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existing buildings, we may often gather from this abnormal position 

 that the building has been lengthened westwards. For instance, 

 at Ashchurch, near Tewkesbury, we iind a very fine late Korman 

 doorway exactly central between the tower and chancel ; but a 

 close examination of the exterior rubble walling W. of the 

 porch reveals a straight joint, showing how the church had been 

 lengthened in the 14th century. Why, in such a case, the 

 doorway was not moved westwards is obvious when we consider 

 that when a walk leads through a graveyard to a doorway 

 (especially if it be to the main one) the graves cluster thickly 

 ou either side, and in course of time there comes an accumulation 

 of soil on either hand, till the path becomes a sunken one. 

 If then, in consequence of the lengthening of the building, the 

 doorway were to be moved westward, a fresh path would have 

 to be made, and the consequent disturbance of many graves 

 and tombs would ensue. This would naturally be avoided, 

 except in case of absolute necessity. 



When the original church had no aisles, and in later days 

 these were added, we often find the early doorway re-inserted in 

 the later aisle-wall in the same relative position, so as to cause as 

 little change as possible in the approaching footpath. 



To sum up, and if possible to apply the lessons to be gathered 

 from these observations, we may conclude that in the early Brito- 

 Eoman churches and in their lineal successors (to judge from the 

 ground plans surviving in the Keltic districts of Great Britain 

 and Ireland), the principal doorway (if not the only one) was to 

 the W., facing the altar. 



This is one among other features which point to a barbarous 

 ■development of the Basilican arrangement, strongly influenced 

 however by that Eastern (Ephesian) element, which showed itself 

 so markedly in our ancient office books, and which is, to tiiis day, 

 perpetuated in the square east end of our churches — a feature 

 universal here (except from 1042—1150 at latest), yet quite 

 exceptional in any other part of W. Europe. With the revival 



