302 The Churches of Sherston, Corston, and Netheravon. 
THE CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS. CORSTON. 
The caustic remarks of Aubrey about the “modern zeal” on 
Corston might be applied to many other places.! 
This Church was formerly a chapel attached to Malmesbury, 
there is no structural chancel, the east part of the parallelogram 
being screened off for that use. With the exception of the west 
end the Church has been entirely re-built, owing to the zeal which 
has continued since the days of Aubrey—the 15th century south 
doorway and the remnant of the rood screen being all that is left 
of the old work. 
The screen is a charming bit of work, it is divided into six bays 
on each side of the central opening, each with traceried head; the 
top rail is enriched with vine pattern carving all gilt, but the upper 
member is modern; the lower part is nearly complete. The loft 
has gone. 
The west wall with its window and turret is a picturesque bit of 
grouping. The wall is of the local rubble masonry, without buttresses, 
the wrought features being of Bath stone. In the centre is a two- 
light pointed window of Early Perpendicular type, with a kind of 
pilaster springing from the label mould, carried up and corbelled 
out to form the west plain rectangular pier of the octagonal bell- 
turret: the other three cardinal sides have similar piers—those 
north and south having a small buttress down the centre—and the 
diagonal sides are open. A string course is carried round the base, 
and the piers are corbelled out to carry an embattled cornice, above 
which rises the octagonal stone spire. The turret contains two 
bells. This turret differs from Castle Eaton in being over the west 
gable instead of between nave and chancel, and in having the em- — 
battled cornice with its corbels—otherwise there is great similarity. 
‘Tn the Church nothing to be found: the modern zeal has been reforming _ 
here-about. Surely this tract of land, Gloucestershire and Somerset, encline 
people to zeal. Heretofore nothing but Religious Houses, now nothing but 
Quakers and Fanatiques. It is a sour woodsere country, and inclines people 
to contemplation. So, that, and the Bible, and ease, for it is now all upon 
dairy-grassing and clotheing, sett their witts a-running and reforming.” 
