An imposing neo-classical sarcophagus from the 1760s

 St Andrew, Wimpole, Cambridgeshire
(Click on an image for a larger version)


St Andrew is a dramatic example of what happens when a noble family entirely dominates a village. There was a medieval church here, surrounded by a little medieval village, but little of it now exists: Only a small side chapel remains,and even that has been restored almost out of all recognition. The rest of the church is a rebuilding of 1749.


The imposing neo-classical sarcophagus between the windows is the monument for Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke (1690-1764) and of his wife Margaret Yorke (née Cocks) who died in 1761. The monument in white marble was designed by James 'Athenian' Stuart and sculpted by Peter Scheemakers. On one side is Minerva and on the other is Pudicitia, the matronal virtue. One of the two middle-most children collects the Mace and Purse of the Lord Chancellor's office and the other crowns it with a garland.

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