By T. H. Baker. 255 
“2. ‘Taking out the stone windows,’ which are good for centuries to come 
and are the most important features of the place, and substituting 
deal ones. 
“3. Destroying the beautiful Elizabethan ceiling of the room under the 
chapel, and putting a new plain one. 
“ Apart from archzological considerations I am of opinion that those of 
practical economy can be much better served by retaining and repairing the 
existing features, which are far more durable than anything which would take 
their place; and that it can be carried out without increased cost—whilst the 
comfort and convenience of the occupier can be equally well met. 
“There are serious items of disrepair which need immediate attention—the 
windows both as regards the stonework and the glazing are in a bad state, half 
the tracery of one having disappeared, and other parts are badly fractured; the 
side walls are spreading owing to the giving way of the main framing of the 
roof; whilst the disturbance of the west wall by the Elizabethan alterations has 
caused it to settle outwards, and the chimney (which appears to have insufficient 
_ foundations) is assisting this movement. 
: “The method of repair which I advise is as follows :— 
“To underpin with cement concrete the foundations of the west end for its 
entire length, and the north-west buttress. 
“To repair the oak wall-plate of the roof and strap it with iron at the joints 
to secure a longitudinal tie, the ends having short bolts and ‘S’ plates outside: 
“To insert a transverse iron tie-rod across the centre of the roof and through 
the walls, under the wall-plate with ‘S’ plates on the outside; this might be 
suspended to the circular ribs in the centre, and so treated as not to be an unsightly 
object. 
“To take out and carefully re-build the bulged parts of the walls, at the north- 
west angle, and on the north side, against the two-light window, and insert new 
bonding stones. To re-set the inside arch of the two-light window in the north 
side, and reinstate the fractured stone in it. 
“To key up the inside arches of the three-light window and doorway in the 
north wall, and run the joints with thin cement, and repair the wall over the 
door. 
“To restore the missing tracery of the two-light window of the chapel by 
copying the two halves of lights which remain: and the transom by the fragment 
left in the jambs. 
“To carefully repair the defective stonework of other windows, piecing wherever 
possible, and only renewing where stones are too far gone for this ; running all 
bad joints with thin cement. (In this work the greatest care should be taken 
not to scrape the surface of old stonework.) 
“To reinstate two defective buttress weatherings. 
“To cut out and repair the masonry of the north wall where cracked on the 
inside face, and insert stones across the fractures. 
“To re-glaze the windows with lead lights (for preference), inserting new 
iron saddle bars when missing, and putting a wrought iron casement to open in 
each window. The windows might thus be made as free from draught as the 
contemplated new ones. 
_ “To repair the Elizabethan ceiling of the sitting-room under the chapel by 
tT 2 
7 
