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originally consisted of nine bays, six of which only now remain, 

 counting from the east end, and form the Parish Church, the 

 walled-up arch of the central tower forming the east end. All of 

 these are Norman, the piers of the usual type, vast and round, 

 with round cushion capitals supporting pointed arches with the 

 usual mouldings, indicative of the Transition period. The triforiura 

 above is Norman, four small arches within a larger arch, with 

 chevrons, the capitals plain. Over this is a lofty clerestory, remark- 

 able for its height, as Mr. Freeman had pointed out. But a change 

 now takes place in the style ; all traces of the Norman work have 

 disappeared from the inside, and the whole upper part, including 

 roof, is Decorated and of the time of Edward III., a great simi- 

 larity existing between this and Tewkesbury. Of the west front 

 only a portion remains. There was an entrance and also a west 

 tower similar to the one at Ely. Traces of this now remain, as 

 also of the west window, which was Perpendicular. The cloisters 

 ran along the north wall, and the chapter-house probably existed 

 to the east of the cloisters. 



Mr. Davis having thus given an admirable resurrU of all that 

 was known respecting the structural arrangements of the interior^ 

 Mr. Talbot supplemented his remarks by stating in the first place 

 that the position of the domestic buildings was sometimes on the 

 north and sometimes on the south side of churches, varying 

 according to the exigency of circumstances. In the present caser 

 the conveyance of the water for domestic use probably determined 

 their situation. With regard to Mr. Freeman's idea that the 

 Norman work was of the time of Bishop Roger, he must confess 

 that he saw no good evidence to substantiate it. The Church of 

 S. John at Devizes was of that date, and what particular simi- 

 larity was there between the two works ? At Mahnesbury and at 

 Devizes the central tower was oblong like the tower of the Bath 

 Abbey. At Malmesbury the difficulty of the narrower opening 

 north or south had been met by retaining the semi-circular form 

 and stilting the arch ; at Devizes, if it was the work of Bishop 



