127 



The very fine reredos of Caen stone, the martyr window of Hardman, 

 thrown out in greater relief by the gloom without, and the many 

 munificent donations of the late earl and the present proprietor of 

 the Castle are too well-known to need recapitulation. A sufficient 

 time having been allowed in the Abbey, the site of the old parish 

 Church of All Hallows, to the west of the present Abbey, was 

 crossed to the King's School. The Chapel, and schoolroom (the 

 ancient refectory of the monastery), were inspected, and a visit paid 

 to the geological museum lately commenced by the boys ; another 

 pleasing indication that the natural sciences are now taking a more 

 prominent place in school education, which deserves every encourage, 

 ment and support. 



Sherborne Minster. 

 The plan and constructive features of the church are clearly 

 Norman, and specimens of Norman work are constantly showing 

 themselves. The chancel-arch is Norman, and the north transept 

 has a portion of the Norman pier visible, but the entire church 

 has been converted into perpendicular by putting in pointed arches 

 and covering the whole by pannelling. The effect is very good and 

 the work excellent. The pink tinted stone gives it a richness of 

 colour which adds greatly to its beauty, and the vaulting of the roof 

 is very rich. Outside the church on the north may be traced the 

 remains of the Cloister, which is now the open court of the 

 grammar school. To the west of the Minster stood the Church of 

 All Hallows which once adjoined it, but only a part of the wall 

 now remains — a passage led from the Church into the Minster. 

 In a quarrel which arose between the parishioners of Sherborne 

 and the Abbot and Monks of St. Mary's Abbey, the roof of the 

 Abbey was set on fire and burned, a.d. 1456. This is known from 

 an ordinance of Bishop Neville, dated 4th January in that year. 

 After this period the Abbey was restored, and the parishioners of 

 Sherborne were obliged to contribute towards the restoration of 

 the east end (see Leland). Abbot Peter Ransome (1475-1490) 

 built the nave, or rather adapted the Norman nave to the present 

 perpendicular structure. Recent alterations and repau's in the 

 Bath Abbey show that the present piers have been built iipon the 

 old Norman ones, the lower portions of which have lately been laid 



