Twelfth-century sculpture to see in suburban Leeds.

What is it about?

Adel church, on the northern outskirts of Leeds, is well known for its twelfth-century sculpture on doorway, corbels and chancel arch. The doorway has an 'end of the world' scene with the appearance of Christ and the four Living Creatures, stars falling and judgment in the offing. The chancel arch is composed of several carved arches, one of which has several carvings of people with features proper to new-born infants; these are presumably people 'born again' at the general resurrection. And I haven't mentioned the capitals of the arch...

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Why is it important?

The carvings of the new-borns emphasise that Romanesque sculpture was invented for the laity.