So THE CHURCH OF WORBURY. 



Architecture of Great Britain (Parker, 1846), he took the 

 remotely situated but "very interestin;,' and beautiful churrh "' 

 of Norliury as the most suitable one he could iind wherewith 

 to begin the work, and gave the first and, indeed, the only 

 critical architectural account of it that has been pui)lished. 

 Taken as a whole, Mr. Howman considered that the architec- 

 tural composition of the church was " exceedingly pleasing," 

 notwithstanding the somewhat " glaring discordance " between 

 the chancel and the rest of the edifice. His actual phrases 

 with regard to the exterior of the chancel and its buttresses 

 may with advantage be reproduced. " The general character 

 of the exterior of this chancel is at once i)old and chaste, an 

 effect more of outline and proportion than of deeply cut mould- 

 ings or elaborate workmanship, for not the least remarkable 

 peculiarity in its composition is the great simplicity and elegance, 

 not only of the general features, but also of the details. The 

 dignity and boldness of the buttresses, and the chaste simplicity 

 of the parapet harmonize admirably with the light, elegant, and 

 just proportions of the windows, and the whole composition is 

 calculated to produce a very pleasing impression on the mind. 

 The buttresses are peculiar, though divided into two stages 

 above the string course : these are both of equal projection, .so 

 that there is, in fact, no set-off; and, again, the pyramidal 

 cappings with which the buttresses are surmounted are unlike 

 anything we have before met with of the same period ; those of 

 the angle buttresses are different from the rest, but still peculiar, 

 being splayed off on two sides only, without any projecting 

 mouldings."* 



With regard to the date of this remarkable chancel, it 

 requires some boldness to differ from one of our very first 

 ecclesiologists, Mr. J. T. Micklethwaite, F.S.A. ; but in this case, 



* Mr. Bowman's plates of this church are ten in number: (i) ground 

 plan ; (2) view from south-east ; (3) external elevation of south side of 

 chancel ; {4) a window on south side of chancel, coloured ; (5) coloured 

 glass of same in detail ; (6) interior view of chancel ; (7) internal elevation 

 of south side of chancel ; (8) details of stalls, double piscina, parapet, 

 an<l other mouldings; (9) window, north side of chancel, coloured; and 

 (10) coloured glass of same in detail. 



