246 SOME DORSET CHURCH TOWERS. 



two two-light belfry windows, a large west window with mullions 

 and considerable tracery, and an ornamental arched entrance 

 porch and doorway, with crocketted pointed hood, leading under 

 the tower to the body of the church. The niches are placed 

 two on either side of the door, then two (one above the other) 

 on each side of the large west window, and the third storey is 

 taken up entirely with three large niches. Mutilated images 

 remain in two of the higher niches, the one in the centre niche 

 representing a person crowned, sitting with a book upon his 

 knees, and dressed in a rich lace mantle down to his feet ; the 

 other, in the niche to the left of this, also sitting in a similar 

 dress, has a square cap, and is without a book. The upper 

 corbels to niches are ornamented with foliage, but the lower are 

 plain. The smallness of the sketches given will not permit 

 much detail, but if they convey a general idea their object will 

 be attained. This tower has, to the interior, a heavily framed 

 staging, at the level of the top of the large west window, from 

 which hang the bell ropes, and some of the clock works. A 

 fine arch to the east opens into the nave, the centre portion 

 being panelled, and running down the piers. There are also 

 empty niches on either side of the piers near the bases. The 

 font is placed immediately under the centre of the tower, and 

 the whole of the interior seems in a good state of preservation. 

 Within a few miles of Bradford Abbas is the village of Trent, 

 formerly in Somerset, but now in Dorset. The tower of Trent 

 Church is lofty in comparison with the rest of the building, stand- 

 ing to the east of the main body, and almost isolated. The 

 window tracery seems to be of the Decorated period, but it is 

 usually stated that the tower was erected about 1500. Three 

 storeys compose this tower, with large three-light windows, then 

 smaller ones of two-lights, and above again are longer open 

 belfry windows, with delicately worked, pierced stonework, in 

 place of the familiar louvres. The buttresses are set at the 

 angles, and are in three stages, being plain and simple. To the 

 tops one sees large and hideous gargoyles, figures of men and 

 animals grinning and showing their teeth. The rain water 



