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North Chancel Aisle Painted Panels
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Ten painted panels each showing a mitred bishop including St Eata, St Wilfrid, and St John of Beverley.
This is a section, possibly of rood loft or pulpitum consisting of ten surviving panels. It is a fragment and can be stylistically and technically paired (on the basis of the structure and the pigments) to the Apostle-set now placed at the front of the rostrum [HEXAB203]. The upper transom is original. The panels are no longer set into a sill or bressummer, so they are hanging from a batten or battens behind. Possibly, two or three more panels were part of this scheme originally.
late 15th cent
Some time after 1908, until about 1964: against N wall of N Chancel Aisle, immediately east of the cart hole; see lantern-slide HEXAB9019.18
Prior to 1907: at right-hand (south) end of top row of painted panels on the Smithson Screen facing west.
c.1964: Moved to bottom of partly modern and partly mediæval screen [HEXAB185] in St Etheldreda's Chapel.
1990: “Woodworm prevention treatment carried out in … Bishops' panel screen in St Etheldreda's Chapel, ….” [Churchwardens Record HEXAB9535 p6, 15 Oct]
2012: infra-red photos taken [HEXAB9009]
2022: Discussed and illustrated in article by Lucy Wrapson in Hamilton-Kerr Institute Bulletin no.9 [HEXAB5444]: probably part of a set with the 14 panels of the Pulpit & Screen in the Chancel [HEXAB203].
Feb2023: Conservation cleaning by Hamilton-Kerr Institute's Lucy Wrapson.
09Jul2024: Moved from N side of St Etheldreda's Chapel to E end of N Wall of N Chancel Aisle immediately W of St Wilfrid's Chapel.
L 316 cm overall | each panel: H 89 cm | W 25–26 cm except easternmost 21 cm
on existing wooden beam
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4
1961: “(2) To restore the Mediæval Panel Paintings”; Faculty Regr. no.3. Faculty no. 2195, 10.7.1961
1964. To remove 2 panels of the mediæval paintings on wood from their present position in the North Chancel Aisle to positions as follows: 1. To refix the panel with paintings of the Bishops to the lower part of the screen in St Etheldreda's Chapel. … Faculty reg. no.3. Faculty no.2356, 2.6.1964. NRO EP.184/80.

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Bishop 1 Archbishop saint (St Wilfrid or St John of Beverley)
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Has staff, cross and book and partial banner that appears to have been painted out. Background is yellow with red flowers, while behind the now missing tracery it was red.
Single board with a number of splits, one section has split off on the right-hand side and has shifted downwards, where it is remounted misaligned. There is a central split starting from the top going halfway and there is a split in the top left-hand side, which runs about 20 cm and which has some movement. There is no framework on the left-hand side of the panel. It is held with a large screw at the bottom of the panel into what appears to be a horizontal batten, which is behind the whole set of panels. Nailed at the top with three nails to some kind of beam or batten behind. Tracery is absent on this panel.
late 15th cent
St Wilfrid is depicted in two other painted panels: HEXAB133.7 & HEXAB202.3, and in windows: HEXAB1406, HEXAB1407.5, HEXAB1417 [misspelt ‘Wilfred’], HEXAB1427, HEXAB1431.3 (twice), & HEXAB1431.4
St John of Beverley is depicted in two other painted panels: HEXAB133.8 & HEXAB202.4, and in windows: HEXAB1417 & HEXAB1431.6 (twice)
H 89 cm | W 25 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 2 St Eata
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Banner, which reads “St Eata VII anos”. Red background with white flowers. Crosier in left hand; right hand raised in blessing.
Two splits to the single panel, bottom right hand corner, no movement. Extends approximately 10 cm. Top right hand side stretching through 60% of the panel, no movement. Three nails attach it to batten along the bottom. There are some old nails holding the tracery in place.
late 15th cent
Eata (died 26 October 686), also known as Eata of Lindisfarne, was Bishop of Hexham from 678 until 681, and then Bishop of Lindisfarne from before 681 until 685. He then was translated back to Hexham where he served until his death in 685 or 686. He was the first native of Northumbria to occupy the bishopric of Lindisfarne.
St Eata is depicted in two other panels: HEXAB133.5 & HEXAB202.2, and in window HEXAB1417
H 89 cm | W 26.2 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 3 St (unknown)
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Background was yellow with red flowers but it survives poorly and the red flowers are very blanched like the inter-tracery paint remains. The scroll is blank. No iconoclasm evident. Crosier in left hand, closed book in right.
This is a single panel. Sight size width is 25.5 cm. It has split down the middle, there is some movement and the boards are not level across the split. There is another split on the left hand side that travels all the way from the bottom up and there is movement. There is a split in the bottom right corner, there is no movement. There is a split in the top right corner and another running down the right hand side to half the panel length. There is no surviving tracery head. There is a further split on the left hand side nearer the central split starting at the bottom which extends about 15 cm and has no movement. There are nails at the top which appear to relate to the attachment of tracery, with a few more points of attachment visible at the base of the panel.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 25.5 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 4 Archbishop
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Tracery heads are green. Can see red from when tracery was painted. Orange red lead background with white flowers. More orange red lead background compared to red lead and vermilion layering visible on the second bishop. The painted scroll is blank. Primatial cross in left hand.
Structurally one panel. Sight size width is 25.4 cm. Two splits starting from the bottom, one central, one to the left. Movement. Two splits left edge starting from the top. First runs almost the whole length, the second half the length of the panel, movement in these. This would have to be repaired in a studio setting, not in situ. Safely mounted, but the board is not coherent currently due to the extent of splitting. No tracery survives but malrand shows that the panels were painted with the tracery applied. Can see remains of nails formerly to hold tracery.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 25.4 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 5
painted-panel | flat art
wood
The background has a mix of red and green flowers over the yellow, possible a later yet mediæval adaptation, as some of the green ones go over the red ones (but these are quite crude paintings so who knows?). Tracery head is red in this instance. Crosier in left hand.
Structurally one panel. 25.6 cm sight size. Five splits starting from the bottom. There is considerable movement from the third onwards towards the right. From the top there is a severe split close to the right hand edge that also nearly meets up to the one at the bottom. If the structure is ever moved, this should be addressed structurally to strengthen this piece. Remnants of nails that would have held the now missing tracery in place are present.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 25.6 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 6
painted-panel | flat art
wood
The tracery heads were green with red spilling over from the painting red of the tracery. No iconoclasm evident. Crosier in left hand; right hand raised in blessing, two fingers pointing to his right.
Three splits along the bottom. There is some movement in them. It is a single panel and none of the splits span the full length of the panel. There is another split in the top right hand corner where there is also a hole. There are traces of nails to attach the now missing tracery. There is a natural kink in the timber in the top right hand corner, a knot cut out. This would formerly have been covered by the tracery.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 25.4 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 7
painted-panel | flat art
wood
The tracery heads are red, the ground is white, probably chalk and the background of the panels was yellow. The decoration is different; only four large dots perhaps to separate it from his cloak which is floral with 5 petals. Crosier in left hand; right hand raised in blessing, two fingers pointing to his left.
Four splits starting from the bottom. There is movement in the second split from the left-hand side which extends around half way through the composition. The third split continues from top to bottom with a 5mm wide gap at the top. Structural repairs would have to be undertaken in a studio setting but the panel is currently stable in its present setting. There is a hole, which appears to have been deliberately cut, and might be a squint. Tracery does not survive. Boards seem to have a bevel along the bottom. This board survives better than many of the others. The boards appear to be as much as 12 mm thick but bevel to about 4 mm where they formerly slotted into a sill (if a screen dado) or bressummer (if a screen loft).
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 26 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 8
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Green tracery heads. Red background with yellow floral decorations, some have five or six petals, others have four in total. No evidence of iconoclasm. Figure has no banner. Crosier in left hand; right hand raised in blessing, two fingers pointing to his right.
Panel is a single piece. Sight size width of the panel is 25.7 cm. Two splits from the bottom. Central one is moving and stepped in the bottom part and there is a split from the top right about 8 cm. There is a 20 cm long split on the upper far right hand side and it ends with a knot in the timber which is still present and exhibits wild grain in the surrounding area. There has been a knock to the bottom right hand corner that has splintered and which could be repaired in situ. No surviving tracery.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 25.7 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 9
painted-panel | flat art
wood
Tracery heads painted red. Loss to paint is fairly extensive in the background and in the central part of the bishop's garment. The background was yellow with red floral design. No banner. No evidence of iconoclasm. Clasped book and crosier held by left arm.
Single board panel. Sight size width is 26 cm. There are two splits starting from the bottom. The first on the left extends 30 cm up and there is no movement. The second one travels upwards in a serpentine manner up to 10 cm from the top. It is extremely stepped. A little movement, not very much concern. There is a split beginning 20 cm in from the bottom and extending upwards to within 5 cm of the top of the panel. There is a split beginning from the top left corner extending 20 cm down with no movement. Another split close to right hand edge from top running diagonally down near edge to within 25 cm from the bottom. This is also stepped. This could have been induced by the restraining of the panel in its framework because it is an erratic grained panel (probably therefore of local origin). Tracery missing. Remnants of nails where tracery was attached still present.
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 26 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4

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Bishop 10
painted-panel | flat art
wood
The tracery heads are green and the tracery has traces of paint. Yellow face and red inner lining, as per the Apostle series. Red background with white flowers. Crosier in left hand; right hand raised in blessing, two fingers pointing to his right.
Single panel. The sight size is 21.7 cm. There are four splits starting from the bottom. They extend almost all the way and they are quite open. There is some movement in the second split and there is furthermore a section missing in the bottom right hand corner. The section missing in the bottom right hand corner is about 7 × 2.5 cm, and it is associated with a split running up 75% of the way. It is loose and this would require structural work in a studio. The top half of the tracery on this panel is still extant. This section abuts a section of castellated transom in two sections, this does not look original in its format, but is the same as the original transom and probably derived from the wider object
late 15th cent
H 89 cm | W 21.7 cm
Chancel/North Aisle/North Wall/Bay 4



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