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Summary
A pair of Clergy stalls on the Cantoris, north side of the Chancel, comprising a book rest to the front adorned by three oak carved saints, St Hugh of Lincoln, St Chad and St Richard . With two hinged seats to the rear with niched backs and carved double canopy above surmounted by four limewood angels holding banners in pairs atop crocketed spires and on the Decani, south side of the Chancel, comprising a book rest to the front adorned by three oak carved saints, St Thomas of Canterbury, The Venerable Bede and St Augustine of Canterbury. With two hinged seats to the rear with niched backs and carved double canopy above surmounted by four limewood angels holding banners in pairs atop crocheted spires. Part of a set of elaborately carved oak choir stalls, comprising two sets of clergy stalls and four blocks of choir Stalls split equally to the north and south sides of the Chancel. Each clergy stall comprises a book rest to the front adorned by three oak carved saints and two hinged seats to the rear with niched backs and carved double canopy above surmounted by four limewood angels holding banners in pairs. The choir stalls have a rear bench seat with carved inscription panel above and two canopied niches to each side containing a limewood saint surmounted by a limewood angel holding a musical instrument. In the middle is a further bench seat with book rest to the rear and sides with carved angel shoulders and fleur de-lis pinnacles. The front section is a decorative book rest with carved front panels and sides. There are twenty four limewood angels forming the orchestra and sixteen limewood saints depicting the four Doctors of the Western Church, the four Archangels, the four Northern Saints and the four Evangelists. The clergy stalls and first two sections of choir stalls to the west were supplied in 1889 with the final two in the eastern end coming later in 1912. The first eight limewood figures adorning these sections depicted the four Doctors of the Western Church and the four Evangelists. In the south-west corner stood St Matthew and St Gregory, to the south-east St Mark and St Augustine, in the north-west corner stood St Luke and St Ambrose and in the north-east St Jerome and St John. The later eastern stalls held the figures St Michael, St Gabriel, St Raphael and St Uriel depicting the four Archangels and St Chad, St Cuthbert, St Wilfred and St Aidan the four Northern Saints. Following structural works in 1988 some of the figures have now moved positions.