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“A 
the Virgin, Bishops Cannings. 38 
within this period, but the stone roof of the stair-turret is 
coeval with the shingle roof of the tower, and the pitch of the 
latter is still to be traced on the west and south sides of it. 
The lower window in the west end of north aisle and the 
doorway in the north transept were built up, or closed, at this 
date, and the gable of the porch re-built. 
- Among the Post-Reformation structural alterations made before 
the commencement of the late restoration may be mentioned the 
insertion of the archway in the south wall of the porch, and the 
three-light window and fireplace in the sacristy, which are of 
seventeenth century date; the new roof of the nave, bearing date 
1670; and, in more modern times, new roofs to the chancel and 
south transept and the re-building of the chapel with new east 
window to the same. 
I may here mention a feature which I discovered on my first 
inspection of the Church, and which I thus referred to in my 
preliminary report, dated 22nd October, 1881 :—“ That the spire 
was also erected at this time (fifteenth century) is clearly shewn by 
the very interesting fact which I noticed upon a close examination 
of the work—that oyster shells are used in forming both the vertical 
and the bed joints in the stone-work of the aisles, clerestory, and 
spire; and this peculiarity is not met with in the work of any other 
period at this Church.” I have since applied this test to other 
parts of this Church, and the result fully substantiates the statement 
I then made. 
The proportions of the twelfth century nave must have been very 
fine. The roof sprang from the level of only about a foot below 
the plate of the present roof.! and the high pitch increased the 
height of the interior by about 10ft. The main light was from the 
1 The parapet added to the nave when the clerestory was re-built is (as will be 
seen on reference to the sketch view from the S.W., which forms the subject of 
one plate) an embattled one, with richly-crocketted pinnacles marking the divisions 
of the bays, and carried up over the west gable, one pinnacle occupying the usual 
position of the gable cross. The flat pilaster buttresses at the angles do not 
appear to have been taken down more than 4ft., and the manner in which those 
on the north and south faces are adapted to receive the “ Perpendicular” pinnacles 
is especially worthy of notice. 
B 2 
