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Arrived at Lyneham green they made a slight detour to the church, 

 consisting of a nave with north aisle, chancel and tower, and 

 having a late Perpendicular screen between nave and chancel and 

 a Jacobean screen under the west tov^'er. With these exceptions, 

 the orderly state of the interior, -and the well kept church-yard 

 there was nothing particularly worthy of attention. The timbre of 

 the bells having been tested by an enthusiastic bell-ringer and 

 divine of the party a cross-country traverse was made for Dauntsey 

 Church. After leaving the higher lands of the Coralline Oolite 

 and Calcareous Grit the members dropped down on to the beds 

 of Oxford clay which form the lower levels for a considerable 

 distance. The presence of this clay was soon made known by the 

 ill-drained and wet ground, and the indications of brick pits 

 around. The elm trees seemed especially to luxuriate in this clay 

 as they were remarkable for their size and growth. 



By dint of perseverance the members overcame the two miles 

 which persistently lay between them and Dauntsey Church which 

 Avas very courteously shown to them by one of the churchwardens. 

 It consists of a tower, nave with aisles and chancel, though there 

 is no vestige of a chancel arch. The tower was rebuilt about 1630 ; 

 there is much late Avork about the church and only a portion of 

 the panelled oak roof is visible, the rest being covered with 

 plaster. Both north and south doorways are Norman with 

 segmental heads and cushion capitals with pearl ornament. The 

 arcades are of Decorated work with double chamfered arches. 

 Some of the AvindoAvs present the very curious appearance of 

 Early English character in the main lines and proportions but 

 finished AA'ith debased Perj^endicular cuspings &c., and it was 

 suggested that these AvindoAvs were Avorked about 1630, (the date 

 of ToAA'er) in attempting to copy some older AvindoAvs and for 

 which these Avere to be substituted. There is a good Perpendicular 

 chancel screen, and in one corner of the church are the portions 

 of a Doom picture AA'hich used to surmount it and Avhich is worthy 

 of careful preservation. The churchwardens said that a restoration 



