56 Kev. J. W. Dunn on Warkworth. 



were found in a state of great decay during the progress of 

 our v/ork inside the building, gives ample credence to the 

 chronicler who so graphically tells the sad tale, and who 

 points his moral by remarking upon the rapid retribution 

 which overtook the author of this sacrilege and slaughter, 

 and how the saint was speedily — nay that very day — avenged 

 beneath the princely walls of Alnwick. 



The architecture of the most ancient part of the church is 

 late Norman, and, taking this fact in connection with the 

 event above related — with the threat recorded by Fantosme 

 if a church on the sea-coast were left standing — with the 

 circumstance that the church of St. Lawrence at Warkworth 

 was the first attempted — and lastly, with the necessity which 

 would demand a re-consecration after such bloodshed in a 

 place so sacred — it seems highly probable that after this ter- 

 rible carnage within its walls, the church was rebuilt, and 

 therefore, that an earlier church, possibly the old Saxon 

 fabric— after four centuries of such havoc and unrest, it may 

 be, tottering to its fall — was the one thus basely desecrated. 



For this opinion I am indebted to the suggestions of Mr 

 Longstaffe, to whom I already owe so much. He remarks 

 how characteristic of that experimental period the singular 

 and perhaps unique decoration of the chancel arch is, and 

 that while the general feeling of the building is transitional, 

 none of the details common to an earlier date are inconsistent 

 with that assigned. The cotemporary castle of Newcastle is 

 quite in point, and the piers of the chancel of Warkworth are 

 identical with piers at Monkwearmouth, which accompany 

 nave piers of decidedly transitional work. These piers, he 

 observes further, are almost the same as those of the remark- 

 able chancel arch at Lanchester, (engraved in Billings's 

 Durham,) the ornament on the abaci of which blends so curi- 

 ously with that of the pointed arches adjacent. 



We may consequently, I think, fairly conclude, that the 

 date of the beautiful chancel and nave of Warkworth ranges 

 from 1175 downwards. 



With respect to Warkworth itself it may be well imagined 

 that in a locality until recently so remote, many old customs 

 have kept their stand and many old prejudices have been re- 

 tained. For the present I shall confine myself to the men- 

 tion of one curious observance, which, so far as the name 

 given to it is concerned, is fast passing into oblivion and in 

 consequence is worth recording. 



At the season of the new year, as in other places, much 



