The Jesse Window

Backblipped for Friday

On a rainy day in Shrewsbury we visited three churches, all of which are of great interest. In St Mary's the coloured glass windows are ancient and spectacular, in particular the East window of my blip.

The Jesse window was brought to St Mary's in 1792 from Old St Chad's, which collapsed in 1788. Prior to that it is thought to have been in Greyfriars' Chapel, near English Bridge, until the dissolution.

The window depicts Jesse, the father of David, lying down, across three lights in the second row up . From him a vine spreads through 16 kings and 21 prophets, to Joseph and Mary, seen in the tracery at the top, thus providing a 'family tree' of the Holy Family.

The donor, Sir John de Charleton, was alive when the window was made, which gives an accurate date of betweeen 1330 and 1353. The window was restored in 1859 and 1998.

We went on to visit St Alkmund's, check out the English Bridge, observe the muddy-looking River Severn, which was bursting its banks, and the impressive flotsam that it carried. In the Quarry park we were delighted by the Dingle, a pretty formal garden laid out by Percy Thrower (who also designed the Blue Peter garden) then went on to St Chad's and the Welsh Bridge, stopping only for a coffee and bun in the cycle shop cafe. In the town, where timber-framed buildings abound, several charity shops were visited and a number of useful books purchased before we staggered back to the hotel to rest before dinner in the Old Post Office restaurant.

Despite the constant rain we both enjoyed our visit and feel we should return and see the rest.