with poorly executed foliage, and the bases of the columns are splayed out so 

 as to form what an engineer would call an invert. Under two of the arches are pairs of birds 

 pecking at foliage, and under two others are beasts with the forepaw upraised (as on the cross-shaft 

 from St. Alkmund's, Derby, now in the museum there). Under the remaining two arches are 

 a beast and a dragonesque creature. Of the tier of ornament above only the bases of the 

 columns of the arcading remain and the feet of the figures beneath each of the arches. These 

 feet when looked at upside down on the font have such a curious appearance that one ingenious 

 gentleman read them as Palmyrene characters, whilst another thought that he recognized them 

 to be runes. The Rev. G. F. Browne (now bishop of Bristol) was the first to detect the reverse 

 position, and showed the absurdity of these wild theories in a paper entitled ' On a supposed 

 Inscription upon the Font at Wilne,' 1 with a photolithograph from a rubbing. Another illustration 

 on a larger scale was given in the proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 1885. 



WIRKSWORTH. Built into the wall of the north aisle of Wirksworth church is a coped 

 stone which was probably either the lid of a stone coffin or a recumbent monument placed 

 over a grave. It is rectangular in shape, 5 feet long by 2 feet 10 inches wide, and has a 

 raised ridge along the middle running in the direction of the longest dimension of the slab. 

 The stone is completely covered with figures arranged in rows on each side of the central 

 ridge. The subjects represented are as follows : (i) Christ washing His disciples' feet. 

 (2) An equal-armed cross with the Agnus Dei in the centre and the symbols of the Four 

 Evangelists in the angles between the arms. (3 and 4) Probably the carrying to the Tomb ; 

 the two figures in front of the bier bearers carrying respectively the fine linen and the spices, 

 whilst the outstretched hand of the foremost mutilated figure is that of the one who has 

 reached the tomb and turns round to take the spices from the next. (5) The somewhat 

 blurred figures at the beginning of the second line probably represent the Resurrection. 

 (6) The Ascension, Christ holding the Cross, being within an oval aureole supported by 

 four angels. (7) Probably six of the disciples returning to Jerusalem. 



The pupils of the eyes of the figures are represented by drilled holes and the general 

 character of the sculpture is more like Roman work than that of the Saxon period. 



Having now described the pre-Norman sculptured stones of 

 Derbyshire in detail we will proceed to analyse their decorative features. 

 The following different patterns occur on the monuments : 



Plait-work. Three-cord plait, Norbury, Darley Dale. Four-cord plait, Bakewell. Six- 

 cord plait, Bakewell, Hope. Ten-cord plait, Norbury. Broken plaitwork (Fig. i), Blackwell. 



Knot-work. Stafford knot as in Fig. 2, repeated in a double vertical row, Bakewell ; 

 Stafford knot combined with undulating cord (Fig. 3), Norbury ; Stafford knot interwoven with 

 an extra cord and repeated in a double vertical row (Fig. 4), Norbury ; figure-of-eight knot 

 (Fig. 5), repeated in a single vertical row, Norbury, Hope ; a variation of the preceding (Fig. 6) 

 repeated in a single vertical row, Blackwell ; another form (Fig. 7) repeated in a double 

 vertical row, Bakewell, Bradbourne, Eyam ; twist and ring (Fig. 8), Darley Dale ; twist 

 and ring formed with double cord (Fig. 9), Hope ; plait and ring (Fig. 10), Darley Dale; 

 spiral knot with extra twist (Fig. n) repeated in a single row, Blackwell ; Stafford knots and 

 spiral knot combined (Fig. 12), Bakewell; knot composed of concentric circular rings and arcs 

 of circles (Fig. 13) repeated in a single vertical row, Norbury ; circular knot (Fig. 14), Eyam. 



Loop-work. Ring with two loops (Fig. 15), Bakewell ; ring with three loops (Fig. 16), 

 Bakewell, Eyam ; ring with four loops (Fig. 1 7), Bakewell, Eyam ; ring with four loops 

 twisted across (Fig. 1 8), Bakewell, Eyam. 



Ringvuork. Circular ring combined with ring with one loop distorted (Fig. 19), 

 Bakewell ; two concentric circular rings combined with two oval rings placed crosswise 

 (Fig. 20), Hope. 



Key-Patterns. There do not appear to be any instances in which a key-pattern occurs on 

 the pre-Norman sculptured stones of Derbyshire. 



Spirals. The only spiral ornament on the Derbyshire stones is on a fragment at Bakewell. 

 It is doubtful whether the design along the bottom of the hog-backed recumbent monument at 

 Repton is intended for debased foliage or spiral work. 



Foliage. Instances of foliage occur on pre-Norman sculptured stones at the following 

 places in Derbyshire : Bakewell, Bradbourne, Eyam, Hope, Repton, Wilne. 



1 Journ. Derb. Arch. Soc. vii. 185. 

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