Anniversary Address. 29 



feet high, but in length it is 120 feet, or 20 yards on each 

 side of the stem— a native of China, it grows very fast, the 

 shoots are cut back and spurred for flowering, and pruned 

 like a pear tree against a wall.— (11. Cottage Gardener, 91.) 



The Church is quietly situated on the North side of the 

 great wood, at the East end of the village, near to the Vicarage, 

 and to the entrance to the Castle. It is an ancient Norman 

 building. The earth should be taken from its side walls, and 

 properly drained all round. I recollect it formerly, with 

 festoons of ivy hanging from its roof inside the Church and 

 Chancel, but now it is in a very good state of repair. 



There is one mural monument to a daughter of Robert 

 Thorp, vicar of the parish, sister to the present Archdeacon 

 Thorp. 



The Font is old and curious, having an inscription thus : — 



GOD BLESS THE CHVRCH. 

 M 

 R + W. ANNO, 1670. 



But the great charm of this little Church is the beautiful 

 Tomb before mentioned, of which the following is a slight 

 description. 



It is of carved stone, oblong, and about 3 to 4 feet high, 

 richly ornamented and coloured. At the sides and end are 

 heraldic devices, shields, and figures of saints and other famous 

 personages, in niches alternately ; on each side four of such 

 figures, and five shields, and at the end two figures and three 

 shields ; the other end abutting against the wall. 



On the tomb lie the effigies of a knight and his lady, both 

 resting their heads on cushions, apparently dressed in the 

 costume of the period ; he with a red tunic, and she with a 

 curious head dress with loose flowing robes. 



On the sides of the tomb are two shields with the arms of 

 Grey, " Gules, a Lion Argent,'' and at the end of the tomb, in 

 the centre of the slab, or cover, are two angels with wings, 

 holding a shield on which the arms of Grey are impaled, 

 along with the arms of the lady. Her arms prove her to be a 

 Fitzhugh, of Ravensworth, for in the first and second quarters 

 are the arms of that family, viz., az. three chevrons braced 



