. 240 Downton Church. 
The aisles of the nave are of unequal width. That on the north. 
is the narrowest, being very probably of the width of the original 
Norman aisle: I should think it dated from about the beginning of 
the fourteenth century, being little removed from Early English in 
style: two of the original two-light windows are retained in its 
north wall, which has been re-built, and one at the west end: these 
are interesting as examples of early cusping. The roof of this aisle 
is continuous with that of the nave, as is frequently the case in 
churches of the fourteenth century.! The roof of the nave itself is in 
the main old, having been of the class in which eueh pair of epposite 
rafters are so braced together as to form a separate truss, but without 
any tie-beam at their feet. Such a roof might be of the thirteenth 
century: here it is probably of the same date as the north aisle. 
There are now tie-beams and king-posts, added at intervals, to 
strengthen it. 
In the south aisle there are two late Decorated doorways, in the 
south wall. In both the arch mouldings are continued without 
break down the jambs, being convex in the great south door, and 
concave in the other and smaller door, near the east end of the aisle. 
In the great doorway the door itself is of ancient wood work, probably 
of the Perpendicular period. The smaller doorway is disused, and 
walled up: it was ‘altered, in the Perpendicular period, by the ad- 
dition of a projecting canopy, or shallow porch: in constructing this 
porch, the builders seem to have re-used a Decorated arch. The 
original concave mouldings of the doorway were altered, on the 
lower part of the jambs, particularly on the east side, to a Perpen- 
dicular section, and a small niche was cut over the door. This aisle 
has been greatly altered throughout in the Perpendicular style, to 
which the buttresses, and external string-course—the windows, 
which, with the exception of one to the west of the porch, have 
been altered and spoiled—and the parapet appear to belong. This 
parapet is a good one, faced with flint and stone in alternate squares: 
1 There is a good example at Poulshot, where the pier arches are Decorated. 
* Called, I believe, a “common rafter” roof: there were some remains of such 
a roof in Christian Malford Church, before its restoration, where it must have 
been of the thirteenth century. 
