156 Notes on the Churches 
had been whitewashed, and I think patches of this can still be 
found. On seeing this I did violence to my predilections, and 
advised the Rector not to re-plaster the walls but to point the joints 
of the stone-work and leave it exposed, with some of the whitewash 
as evidence. 
CuuRCH OF THE BLESSED Virgin Mary. CALSTONE. 
We have here a specimen of a Church entirely of one date (if we 
except the insertion of a window) and therefore representing the 
ideal village Church of its period—towards the middle of the 
fifteenth century. The only structural alteration (until a few years 
ago) was the insertion of the north window of the sanctuary, about 
forty years later. 
The rood-loft and its staircase have disappeared, but there is clear 
evidence of the latter in the two doorways inside and in the far 
projecting plinth of the buttress on the north side. The type of 
work in this Church is bold and vigorous, and a remarkable feature 
is the large dimensions of the blocks of stone used. Mr. Hadow 
tells me that the architect who restored the Church in so admirable 
and conservative a manner, found the foundations very shallow, and 
attributed the absence of settlements or other ill effects from this to 
the good bond obtained by the employment of these long stones. 
The nave and porch retain their original roofs, which have evidently 
been carefully pieced and repaired ; and the old door with its iron- 
work still does duty at the north entrance, which has a late niche 
inserted over it. There are bits of old painted glass in the south 
window of the sanctuary. 
This Church, like Blacklands, has an aumbry of oak, and in this 
case it is well preserved. There is also a piscina with a stone aumbry 
in the south wall of the chancel. The piscina in the south wall of 
the nave indicates the position of a second altar, and there are also 
aumbries, probably used in connexion with it, north and south of the 
chancel arch. The royal arms painted on the wall over the chancel 
arch bear the date 1740, and the font and its cover are probably 
coeval with it. 
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