522 ANTIQUITIES 



At the bottom of the south aisle, between the west 

 and south doors, stands the font, which is deep and 

 capacious, and consists of three massy round stones, 

 piled one on another, without the least ornament or 

 sculpture: the cavity at the top is lined with lead, and 

 has a pipe at bottom to convey oft* the water after the 

 sacred ceremony is performed. 



The east end of the south aisle is called the South 

 Chancel, and, till within these thirty years, was divided 

 off by an old carved Gothic frame work of timber, [the 

 line of which may still be traced in a beam of partition 

 between the pews,] having been a private chantry. In 

 this opinion we are more confirmed by observing two 

 Gothic niches within the space, the one in the east 

 wall and the other in the south, near which there pro- 

 bably stood images and altars: [but these niches are 

 in a different style of arch, and were probably not 

 formed at the same time.] 



In the middle aisle there is nothing remarkable : but 

 I remember when its beams were hung with garlands in 

 honour of young women of the parish, reputed to have 

 died virgins , and recollect to have seen the clerk's wife 

 cutting, in white paper, the resemblances of gloves, and 

 ribbons to be twisted into knots and roses, to decorate 

 these memorials of chastity. In the church of Faring- 

 don, which is the next parish, many garlands of this 

 sort still remain. [The pulpit is placed at the eastern 

 end of the middle aisle. At the western end is an 

 organ loft and organ : the latter being a gift of the 

 Rev. William Cobbold, the present vicar, to his pa- 

 rishioners.] 



The north aisle is narrow and low, with a sloping 

 ceiling, reaching within nine or ten feet of the floor. 

 It had originally a flat roof covered with lead, till, 

 within a century past, a churchwarden stripping off the 

 lead, in order, as he said, to have it mended, sold it to 

 a plumber, and ran away with the money. This aisle 

 has no door, for an obvious reason ; because the north 



