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learning and sanctity became the patron Saint of King Athelstan, 
who endowed the Abbey and town with much wealth, and 
finally had his body buried near the Saint’s, close to the High 
Altar in the Abbey Church. What remains of the Abbey Church 
viz., the six easternmost bays of the Nave, formerly comprising 
nine, is an object of absorbing interest to architectural students. 
Major C. E, Davis, F.S.A., when all the party had assembled in 
the Church, kindly explained the beauties and peculiarities of 
the structure. He stated his opinion that the glorious Northern 
Porch, unique in our land for its surpassing richness of 
sculpture and dimensions was a part of a building of earlier date 
than the remainder of the Church. The angels carved at each 
side of the inner tympanum, containing a ‘“ Majesty,” were 
exactly counterparts of the angels in the “ Keclesiola” of 
Bradford-on-Avon, attributed also to S. Aldhelm. The sculpture, 
however, of the Porch is of a far more elaborate character, 
having scenes from the Old Testament on two boutells, from the 
New on one, and with interlaced patterns on the five remaining. 
These, however, are much decayed from age, and require a strong 
imagination to decipher their meaning. 
Major Davis then gave the members a most erudite description 
of the body of the Church, built between 1115 and 1139 by 
Roger, Bishop of Sarum. The lower parts of the fabric, 
consisting of nave and round columns, pointed arches, triforium, 
and groined aisles are of Transitional Norman architecture of 
of very early date, decorated with chaste zigzag and other 
mouldings, and the elegant ‘‘ T” pattern common to all religious 
buildings throughout the world, and much resembling at first 
sight the Greek bend. 
The lofty clerestory and groining of the nave are of Decorated 
architecture with the flying buttresses, and the modern western 
window, a veritable eyesore in the building, is of debased 
flamboyant. The fabric requires a large outlay to render it safe, 
but the whole style of the interior furniture, decoration and 
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