98 NOTES ON HOPE CHURCH. 
at various times repaired and renewed in rude fashion by the 
Lichfield Chapter. The rafters of the roof are a simple square 
in section, covered with thin split oak boarding to receive lead. 
These rafters numbered about eight in all bays, save that at east, 
where there may have been one more. Unfortunately this roof cut 
off a small bit of the points of the east window and of chancel 
arch. 
As before mentioned, the levels of floor are doubtful at west 
end, and as the chancel arch had been hoarded off, speaking 
with doubt (and it may be liable to correction), the old levels 
appeared to have been one step at chancel arch, then level to 
beyond priest’s door, where a dvoad step, agreeing with lowest seat 
of sedilia was met; next, two narrower and following rise of the 
other sedilia seats had existed. East of which the floor had been 
one level, save that on it had stood the altar step, of reaching the 
side walls. 
The lower part of the walls, as seen in section through some of 
the original putlog holes of the very early work (which were quite 
open from side to side, the closing materials having been taken 
out by the builder) appeared to be in a very good state ; but of 
those open, unfortunately, none were in the central bay where the 
state of the wall was worst externally. 
It therefore remains but to state what was actually defective 
and generally what works were necessary to place the choir ina 
perfectly safe state for at least the next 300 or 400 years. 
The defects were :— 
tst. Walls gone over. 
~ and. Cracks existing 7 east wall, produced by No. 1. 
3rd. Damage of window tracery. 
4th. Roof timbers decayed. 
5th. Repairs required of stone parapet and pinnacles. 
6th. Repair lead of roof, down pipes, and drainage. 
Of the last, No. 6.—As the lead had been entirely removed, and 
the down pipes might fairly be reused, it need scarcely be further 
entered on. 
No. 1.—Walls gone over.—This had come down partly from 
