40 ELliVENTU ANNUAL MEETING. 



cliui'clies tliere was sometimes one altar for the monks and 

 anothei* for the congregation ; tliere were also altars at the 

 ends of the aisles. Mr. Freeman related a curious circum- 

 stance in connection with the church at Dunster. The 

 monks and the people quarrelled, and the monks refused to 

 allow the parishioners to use thelr high altar in the chancel. 

 The church was therefore divided, the inhabitants had a 

 chancel and choir formed out of a part of the nave, and an 

 altar erected, and two separate Services were conducted. 



The Church at Cheddar was the next sacred edifice 

 visited, and some portions of it were greatlj admired. 

 The ßev. R. Beadon, the Vicar, received the excur- 

 sionists. The edifice is large and handsoms, and the 

 tower noble and well proportioned. There is a splendid 

 stone pulpit, painted in polychrome. A southex'n chapel 

 bore evidence of having been exceedingly rieh, the Win- 

 dows in it being remarkably fine. The initials, J. S., 

 observed here, and which also appeared at Meare, were 

 supposed to be those of John Seiwood, Abbot of Glaston- 

 bury. It was ascertained by the Rev. T. Hugo that the 

 walls of this chapel were originally painted. A curious piece 

 of stonework, supposed to have formed part of a tomb, 

 and a boss, appareutly of great antiquity, were noticed. 

 Mr. Freeman explained the peculiarities of the church, 

 prefacing his description by saying that as he had not seen 

 it for thirteen years before, there was some difficulty in the 

 task, but he would endeavour to avoid mistakes. The work 

 was of several dates. There was some Early English, as 

 shewn by a plscina, of great beauty. There was also some 

 Decorated work. His chief difficulty was in deciding 

 whether the clerestory windows were contempoi'ary with 

 the pillars and arches. They were a sort of transition 

 between the Decorated and Perpendicular styles. There 



