126 THE NORMANS IN DORSET. 



slightly later date is to be seen close at hand at St. Peter's 

 in this town. The earliest Romanesque doors had within 

 the arch a tympanum, or heavy lintel, decorated with sculp- 

 ture or painting. Of this we also have a remarkable specimen 

 at East Fordington, ascribed by Professor Parker to the second 

 half of the twelfth century. A rather interesting, not to say 

 puzzling, example is sketched amongst my illustrations 

 to-day (Wynford Eagle). Another very curious specimen at 

 Tarrant Rushton is figured in our recently published book 

 of Proceedings (Vol. XXX., p. liii.). 



Capitals. The Norman capital is surmounted by an 

 abacus having a square edge, and the lower member or "bell" 

 is generally hewn into a " cushion " design, as at Sherborne, 

 or " scolloped " by vertical rounded flutings. As time went 

 on these were enriched at the angles by volutes (as at 

 Piddletrenthide) , or, as in the nave at Bere Regis, with 

 heads or figures. At Winterborne Whitchurch there are 

 some late Norman capitals carved with angels with outspread 

 wings. 



Windows. At Studland and Worth Matravers the churches 

 have some windows which may perhaps be regarded 

 as a legacy from pre-Norman times. The windows of the 

 period were small, and placed high up in the wall. Some 

 very interesting ones are to be seen at Shillingstone. 



Most of our twelfth century churches originally had towers, 

 although we never see this feature at its best in England ; 

 you must go to the neighbourhood of Caen to see Norman 

 towers. Our towers of this period were massive and of no 

 great height, that of Wimborne being a typical example. 

 Owing to the badness of the masonry, or insecure foundations, 

 some of the early towers fell down within a few years of their 

 erection, as Bishop Walkelin's did at Winchester in 1100. 

 At Maiden Newton, Winterborne Whitchurch, and other 

 places piers still exist which formerly supported Norman towers 

 now defunct. At this period the tower, even in small churches 

 like Studland and Iwerne Steepleton, stood between the nave 

 and the chancel. It was crowned with a pyramidal stone 



