18 Restoration and the Preservation of Ancient Buildings. 
road,! and, for a long time, I was unaware of its existence, but after 
T had observed it, I took a considerable interest in it, as it was the 
only example of the kind that we had in the place. It had nota 
simply moulded cap, but an embattled ornament, and was like the ~ 
example above-mentioned, at Easton in the parish of Corsham. 
Then came a time when the old house was pulled down, and, one 
day, the workmen employed brought me rather a peculiar corbel, 
apparently of the fifteenth century. I said that, as I was not the 
owner of the house, I had no right to receive the corbel, and I asked 
them what they would do with it if I did not receive it. They re- 
plied that they should build it into their new wall. I therefore 
agreed to keep it, and I asked them what they had done with the 
cap of the old chimney. They said they had cut it up, and built 
it into the wall. I therefore wrote to the owner, and told him that 
T had the corbel, and I found that he was quite unaware that there 
was anything of interest about the old house. I have the corbel 
still. What part of the house it belonged to I do not know, and 
I regret that I did not take the opportunity of looking over the 
house before it was demolished. 
At Stockton House, in South Wilts, which we visited on the 
occasion of the last Warminster meeting, I noticed that the sills 
of a good many of the windows, of the sixteenth or early seven- 
teenth century, had been cut down, not however, I think, very 
recently. On pointing this out to a friend of mine, who understands 
these subjects, he asked me whether I did not think it a perfectly 
legitimate thing to do. I am afraid that I had not the presence 
of mind to say that I did not. That is to say, I think it is an 
alteration which should be avoided if possible. In this case, the 
transoms were originally at half the height of the windows. Cutting 
down the sills, of course, throws the transoms out of position, altering 
the character of the design, as I think, for the worse. If the old 
sills were found to be at an inconvenient height from the floor, that 
could be got over, in the case of recessed windows, by raising the 
1It stood behind the house, occupied by the late Mr. J. H. Crisp, which was 
formerly the vicarage. 
