NOTES ON THE OLD CHURCH OF ST. ALKMUND. 191 



It seems desirable that some notice should be made of these 

 changes, but, before doing so, I wish to put on record a few 

 particulars about the old church itself. 



The church appears to have been built, almost entirely, during 

 the Late Perpendicular period (early in the i6th century). It 

 consisted of nave with side aisles, south porch and well 

 proportioned tower, 69 feet in height ; all with embattled parapets- 

 The buttresses in the north aisle, and also those of the porch, 

 were finished above the parapets with crocketted pinnacles. 

 The two central buttresses of the south aisle had been replaced 

 by some others of larger size, and with one long, projecting 

 slope, showing that the walls were giving way from the pressure 

 of the roof. 



The tower was not detached from the building : but, like the 

 tower of Chaddesden Church, built upon pillars and arches 

 opening into the nave and aisles. The base of the tower seems 

 from the mouldings of the arches, to have been built at least 

 a century earlier than the other parts of the building. The 

 chancel, again, bears evidence of having been repaired and 

 altered about the time of the institution of the Rev. Henry 

 Cantrell, as Vicar, in 1712; it had a perfectly plain parapet, 

 and was covered by a low-pitched roof laid with lead. It was, 

 in plan, very long and narrow, measuring 32 feet 9 inches in 

 length, and only 12 feet 4 inches in width. 



The west end of the building was separated by screens from 

 the nave and aisles, thus forming a narthex, or division from the 

 church, Ml which catechumens and penitents were received. In 

 later times, this space was used for secular purposes, as in it 

 the town fire-engine was kept. It was also used as a public 

 mortuary, into which the bodies of those accidentally killed 

 were brought to await the coroner's inquest. 



There were three entrances from the outside into this narthex, 

 the principal one being at the west, through the tower. Over the 

 west door was a large window opening, which was, however, 

 together with one on the south face of the tower, blocked up with 



