SALFORD HUNDRED 



ROCHDALE 



the four easternmost bays of the south aisle, its 

 eastern end being therefore entirely modern. It is 

 divided from the rest of the aisle at the west end by 

 a screen. The outer wall of the old south aisle up to 

 the diagonal buttress has been refaced since the re- 

 building of 1815, though the windows are apparently 

 of that date. In the second bay is a small door be- 

 tween two closely-spaced buttresses, which probably 

 served the Trinity Chapel, and was called in the I jih 

 century the ' little door.' The aisles of the chancel 

 are separated from those of the nave by stone arches, 

 and on the north side there is a screen. The Trinity 

 Chapel passed to the Dearden family in i823, 85 and 

 was very much altered in 1847 by Mr. Dearden, who 

 placed there numerous memorials to his imaginary 



eastern bays are less in width than the others. The 

 details of the capitals and bases are unusually good for 

 Lancashire work, the bases having the water-moulding 

 and the capitals a moulded abacus and fillet. Four of 

 the capitals, two on each side, in addition, have carving 

 in the bell. The third pier from the west on the 

 south side has good but rather flat stiff leaf foliage, and 

 the first pier on the north side foliage of an appar- 

 ently later date running round the bell. Two other 

 capitals, one on each side, are carved with small human 

 heads. One of these capitals is now very much muti- 

 lated. The floor of the nave was lowered 1 3 in. to 

 the original level in 1885, and the pillars lengthened 

 by about 10 in. of stone. 89 



The nave clearstory consists of five square-headed 



ROCHDALE CHURCH 



ancestors, 86 including the effigies of a cross-legged 

 knight and a bishop, incised slabs, and brasses. 



The chancel arch 87 is modern and very lofty, the 

 line of its springing being above the crowns of the 

 arches of the chancel and nave arcades. There is no 

 screen between the chancel and nave, the only divi- 

 sion being a low stone wall. 



The nave piers, 88 as before stated, are of 13th- 

 century date, alternately octagonal and round, 1 8 in. 

 in diameter, with moulded capitals and bases. The re- 

 sponds at each end are semi-octagonal, and the two 



windows upon each side spaced without reference to 

 the arcade beneath, and the roof is a good modern 

 one put up a few years after 1855, with rich orna- 

 mental tie-beam and curved pieces under, carried 

 down the walls between the windows and resting on 

 brackets, but intersecting both the tower and chancel 

 arches rather awkwardly. 693 



The west tower is 1 3 ft. square inside, with walls 

 5 ft. thick, and has a vice in the south-west corner. 

 The tower arch is lofty and open to the nave, but an 

 oak screen has recently been erected inclosing the 



85 There is an interesting description of nett, Lyon King of Arms (Edinburgh, 



its fittings at that date in Fishwick, Hist, 

 of Rochdale, 149. 



86 These memorials are described in a 

 book called Popular Genealogists, or the 

 Art of Pedigree Making, by George Bur- 



1865), 95-6. Only a few of the brasses 

 remain. The rest of the memorials have 

 since been buried under the floor. 



87 It replaces one which seems to have 

 been built in 1815. 



'95 



80 The pillars and arches were re- 

 chiselled in the middle of the last century; 

 Owen MSS. Manch. Ref. Lib. 1863. 



89 Fishwick, op. cit. 



89a The latter, however, is later than 

 the nave roof. 



