225 



^^e Saxon asamUoUj in iHugginton (lEfjnvcf), 



By Percy H. Currev, Hon. Secretary. 



J. 



N the removal of the plaster from the west wall of 

 Mugginton Church in 1897, ,the Rector (the Rev. 

 R. Feilden) discovered and had re-opened a tower 

 arch of the transition (Norman — Early English) 

 period, and above it the upper part of a window of very early 

 date ; it would be bold to make a definite statement as to whether 

 it is Saxon or early Norman work, but as it is obviously of 

 great antiquity, and as it was not apparent when Dr. Cox wrote 

 the Churches of Derbyshire, I have thought that a notice of it 

 might be worth a place in our Journal, and prove of some 

 interest. 



There was a church in Mugginton at the time of the Domes- 

 day Survey (1086 a.d.), and it seems likely that this window 

 is the original west window of the church standing at that 

 period. The window consists of a narrow opening on the outer 

 face of the wall, with widely-splayed jambs and arch inside; 

 the external head appears to be of one stone, but unfortunately 

 it cannot be properly examined, being covered by a wooden 

 casing in the tower, and blocked up with bricks ; the plane of 

 the glass or wooden shutter must have been close to the outer 

 face of the wall. These characteristics are consistent either 

 with Saxon or early Norman work, but the jointing of the arch 

 stones and the general appearance of the wall are certainly 

 suggestive of the earlier period. The wall itself is 2 ft. 10 ins. 



