Architecture And Archæology.

ARCHITECTURE AND ARCH ? OLOGY .

GENEEAL AECHITECTUEAL INTELLIGENCE . The re-opening of Eaton church , Norfolk , is announced . It had been closed during a considerable portion of the summer , in order that some extensive and much-needed improvements might be carried out . The total cost has beeu about £ 400 and for this the church has had its old

, seats replaced by open benches of stained deal ; the roof , externally and internally , has been almost entirely rebuilt ; new communion-rails , reading-desk , & o , supplied . The walls of this church have been well known for the number of the so-called frescoes upon them , most of them in a state of such utter dilapidation as to be ol interest only to the most pains-taking archaeologist . Those are all now covered

over by the whitening brush of the bricklayer . Even if it had been thought desirable to retain one or two of these paintings , ifc would UOAV be impossible , as , during the progress of the restoration , the rain washed them nearly off . The parish church of Orcop , Herefordshire , after having undergone a restoration and partial rebuilding , has been re-opened for Divine Service . Iu addition to the work of restoration , the tower has been rebuilt , the north aisle lengthened , and a new porch and vestry added ; and a

vaulted chamoer has been formed under the latter for the convenience of hereafter erecting an apparatus for warming the church . Hew aisles have been built , dividing the tower aud chamber from the nave . The tower is rebuilt on the ancient model . It is a heavy oak timber structure , about 60 ffc . high , three stages in height , carried from within the church upon four oak legs , that once formed the trunks of

stately forest trees ; and the lower stage is encased with masonry . The roof over the nave , which , until IIOAV , has been concealed with plaster , has been restored . Ifc is massive , moulded , and marked out at the intersections with- carved bosses ; a similar roof of oak has been placed over the chancel . The benches are of oak , after the manner suggested by remnants of the ancient sittings . A new

carved stono pulpit and font have been erected , the former entered by mi archway through the nave wall . The chancel is also stalled with oak , and contains an oak reading-desk and lectern . The aisles and chancel are laid with Godwin ' s encaustic tiles , disposed in ornamental patterns . The plaster and whitewash havo been removed from the east and west 'Walls .

Sfc . Mary ' s Church , Chester , has been re-opened . All the high-backed square pews ( painted green , to imitate green baize ) have given way to low and open benches . The organ has been removed from the tower , and placed in the south chapel , thus throwing open the arch which separated the toAver from the nave , and exhibiting to view the west window , which has been entirely filled in with stained glass . The chancel has been laid with encaustic tiles , the plastering scraped from off the walls , and the oak roof of the south aisle opened out and varnished .

An Independent chapel , to accommodate 700 persons , is to be erected at Darlington . The estimated cost of the building , organ , lighting and warminsr , & c , is a little under £ 2000 , exclusive of additional ground , which is contracted to be purchased for £ 300 . An endeavour , we may here remark , is being made to raise tho sum of £ 40 , 000 to assist in fche erection of 100 new Independent chapels throughout the kingdom , to celebrate in l ! -, 62 the bi-cenfcenary of Nonconformity , and in commemoration of the events of 1662 .

Sfc . Nicholas' Church , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , has been re-opened . The three figures in stained glass , by the late Mr . John Gibson , which were removed for the erection of the new east window , have now been placed in Sfc . Mary's Porch , or south transept , and ornament the large window in thafc part of the edifice , which is in the same style of architecture as that in which they were oriinally laced .

Ting p toretto ' s picture , "Our Saviour washing the Disciples' feet , " also in this transept , has been cleaned . The restoration of Sfc . John's Church , Coventry , is completed . The eastern end , the tower , ancl the north and

south transepts , have been restored to their original form and appearance . The whole of fche east window has been opened , and filled with stained glass . It includes figures of the four Evangelists in the upper compartment , and St . John the Baptist , Sfc . Paul , Sfc . Peter , and Sfc . James in the lower . The effect of the window is aided by tbe glass which has been placed in the sixteen clerestory windows of the chancel , afc the expense of sixteen of the parishioners of St . John ' s .

The new congregational chapel in Lifcfclehamptou , Sussex , was opened for divine worship on Tuesday week . The site for this building was obtained from fche late Duke of Norfolk . The length of the chapel is 55 ffc . ; the width of the nave , 30 ffc . ; the breadth of transepts , 33 ft . The style of the chapel is Decorated Gothic . There is a school-room afc the back of the chapel 33 ft . long by 19 ffc . wide . The fittings

, pewing , aud pulpit—fche latter sexagonal—are all of pine . The total cost , including boundary fencing , furniture , gasfittings , levelling , and planting round chapel , incidental and other expenses , architect's commission , and travelling expenses , was £ 1098 .

The Tackefc-streefc Chapel Sunday-schools , Ipswich , have been opened . The schools are situate afc the west end of chapel , with an entrance from Cox-lane . The principal room is 60 ft . by 30 ft ., and 24 ft . high , open to the roof , and lighted by windows on the two long sides and in each gable end . At the north side are four rooms for bible classes , and at the south an infant school-room 2 Sffc . by 15 ffc . and 14 ffc . hih

, , g , with gallery at one end , and another class-room , all in direct communication with the larger school . The building is faced with red brick , covered with plain tiles . The principal elevation consists of two entrance porches projecting 9 ffc . from the front , and a gable at each end forming the wings .

The architect , Mr . G . G . Scott , refers to the work of restoration at Sfc . Mary's Church , Nantwich , as follows : — "The church of Sfc . Mary , Nantwich , is well known as one of the finest churches in the county of Chester ; indeed , from the richness and completeness of its design , it may be considered to rank among the best examples of the later Decorated work in England . There are , it is true , existing in the

building portions of earlier date ; and there is a gradual development in the style observable from west to east ; but , with the exception of the clerestory , Avhich is an addition made in the beginning of fche sixteenth century , the design is unusually complete . The mosfc important remnant of earlier work is the west door , the design of which has been rescued from entire destruction by a most careful restoration .

Thie is an unusually rich and beautiful piece of Early English work , and evidently formed part of the previous church ; perhaps ifc was an addition to the original Norman church , made within fifty years of the commencement of the entire rebuilding , for , had tho church generally been rebuilt rjreviously in the elaborate style of the west door , we canhardly imagine that another reconstruction would have beeu commenced so shortly after . The nave is evidently the first

part ol the new design which was carried out , some of the work bordering upon fche Early Decorated style . The pillars which support the tower are extremely massive , and are clustered to an unusual extent . Between the nave and choir the original stone screen exists , and on the north side of the pulpit , forming one design with the screen . These are of fifteenth century work , and are of great interest . The

style of the chancel is more developed than that of the nave , for the easb window , which appeal's from its details to be of tho same work as the rest , is a very fine example of Perpendicular . The chancel is groined throughout with very rich vaulting . Here the old stalls still remain with their canopies ; these are of early fifteenth century work , and are extremely good . Externally , the general design is

very good , and the belfry is striking , from its somewhat unusual treatment . The chancel too , the restoration , of Avhich is now completed , is of excellent desi gn ; the buttresses with their pinnacles are remarkabl y rich and beautiful . It is scarcely necessary to describe the condition of the chancel before its restoration was commenced . The work , both externally and internally , was in a state of great decay , the interior covered with whitewash , the east end pannelled in a most incongruous manner , to which the beau-