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abacus. A few years ago, when, in consequence of their deflection from the per- 

 pendicular, two of the present arches were taken down and rebuilt, several Nor- 

 man corbels like to those still remaining in the south wall of the chancel, and 

 portions of circular clerestory windows were found in the walls between the 

 arches. 



At the same period, when the ball-flower, the ornament most peculiarly char- 

 acteristic of the decorated style of Gothic architecture, prevailed, the beautiful 

 chapel, known as St. Catherine's, at the north side of the north aisle, was built. 

 The wall was pierced, and an archway was made to connect the aisle and chapel ; 

 the original window over the archway was shortened, and left as it appears at 

 present ; but, until a few years ago, it was walled up and plastered over. 



It may not be uninteresting to relate the legend of St. Catherine to whom it 

 is supposed this chapel is dedicated. Katherine Audley, or St. Catherine, as she 

 is commonly called, was a religious woman in the time of Henry II. , and had a 

 maid called Mabel, and not being fixed in any settled place, she had a revelation 

 that she should not set up her rest till she came to a town where the bells should 

 ring of themselves. There is a piece of land near Ledbury, to the westward, 

 called Katherine's Acre, and another near it called Mabel's Furlong. She and 

 her maid coming near Ledbury heard the bells ring, though the church doors were 

 shut and no ringers there. Here, therefore, she determined to spend the re- 

 mainder of her days, and built a hermitage, living on herbs, and sometimes on 

 milk which she sent for to a place called The Hazle, about half a mile distant. 

 The king, in consideration of her birth or piety, or both, granted her an annuity 

 of thirty pounds. 



About this time (1400) a college was founded by Bishop TrefiFnant. The 

 college was instituted in the second year of King Henry IV., and having existed 

 nearly a century and a half, was dissolved in the first year of King Edward VI. 

 (1547), and the lands belonging thereto were given to the Crown. It is not im- 

 probable that this chapel was intended to be the chapter house of the collegiate 



body. 



The last change which took place in the architecture of the church was the 

 substitution of the present north arcade for the Norman, in the year 1619, as 

 appears by a date on the wall-plate of the roof. The meagre capitals, with the 

 lozenge-shaped pillars, show that Gothic architecture was then on the decline. 



The workmen who built those arches and pillars appear to have had one of 

 two motives for their work, either to be at as little trouble as possible, or to pre- 

 serve all that remained of the Norman arcade, for in the eastern-most pillar some 

 i)urtion of the moulding of a Norman capital is visible, and in the four western- 

 most arches the Norman hood-mouldings were used, which give them their 

 irregular and zigzag appearance, while the two eastern-most arches have mould- 

 ings of a different character. 



The tower, with its spire, next calls for our attention. This is, and always has 

 been separated from the Church. The lower part thereof, up to and including the 

 lower tiers of the windows, is of strictly Early English character. The original 

 tower was surmounted by a shingle spire, placed thereon without battlements. In 



