32 THE CHURCH OF ST. HELEN'S, DARLEY DALE. 



walls of this transept, are several table tombs of the first half 

 of the seventeenth century, which are worthy of notice for the 

 exceptional vigour and originality of the sculptures on their 

 sides; they are nine in all. The most remarkable of these — 

 it is undated — is to the memory of a weaver, and the sides are 

 carved with figures supposed to represent the old hand-loom, 

 shuttle, etc. (See p. 31.) A second example, dated 1631, is 

 ornamented with several different symbols, including a chalice. 

 A third, dated 1640, has all its sides covered with a bold tracery 

 moulding, which has the appearance of being a century older 

 than the date on the upper slab. (See p. 33.) 



In 1704 the battlements and pinnacles of the tower were 

 renewed. This was possibly necessitated as a result of the 

 terrific storm that swept through England on November 27th, 

 1703, when the palace at Wells was wrecked and the bishop 

 and his wife were killed in their beds. The mischief that it 

 did to churches throughout England can be traced in almost 

 all parishes where churchwardens' accounts of that date remain. 

 The gale was long remembered as " the great storm." 



There was considerable re-construction of the church in 1853, 

 when both aisles were widened and slightly lengthened west- 

 wards, galleries removed, and the chancel roof raised. In 

 1877 tne church was "renovated" on an extensive and costly 

 scale. The cost, including an addition to the churchyard, 

 amounted to ^3,000, which was munificently borne by Mr. 

 William Robert, who had left the dale some fifty years before 

 as a poor lad. But though money was forthcoming, good taste 

 was lacking; the interior was covered with wriggling texts, the 

 fourteenth century pillars of the nave arcades were painted 

 over and decorated with sham chevron mouldings, etc., with 

 the result of vulgarising the ancient fabric. 



But better days dawned after Canon Atkinson came to the 

 parish. In 1885 the pews were removed' from the chancel, 

 being replaced with oak quire stalls; the old vestry was utilised 

 as an organ chamber; the pulpit passage was closed up; a 

 good deal of tawdry decoration was removed ; a new altar and 



