316 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 
south-east corner of the nave is a bold semi-octagonal stair turret, 
that led to the rood loft across the chancel arch.. Although 
approximately of the same date as the rest of this work, it is an 
after-thought, as it is not bonded into the nave walls. The steps 
have all been destroyed, but the upper part of the newel exists as 
also the doorway, at the foot from the Church and at the top on to 
the destroyed rood loft. There is a small square window imme- 
diately under the wall plate of the nave roof and to the west of 
the turret, apparently to light the upper part of the rood, and in it 
are a few fragments of the 15th century glass. From the north 
aisle to the chancel, in the south-east corner of the former, is a 
curious skew passage. It has a moulded arch of 16th century date 
to the aisle. For what purpose this could have been wanted is — 
very doubtful, and I am inclined to think it a post-suppression — 
arrangement.” 
In Aubrey’s time were remains of stained glass in the “north 
side of the east windowe,” consisting of an escutcheon of the Russell 
family, and “In the limbe ‘ Orate proAnimabus . . . Elizabet — 
uxoris Ejus, two figures with labels issuing from their mouths,” — 
and “In the chancel in the limbe of the window thus ‘ Orate pro — 
anima Thome Drew et pro bono statu Agnitis uxoris Ejus.” Of — 
the modern stained glass windows, that at the east end was the gift — 
of Miss Mary Pyke; that in the north wall of the chancel was the 
gift of Stephen Demainbray, Esq.; that in the south wall of the © 
nave the gift of William Edward Beak, erected in 1873, “to the | 
memory of his affectionate parents.” . 
The Church was restored, at a cost of about £900, from designs 
by J. H. Hakewell, Esq., in 1865, when the present oak seats — 
replaced the old closed pews. The sounding-board, of early 
Jacobean work, placed over the modern pulpit, is all that remains 
of the old oak. At the same time the porch was lowered, an outside 
door opened into the tower staircase, two galleries—one under the — 
tower and another in the aisle—removed, as also a stone screen 
across the chancel arch, which had been erected some thirty vail 
before to support Dr. Smith’s memorial, now over the naa 
door. A small organ chamber was added at the east end of the 
