60 



were removed during the restoration in 1866. It is the opinion 

 of competent judges that they form part of the original design 

 of the building, many parts of which appear to have been left 

 purposely bare of architectural ornament, in order that the 

 want might be supplied in this manner. For this purpose they 

 are most effective ; the long straight lines of pattern fill up 

 what would otherwise be blank spaces of wall, and enhance the 

 perspective effect, while the richness and warmth of the colouring 

 are most grateful to the eye after the cold whitewash to which 

 the present generation has so long been accustomed. Some 

 remains of a later and inferior style of mural decoration have 

 been left on the wall over the north door. At the east end of 

 the north aisle there are some fragments of an ancient painting 

 of a martyrdom, near which on the splay of a window, was a 

 beautiful figure of a saint or angel now almost faded away. 

 Over the chancel arch appears part of what was probably a 

 " Doom Picture," or representation of the last judgment. On 

 the wall at the east end of the south aisle is a painting of the 

 Tudor rose, surmounted by a crown, on each side of which are 

 the letters E. R. A similar figure was found between each of 

 the windows, of the south aisle. There are also in the south 

 aisle some curious narrow shts or recesses in the wall, between 

 the windows, which occasioned no httle speculation when they 

 were discovered during the restoration. It is most probable that 

 they were made to receive the timbers of a former high pitched 

 lean-to roof. 



Besides the monuments in the sepulchral chapel, the church 

 contains only two tombs of members of the Bekkeley family, 

 most of whom down to 1463 were buried in St. Augustine's, 

 Bristol. Under an arch on the south side of the chancel, 

 communicating with the sepulchral chapel is a fine altar tomb 

 of alabaster bearing the effigy of James, 11th Lord Bekkelet, 

 who built the chapel, and who died in 1463. By his side, on the 

 same tomb, is a smaller but similar figure representing his 

 second son James, who was slain while serving in the wars in 

 France under the celebrated John Talbot. Under the second 

 arch between the nave and the south aisle is the tomb of 



