METEOROLOGICAL DIARY, BY W. CARY, STRAND, South Sea Stock, May 27, 104; June 3, 105. J. B, NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT-STREET. SUPPLEMENT ΤΟ VOL. C. PART I. With Views of ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, Walham Green, Fulham; and HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, Brompton, in the Parish of Kensington; also a Representation of Norman Arches in the CHAPTER-HOUSE of BRISTOL CATHEDRAL. NEW CHURCHES.-No. XXVI. ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, WALHAM Green, in the Parish of FULHAM. THE Architect, Taylor. THE majority of the Churches originally decided upon by the Commissioners were, in point of architecture, Grecian. This style has since given way to a restoration of the national architecture of the country, which, had it originally received the patronage it deserved, would by this time have advanced nearer to perfection than even its most ardent admirers could have expected. At present even the best examples of modern Pointed architecture must be viewed with an eye of indulgence; many of them certainly possess great merit, but the majority of buildings in this style are very far behind their original models. Of this class are the two Churches represented in the accompanying engraving. The first subject, like the generality of modern specimens, displays a jumble of the ornáments and characteristics of various periods in the history of Pointed architecture, blended together so confusedly as to preclude the idea of the mixture having resulted (as in ancient specimens) from alteration or improvement. The plan of the building, except in one particular, is good; it displays the orthodox arrangement of nave, aisles, and chancel. The tower (the exception alluded to) is situated at the west end, and is of less breadth than the nave of the Church. This is perfectly new, but still the arrangement may have been forced upon the architect by his limited resources. The west front is in consequence made in breadth into five portions; the central is occupied by the tower, which advances about half its plan beyond the nave. It is divided into three princi pal stories, the exterior angles being guarded by buttresses of bold projec GENT. MAG. Suppl. C. PART I A The tion, divided into numerous stories, which finish with the elevation. first story has a Pointed doorway, the head of the arch enriched with nume rous mouldings, and bounded by a weather cornice, resting on corbels of foliage. This story and the succeeding one are separated by a frieze of quatrefoil pannelling, which differs from all ancient works, in having no real or apparent utility. The second story has a Pointed window of two lights divided by a single mullion, and surmounted with a quatrefoil. The third story, which has a pedestal pierced with a circular aperture in each face to admit the clock dials, is clear of the Church. In every aspect is a lancet window of three lights, the voids filled in with perforated irou work, the absurdity resulting from the introduction of this description of window, in connexion with traceried arches and pannelling; as well as surmounting it with an embattled parapet and crocketed pinnacles, goes beyond the most extravagant of the many modern conceits we are doomed to witness in this style. In other respects the tower is deserving of much admiration; it is well proportioned, and harmonious in its design, and it is but just to say, that when viewed at a distance sufficient to keep its defects out of view, a more pleasing modern specimen of a pinnacled tower does not exist. The west front of the Church has a doorway corresponding with the central entrance on each side of the tower, with a small Pointed window above it. The aisles have arched windows, the heads bounded by weather cornices, and showing in their sweeps the elegant Pointed arch which prevailed in the reigns of Edward III. and his successors. The flanks of the structure are uniform. Each aisle is made by buttresses into six divisions, all of which have windows similar to the west end; be 578 St. John's Chapel, Walham Green, Fulham. low the first is a doorway, not arched like an ancient specimen, but lintelled, being a perfect carpenter's design. The elevation is finished with a parapet over a cornice, below which the buttresses finish in splays. The clerestory is similar in design, the windows being smaller than those in the aisles. The east end of the chancel has a lancet window of three lights, similar to those in the tower. The flanks, as well as the extremities of the aisles, have no windows. A vestry, with windows in the square-headed Tudor style, occupies the angle between the end of the south aisle and the chancel. The prevailing faults in the design of this Church are the introduction of the lancet windows, and the omission of tracery in all the others; the latter defect is the more inexcusable, as the architect has filled one of the windows (in the tower) with tracery of a correct design; and this is the only one in the Church, every other one being void, so that the Church looks like an ancient building despoiled of its ornaments, a circumstance unfortunately too common. At some future period the windows may chance to be improved by the introduction of a mullion and quatrefoil in each; the lancet windows are irremediable. THE INTERIOR Is plain and neat, and has a pleasing and appropriate appearance. The lower story of the tower forms a porch at the west end, and part of the nave is appropriated for a vestibule, communicating with the aisles, a portion being occupied by staircases to the galleries. There is no distinction internally between the nave and chancel; the aisles are separated from the former by five Pointed arches, sustained upon piers which are octangular in plan, and consist of a plinth of equal height with the pewing, to which succeeds a base, above which the pier is moulded; the angular faces having fillets and hollows, and the others attached toruses, two of which are carried up to the respective roofs of the nave and aisles, and with the intervention of capitals, sustain the trusses. The arches are sprung from the piers without imposts, and the archivolts are enriched with a continuation of the mouldings of the piers. The Church is not ceiled; the roof is an * open frame of timber, which is without exception the best feature in the interior. This building, with Stepney Chapel, are the only examples in the Metropolis of this style of decoration. The modern architects having senselessly introduced a plastered ceiling in those cases where groined work was not used. The spandrils of the trusses are pierced with quatrefoils, and the spaces between the tie-beams and rafters are filled in with upright trefoilheaded divisions, decreasing in height from the king post; besides the prin cipals there are transverse beams in form of obtuse arches. The whole design, though simple in construction, is highly creditable to the architect. The aisles are similar to the nave, the, timbers resting on the wall plate. The effect of the whole is good, and if every moulding is not faultless, the minute defects may be atoned for by the correctness of the entire design. A spacious gallery crosses the west end, which is continued along the aisles, and very properly is made to retire behind the main pillars. The front of this gallery is varnished oak, ornamented with perpendicular compartments with arched heads, and the main beams rest on supplementary columns situated behind each pier. The altar-screen occupies the dado of the east window, with which it assimilates in architecture. It consists of three arches, covered with angular pedimental canopies, crocketed and divided by buttresses crowned with pinnacles, executed in composition, in imitation of stone. The arches are worked into hollows, filled with the diagonal flowers. The design is somewhat similar to the tombs at the high altar at Westminster, but it is a very meagre imitation, and far below the original. The window is filled with a painting on glass of the Transfiguration, after Raphael; over the head of the Saviour is the descending dove. The pulpit and desks are uniform, and placed in front of the altar, the design of each an irregular octagon; the larger faces are ornamented with crosses patee in quatrefoils, and the smaller ones with niches, having angular caps; the mouldings appear insignificant, from their want of relief. The organ is situated in the western * Described in vol, zcu. i. p. 4. |