NOTES ON HOPE CHURCH. IOL 
4th—Roof timbers decayed.—This springs entirely from want 
of care in repairing the lead covering. It has most seriously 
affected the principal second from east wall at the junctions of the 
ends of the purlins with it on south side of roof. Through 
similar defects the small square rafters are also decayed, so that 
the renewal of two-thirds to three-fourths of them are required. 
The wall plates appear to have escaped, on the whole, 
WH, much better than under the circumstances I should 
“ have been led to suspect, it being questionable if 
_ indeed more than three new lengths (of bay, one side) may be of 
necessity required. Of the tie beams, three would pass with 
slight repairs, but of a fourth (the second from last) it would 
require to be spliced with practically about one-half new oak, 
moulded, and properly bolted to the old half. There would, 
however, be a possibility of re-using here the present westernmost 
beam, provided that that one was done away with. It would be 
_ desirable to screw up the present roof about one-third or so 
_ higher, for which there is ample space within the battlemented 
_ parapet without interference or difficulty with gutters or sight-line, 
thus enabling the tops of east window and chancel arch to be 
perfectly seen. The only replacement required at west wall 
would be three small stone corbels to support the ends of ridge 
-and purlins (or an iron shoe for ridge instead of the stone. 
Of the purlins, with the addition of iron straps on the back of the 
_ present, all might be repaired ; or, otherwise, two new ones would 
perhaps be required at most. Should the roof be screwed up to 
_ the level necessary to rise above apex of window and arch, before 
the space is built up advantage should be taken to well tar [or 
pitch rather with Swedish pitch] the backs and bottoms of the 
old wall plates and any new ones used. ‘The old stone corbels 
would require to be taken out and refixed at the slightly higher 
level, when the foot or so of additional wall space in height would 
be also built up. No difficulty would be found in reconstructing 
the gutters, which should discharge at each of the four angles, 
thus having one drip in each length, which would be much safer 
for the lead. 
