PERPENDICULAR TOWERS OF SOMERSET. 59 



of its Situation, the rieh colour of its material, and the 

 elaborate workmanship of its details, is certainly a very 

 striking edifice. 



ßut it has many and great favdts. In the first place the 

 frame-work is incomplete, extending only to the base of 

 the belfry story, which is, in fact, a Square lantem of great 

 beauty and elaborate workmanship, but quite independent 

 of the design of the tower, which in reality finishes at its 

 base, from which point a broach spire might have risen 

 natm'ally enough, though even then its growth would have 

 been imperfect, owing to the position of the buttresses. 

 The string-courses of the second and third stories are at the 

 same level as the sets-ofF of the buttresses, so that either of 

 them might be removed, and little alteration would be seen 

 except in the height and proportion of the tower. Owing 

 to the size and height of the lower window, there is 

 a deficiency of unbroken waU work in the west front, which 

 is however in some degree obviated on the south side by 

 the whole basement story being piain and unbroken, giving 

 an appearance of fii'mness to that side which is wanting to 

 the west front, where the lantem, rising above the rec- 

 tangular buttresses, renders the whole top-heavy, and gixea 

 the appearance of the tower standing on too small a base 

 for security. Beautiful as it certainly is, it has no spire- 

 growth, its frame-work is incomplete, and there is an 

 apparent want of lateral continuity and oneness of design. 

 In short, if I am right in my view of what is essentially 

 necessary to the design of a penfect Gothic tower, it is to 

 all intents and piirposes a post Gothic building. 



But if this be the case with Bishop's Lydeard, it is far 

 more so with St. Mary's, Taunton, where aU these faidts 

 are exaggerated, and where, in addition to incomplete 

 frame-work, an independent lantem, and entire ncglect of 



