The Parish Church. 279 



keeping the general idea, but in a much coarser and less refined 

 manner both as to drawing and colours. 



" The old oak pulpit of the fifteenth century, a portion of which 

 still exists, is of good design and execution. It has tracery panels 

 finished with ogee crocketted canopies, and small detached pinnacled 

 buttresses at the angles. Traces of the original colouring still show 

 themselves in the hollows and less exposed parts. 



"In modern times the Church was suffered, like most others, to fall 

 into a very unseemly condition, and such works as were from time 

 to time carried out only tended to obscure its beauties. The tran- 

 septs and west end of the nave were choked with galleries. The east 

 window was partly concealed behind a costly but cumbrous and in- 

 congruous ' classic ' reredos of wood, and one light of the west win- 

 dow was blocked up to form a flue for the stove. The tie-beams 

 had been cut out of the roofs, causing the decayed timbers to spread 

 and do damage to the walls. 



"The masonry, thanks to the lasting nature of the stone, suffered 

 little, but the stone copings were removed from the gables, leaving 

 only the apex stones set on the tiling. 



" A better time at length dawned, and in 1871 the restoration of the 

 Church was commenced under the superintendence of Mr. Christian, 

 the chancel being repaired at the cost of the Ecclesiastical Com- 

 misioners for England, and the remainder by subscriptions. Com- 

 mencing with clearing out and improving the interior, the work soon 

 grew to larger dimensions, including amongst other structural 

 repairs the entire renewal of the nave, chancel, and north transept 

 roofs, the timbers of which were found to be in a state which rendered 

 repair impossible. These were renewed on the old lines as far as 

 possible. 



" It is not necessary to describe minutely the work of restoration ; 

 suffice it to say, that, so far as ancient features were concerned, it 

 was carried out in a strictly conservative spirit; the work of the 

 original builders being considered far more precious than new, and 

 not removed unless so far decayed as to liave lost all interest, or to 

 endanger the stability of adjoining portions. In this course happily 

 the architect had the sympathy of those most concerned in the work. 



t2 



