102 NOTES ON ASHBURNE CHURCH. 
the other of the interior, in its unrestored state. Later still, we 
have the imposing work by the Rev. S. T. Mosse, then curate of 
Ashburne, illustrated with large folio lithographs of the Church 
as it appeared after the 1840 “restoration.” When we have 
mentioned the paper commemorating the visit of the British 
Archzeological Association to our town in 1851, and the volume 
which treats of the Church in Mr. J. C. Cox’s well-known work, 
we have exhausted all the principal sources of information. 
It would be ungracious to point out the errors, real or 
supposed, in these several descriptions, for the architectural 
history of Ashburne Church is by no means easy of explanation. 
We can, of course, point out certain portions as belonging 
undoubtedly to the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth century 
periods of Architecture ; but it is difficult to frame a theory 
which will account with perfect consistency for the present form 
of the fabric. 
Of course, the well-known Consecration Plate tells us (Plate VIII.) 
that a Church was dedicated by Hugh de Pateshull, in a.pD. 1241; 
and we can affirm, without fear of contradiction, that the chancel, 
north and south transepts, were erected previous to that date; 
but it is doubtful whether any portion of the present nave formed 
part of the building then consecrated. Fragments of an edifice 
belonging to the Norman and Early English Periods came to 
light during the restoration of the chancel in 1876-77, and also 
during the recent alterations; but the Norman fragments may 
have been brought from the old Chapel at Clifton, which was 
pulled down in the last century for thé purpose of repairing the 
mother Church. 
On certain points, indeed, we can write with tolerable distinct- 
ness—e.g., the west wall of the north transept was evidently 
pierced subsequently to its erection, when the wall of the nave 
was brought out some feet further north into its present position ; 
and again in the south transept, the eaves course of the western 
wall may be detected zws¢de the present Church, although the 
external basement molds had been removed when the arch 
leading from the south aisle to the transept was erected. That 
