Stafford, St Chad's Church c.1950

Photo ref: S411009

More about this scene

The church contains numerous items of interest; the stained glass windows are particularly fine. Facing the south door is a bust of Stafford's best-known son, Izaak Walton, author of 'The Compleat Angler'. The most enigmatical feature of the church is a very old font, probably of 12th-century origin. At the base are carvings of lions with the legend: 'Discretus non es qui non fugio: ecce liones.' This has been poetically translated as 'Unwise you be, the lions see, and do not flee.' Around the upper part of the font is an even more cryptic inscription, not helped by being practically illegible. It may be a tribute to the donor. St Chad's Church is of similar age to St Mary's, and may at one time have been a larger structure than it is today. One of the tower columns bears an inscription: 'Orm vocatur qui me condidit': 'He who founded me was called Orm.' No-one knows for sure who Orm was, although several candidates of that name have been suggested. Like St Mary's, St Chad's has associations with Izaak Walton, who is said to have worshipped there. The yard has been substantially encroached upon by neighbouring buildings (see photograph S411009, below). For once, modern development is not to blame; the problem dates from the 17th century. In fact Walton, who died in 1683, bequeathed money to enable the churchyard to be walled to prevent further incursions.