XXXlll. 



of the lei5sei- towers, -which some of the pcarty ascended, anl after a 

 [ileasaiit walk through the woods surrounding the liouse (in which were 

 many fine trees, including a small group of the deciduous cypress, three 

 in number), do\\n to the edge of a picturesque lake, the party once more 

 joined the breaks and drove to Tisbury Church, where the chief architec- 

 tural features were pointed out by the Vicar, Rev. F. Hutchinson, who 

 also gave a short account of the church as follows :— 



" The oldest part of the church, the north porch and tower arches, 

 date from the 13th century. The first church, of which there are traces, 

 had a nave with low arcading, and very low lean-to aisles, of which the 

 south-west window still remains. Early in the 15th century the nave 

 was raised, the aisles widened, and at a still later date probably Perjjen- 

 dicular windows were inserted and a clerestory added. The cuttings in 

 the wall of the south aisle are believed to belong to the hammer beams 

 of an older waggon roof. The beautiful ceiling of the south aisle has 

 been restored, under Messrs. Slater and Carpenter. The north aisle, 

 which has been partly destroyed by the fall of the sjiire, has this inscrip- 

 tion — 'In the year of our Lord 1560 this hele was set up,' Hele being Saxon 

 for 'to cover,' hence Hell, Hcllier, roofer, d-c. The north transept was 

 dedicated as a chapel to St. John Baptist, the patron saint of the church. 

 Its floor was formerly raised, and a crypt was under it, with round holes 

 in the wall, which have been preserved, for rolling down sculls into the 

 ossuary. The crypt has been filled up, the floor lowered to the level of 

 the church, and debased windoMS replaced by one of better style and 

 an eastern arch leading into a new organ chamber, which with two 

 vestries was added by Mr. Chi istian, as well as a new roof. The ancient 

 tower too narrow for the present proportions, has a second stage added in 

 the 14th century, and a superstructure 170 years ago. At the entrance to 

 the chancel a second arch was added, in vain, to sup])ort the tower, and a 

 larger chancel was built either at the end of the 15th century or possibly 

 later. The Vicar hazarded the opinion that the grotesque qualrefoils in 

 the side windows Avere of the 17th century, iu which alone similar forms 

 are to be found. The east window is said to have been built by Sir C. 

 Wren, in place of a much larger one, the joints of which still remain. 

 The roof is a new one copied by Mr. Evan Christian from the ancient 

 one, which was decayed and hidden by a round ceiling of lath and 

 plaster. The reredos is enriched by a bas-relief by Mr. Tinwoith, 

 representing the appearance of the risen Lord to Mary Magdalene, y\hh 

 the words ' Touch me not, &c.' The tomb is copied from dia wings in 

 Palestine by General Chesney. An interesting description was given 

 by the Vicar of the Avhole design, including the stone which was in the 



