South Aisle

St Oswald’s Chapel

Crucifix at St Oswald's Altar At the head of the south aisle, the chapel dedicated to St Oswald, was created around 1950 in memory of those of the Parish who were killed in World War 2; their names are shown on the south wall. The Crucifix behind the altar was rescued from a battlefield in France during World War 1, where it is understood to have been a roadside Calvary. It is, therefore, particularly fitting that it should now form the centre-piece of a War Memorial Chapel.

Charles William Mitchell Memorial

Charles William Mitchell memorial The south aisle also contains the memorial to Charles William Mitchell who contributed much to the interior design. This memorial, from Frampton's studio, is almost blatantly secular with its figures of art and literature flanking the simple inscriptions.

Windows of the South Aisle

The seven windows in the south aisle have elaborate patterns in colour and texture. Some have questioned why, in a building in which no expense was spared, the architect should have used pieces of domestic glass such as one would find in the doors or windows of vernacular buildings or domestic artefacts. The answer can only be that Spence wished to play with as wide a range of texture, colour and pattern as he could.

The windows of the south aisle are perhaps a commentary on the whole building, for they are rich in elaborate patterns but with a subtle and reserved touch; St George's may be a Victorian building but it has none of the heaviness or darkness so often associated with that period. The central figures in the south windows take themes from the Book of Revelation.

Clog Calendar

Below these figures can be seen a curious collection of symbols that bemuse most visitors, and which are taken from a Clog Calendar.

In medieval times the unlearned were helped to follow the passing of the year by means of sticks or four sided logs marked with symbols to denote the feast days of the Church. Where Spence discovered his information is not known, nor do we know why he thought it appropriate to place a clog calendar in a suburban church; we can only assume that this was yet another pattern with which he could enrich his great work.

The windows contain significant feasts from January to November. Unfortunately there is not a window to commemorate the feasts of December. Some of the symbols used in the Clog Calendar are easy to interpret, for example the keys of St Peter or the harp of St David, but many others are less easy to discern.

Beginning from the vestry door the windows have the following symbols