272 Notes on the Churches 
describes the discovery, in a similar blank space in the apsidal Church 
of Swyncombe, in Oxfordshire, of “a large archaic painting of Our 
Lord between two angels, with a liberal supply on their wings of 
eyes like those on a peacock’s tail (a peculiarity which he finds in 
an Anglo-Saxon MS. of the tenth century). This painting had 
been partly destroyed by the insertion of three little ronnd-headed 
windows” and he concludes that both the apse and the painting 
were much older than the Norman period. Dr. Baron also states 
that the original Church dedicated to S. Aldhelm at Bishopstrow 
(a place which that bishop is recorded to have visited as a missionary 
bishop) was apsidal and had no east window. ‘There ean be no 
doubt that the centre of the east end here at Manningford was also 
intended for such a picture as that discovered at Swyncombe, and 
that the side windows were relied upon for the necessary light : 
great caution would doubtless be observed in those early days in 
the number and position of the windows, as being assailable points 
to be defended, and this probably accounts for the great height 
at which they are here placed above the floor level. 
A point not mentioned by Dr. Baron is the remarkable position 
of the two chancel windows on the plan; they are placed at the 
chord of the apse, with about three-fourths of their width on the 
circular part and the remainder on the straight sides. At this point 
—as if to afford a more definite line from which to start the apse, 
there is a course of squared stones for the entire height of the wall 
on each side, but these evidently never formed a terminating quoin 
as they are rusticated on both sides. In the nave there is a similar 
window in the north wall, and part of the arch of another opposite 
in the south wall, but the latter was almost destroyed by the. 
insertion of a two-light window in the fifteenth century. Beyond 
these four windows—and probably one at the west end in the 
position now occupied by a three-light window of late fourteenth 
century date—there were apparently no others. All these have 
wide splays on the inside and bonnet-shaped arches, but on the 
outside rebates only—probably for wooden shutters. Whilst speaking 
of the windows I may remark that in addition to the two later ones 
mentioned a two-light window was inserted in the south wall of 
