86 DATE OK MELHOURNK PARISH CHURCH. 



height in the Romanesque style. Can it be supposed that the 

 building of the southern side of the nave, necessary to the roofing 

 of the nave, proceeded so slowly as to invite the introduction of 

 a different style (the pointed) in that very limited portion of the 

 original structure ? 



A comparison of the internal roofing of the galleries in the two 

 sides of the nave proves that the modes, and therefore probably 

 the periods, of construction, are very different. On the north side 

 the roofing is of grouted rubble, resembling that which exists in 

 the galleries round the central tower and in the approaches from 

 the east to both the triforia ; but in the southern triforium 

 between the pointed openings in couplets in the inner and the 

 outer walls, the roofing is of largish stones laid archwise. Having 

 regard to these several points, is it not to be inferred that the 

 southern triforium was originally constructed in conformity with 

 the northern, and that afterwards, by some accident, by fire or 

 otherwise (discoloration by fire is considered by some to be still 

 visible in the south aisle) it became necessary to rebuild the south 

 wall of the nave above the string course, and at the same time to 

 make a new roof to the nave ? for the old roof must have failed 

 when it lost the support of the south wall of the nave. If that 

 new roof was to be of wood, it would not require that the shafts, 

 which had run upwards to support the stone roof, should be 

 renewed in the new south wall above the string course : and on 

 the north side, the upper parts of the original shafts would have 

 to be removed for uniformity, and to admit of the new timber 

 uprights being placed against the walls. 



If then it may be assumed that jNIelbourne Church was 

 originally constructed with two triforia of triplets of round-headed 

 arches and round clerestory windows, as well as with all the other 

 Romanesque features which have been above enumerated, what is 

 the probable date of that structure ? 



It may here be remarked that there are two particulars in which 

 there is a close resemblance between the central tower of 

 Melbourne Church and that of Norwich Cathedral, the latter said 

 to have been commenced about a.d. 1090. Each is decorated 



