I 



BRADBOURNE CHURCH. 7 I 



for light was blotted out by the Norman when he raised the tower ; 

 and if it is not Norman, what is it ? and why is it there at all ? 

 We shall see later on. 



The subject of Saxon masonry has of late years attracted 

 considerable attention among antiquaries, and they have some- 

 what tardily recognised that there are many more churches that 

 contain remains of this early character than have been usually 

 supposed to exist, but they are very difficult to be certain about. 

 The eye of a lynx, a good memory for other examples, and an 

 experience in such matters far larger than I can lay claim to, are 

 necessary to enable one to speak positively upon this point. So 

 much at present for the Saxon. 



Shortly after the time of the Domesday survey, the manor of 

 Bradbourne was held under the Ferrers by the family of Cauceis, 

 and before the middle of the twelfth century the church appears 

 to have been entirely rebuilt. Whether the new late Norman 

 church followed the ancient lines throughout there is now no 

 evidence to show. I think, as in many other cases, the Norman 

 builders only made use of so much of the earlier tower as 

 suited their purpose. Saxon towers were large in regard to the 

 rest of the church, and were convenient for adaptation ; and, 

 taking two well-known towers for comparison, we find that 

 Barnack tower is three feet, and Clapham tower, near Bedford, 

 one foot six inches larger each way than Bradbourne. Moreover, 

 the proportions of a Norman church are usually four squares — 

 one for the tower, two for the nave, and one for ihe chancel. 

 Such are the proportions of the church of Stewkley, which also 

 belongs to the middle of the twelfth century, and as we fortunately 

 know the extent of the Norman nave of Bradbourne, I have 

 indicated the external dimensions of the chancel also, conjec- 

 turally, of course. (See double dotted lines.) The Saxon church 

 was probably much smaller, with rudimentary transepts. 



The amount of use which the Normans made of the earlier 

 walls of the tower is clear on the outside. They also utilized 

 as much of the beginning of the Saxon nave north wall as 

 served their purpose for the insertion of a newell stair. Inside 



