By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 251 
So early an example of a Porch,—especially on the north side,—is, 
we believe, not only most rare, but unique. A conjecture has been 
thrown out, that possibly the original Church was cruciform, a 
corresponding portion of the building—(in this case it would be a 
sort of transept)—having perhaps existed on the south side. A minute 
examination of the wall, however, reveals not the slightest trace of 
anything of the kind. Indeed, the approach to the building on the 
south side could only have been managed at any time by means of 
a flight of at least 12 or 14 steps, the ground sloping down towards 
the river. When we recollect, too, that the population of Bradford, 
in early times, lived probably all on the north side of the town, 
the older houses all being built in successive terraces on the slope 
of the hill which shuts in the town on that side, it would render it 
not unlikely that, for their convenience of access to the Church, 
there might be a deviation from what is acknowledged to be the 
general custom. 
Without any existing records of the erection of this building we 
might perhaps hesitate to assign so early a date as the work seems 
to justify, but it certainly has as great a claim to be considered 
SS oe Pe i 
eleventh or even tenth century work, as any which assumes that 
honor, without any documentary evidence to support its pretensions. 
All the indications we have already mentioned, together with the 
great height of the side walls and the comparatively low pitch of 
the roof, point it out as belonging to what has been called the 
‘Saxon Romanesque’ style, which is considered to have prevailed 
from the ninth to the middle of the eleventh century. No one indeed 
ean thoroughly examine this little Church, without coming to the 
conclusion,—from the rough style of its masonry, and other indica- 
tions,—that it never could have been built by the skilled workmen of 
Bristol Chapter House, Malmesbury Abbey, or St. John’s, Devizes, 
but that is was certainly an earlier erection. The only other sup- 
position, consistent with a later date, would be,—that it was erected 
by provincial workmen, uninfluenced by foreign refinements, or 
who rejected the improvements of the dominant race. 
There can be no doubt that we have in this building one of the 
most interesting specimens yet remaining of Ante-Norman work. 
