A Unique Church

St Chad's

During our exploration of Shrewsbury, we came across a most unusual church. St Chad's, built in 1792, is the only Grade I listed circular Georgian church in England.

The church, which is very beautiful inside, has circular pews and a splendid plaster ceiling.

St Chad's ceiling

John Simpson memorial.

Charles Darwin was baptised here on 15 November 1809.
There are several interesting monuments including a memorial to John Simpson, a master mason who worked on the Caledonian Canal, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and St Chad's.

Pews in St Chad's.

The circular design was actually a mistake because of a misunderstanding between the architect, George Steuart, and the church trustees.

The remains of the original church, Old St Chad's, can be seen near College Hill. This 13th century building suffered a catastrophic collapse in 1788, and it was decided a change of site was best. All photos © Sue Wilkes.

Old St Chad's

A Famous Coaching Inn

Assembly Room chandeliers.

Lion Hotel.

You never know what historic gems you may find when out exploring, and I was thrilled to discover a splendid Assembly Room in a famous coaching inn at Shrewsbury.

The Lion Hotel, formerly the Red Lion, dates back to at least the fifteenth century. The beautiful lion above the entrance, and the Assembly Room, were probably built in 1777.

According to John Newman, the wonderful plasterwork in the Assembly Room, in the style of the Adam brothers, is by local architect Joseph Bromfield.

Plaque on the Lion Hotel.

Detail of musicians' gallery.

Lion above front door.

In the early 19th century, Shrewsbury was an important halt on the London to Holyhead road, built by Thomas Telford. The Hotel has had many famous guests including William IV, Thomas de Quincey, and even (allegedly) a ghost!

It was very exciting to climb the elegant hotel staircase, open the huge doors into the ballroom, and imagine the dancers twirling in 'an irresistible waltz' like Emma Woodhouse enjoyed with Frank Churchill in Jane Austen's Emma.

Assembly Room.

All photos © Sue Wilkes.

The Great Undressed

Courtesy Library of Congress.

Traditionally, English fashion followed Parisian modes. The French Revolution (1789) overturned fashion as well as society and ladies abandoned the courtly styles of the ancien regime. They adopted a simple ‘Grecian’ or ‘classical’ look with bare arms, and gowns as straight as a wax candle. 

Lady's Monthly Museum, Dec 1798.

La Belle Assemblée (September 1807) recalled this startling change, led by the daring Mme Tallien of Paris: ‘Nakedness, absolute nakedness, and nothing but nakedness, was therefore seen at the play-houses, at the opera, at the concerts, routs, and in public walks as well as in private assemblies. When one lady left off a fichue [a piece of linen pinned or tied across the bodice], another laid aside a petticoat.  When one uncovered her arms, another exposed her legs or thighs.  Had the progress of stripping continued a little longer...French ladies would in some months have reduced themselves to be admired, envied, or blamed, as the Eves of the eighteenth century’. Mme Tallien’s rival, Mme de Beauharnois, wore ‘flesh coloured satin pantaloons, leaving off all petticoats’ under a ‘clear muslin gown’. 

White muslin gowns were a fashion staple: the elegant Miss Tilney in Austen’s Northanger Abbey ‘always wears white’.Dresses with trains were worn for morning and full dress: heroine Catherine Morland and her friend Isabella ‘pinned up each other’s trains for the dance’. However, a few years later trains fell out of favour even for full dress as gowns became shorter.

Courtesy Library of Congress. Note the short gowns.

The train’s disappearance had an unfortunate side-effect because of the diaphanous gowns in fashion. One's bottom was practically on show, so fundamentally modest ladies wore an ‘invisible petticoat’ to hide their nether regions.  This was a band of very finely knitted material, tightly fitted so that it did not slip down, but it made walking difficult. Luckily by the winter of 1807 trains trimmed with broad lace reappeared for evening dress, although petticoats were now so short that ladies' ankles could be seen by admiring gentlemen.