Description

BARNARD CASTLE

NZ0516SW NEWGATE
770-1/6/160 (South side (off))
29/01/86 Hopper tomb approximately 2 metres
south of Church of St Mary

GV II*

Chest tomb to George Hopper of Black Hedley, Northumberland,
d.1725. Sandstone ashlar. Richly carved and moulded. Plinth
with ovolo and cavetto mouldings supports 4 angle piers, with
plinths and cornices, and intermediate slabs on north and
south sides. Piers have symbolic foliage and flowers; side
piers rise as niches into sides of chest, with flanking and
end carved panels. North niche contains high relief figure of
gentleman in detailed early C18 dress with sidecoat and hat,
and masks, possibly portraits, on returns of pier; south niche
contains skeleton. Chest panels on north have memento mori
with knots, tassels and drapery, and elaborate initials;
inscriptions on north: `Here stands my statue carved in stone/
to mind ye liveing I am gone' and `he cometh forth like a
flower and it...'. On west: `Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord/ I know that my redeemer liveth'; on east carved
flowers; south niche has eroded inscription round skeleton;
coat of arms at left; and angels with trumpets and crown at
right, and `Revelations Chapter 2.v.10 - 'be thou faithfull
unto death and I will give thee a crown of life'. Gadroon
moulded cornice to top with enriched corded moulding to edge,
and raised fielded top with acanthus leaves and putti on wide
border; inscription: 'Here lyeth the body of George Son of
Humphrey Hopper of Black Headly in Northumberland and
Derwentwater, Gentleman, who departed this life March the 30th
A.D. 1725 aged 23.'

Listing NGR: NZ0506116265

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536475

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)