Iffley parish church
Type:
Churches,
Sculptures
Date:
1170s and later
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
England
Description:
The well-preserved parish church at Iffley was begun in the 1170s under Norman rule. It is a stone basilica with no aisles or transepts. The chancel (sanctuary) now has two bays; the eastern one was added in the 1220s or 1230s, obscuring the original form of the apse. All the pointed windows were originally round-headed. The eastern bay now has lancet windows in the Early English style (early thirteenth century) and two-light Decorated Gothic windows of ca. 1270.
On the interior, the font is made of a hard black limestone imported from Belgium (known as Tournai "marble"); it was expensive to quarry and import, which suggests that elite patrons supported the Iffley church. The same stone is used for columns that support the arches of the central bay, the base of the bell tower. Interior sculpture includes a bird in a nest, perhaps a reference to Psalm 84: "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty." An isolated head opposite it is harder to explain; it seems to be evidence of a sculptor's or mason's creativity without any scriptural referent.
The exterior of the west portal has a large quantity of decorative carving that includes chevrons and beakheads typical of Norman architecture, as well as zodiac signs and evangelist symbols. The south portal features fantastic beasts and scenes of fighting. Doorways were understood as liminal spaces that required extra protection. The west entrance was used for special liturgies, such as baptisms and the Palm Sunday procession; the south door was for laypeople, and the north one may have been for the parish priest.
An anchoress (female recluse) named Annora occupied a cell on the south side of the church for nine years (1232–41). She could see into the church through a now blocked arch at ground level, and visitors could ask her for spiritual advice through a window in her cell. An anchorite (male) or anchoress could never leave the cell and depended on wealthy patrons for support. King Henry III supported Annora with firewood from a royal forest, sacks of grain, and clothing. In the twelfth–thirteenth centuries, England had 92 anchoresses and 20 anchorites.
On the interior, the font is made of a hard black limestone imported from Belgium (known as Tournai "marble"); it was expensive to quarry and import, which suggests that elite patrons supported the Iffley church. The same stone is used for columns that support the arches of the central bay, the base of the bell tower. Interior sculpture includes a bird in a nest, perhaps a reference to Psalm 84: "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty." An isolated head opposite it is harder to explain; it seems to be evidence of a sculptor's or mason's creativity without any scriptural referent.
The exterior of the west portal has a large quantity of decorative carving that includes chevrons and beakheads typical of Norman architecture, as well as zodiac signs and evangelist symbols. The south portal features fantastic beasts and scenes of fighting. Doorways were understood as liminal spaces that required extra protection. The west entrance was used for special liturgies, such as baptisms and the Palm Sunday procession; the south door was for laypeople, and the north one may have been for the parish priest.
An anchoress (female recluse) named Annora occupied a cell on the south side of the church for nine years (1232–41). She could see into the church through a now blocked arch at ground level, and visitors could ask her for spiritual advice through a window in her cell. An anchorite (male) or anchoress could never leave the cell and depended on wealthy patrons for support. King Henry III supported Annora with firewood from a royal forest, sacks of grain, and clothing. In the twelfth–thirteenth centuries, England had 92 anchoresses and 20 anchorites.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
8,
9
Image Credits:
Linda Safran
