CHURCHES IN THE RURAL DEANERY OF DORCHESTER. 41 



from the Old Church, together with the sumptuously carved and 

 painted arms of Carolus Kex now on the south wall of church. 



4. CHRIST CHUKCH. 

 Wholly modern. The church was consecrated in the year 1843. 



5. FORDINGTON ST. GEORGE.* 



TOWER : An excellent example of a 15th century tower. 



NORTH SIDE OF CHURCH : There was formerly a transept on this 

 side, similar to that on the other. 



CHANCEL : Georgian classic, built by Mrs. Pitt, the impropriator, 

 1750. 



CHANCEL ARCH : 15th century, of poor detail. Of the old 

 chancel Hutchins said it " had stalls on each side of it after the 

 manner of cathedrals of oak very curiously carved, gilt, and 

 painted ; the roof of timber in like manner was very curiously 

 de viced, and much larger and longer than the body of the church. 

 The rood loft at that time was highly preserved." 



SOUTH SIDE, PORCH ARCH : 13th or 14th century. The porch 

 has 15th century additions. 



DOORWAY OF CHURCH, with carved head, is generally ascribed 

 to the Norman period. The subject is supposed to be St. 

 George at the battle of Antioch. The battle of Antioch was fought 

 in 1098 ; if this surmise is correct the work could not be earlier 

 than 1100, and it should be noted that the Saracens are clad in 

 Norman armour and that the armour is similar to that represented 

 in the Bayeux tapestry. Perhaps the workmanship may afford 

 the safest clue to the date of its execution, We know from the 

 description by Gervase of the choir of Canterbury Cathedral (see 

 Rickman), that the chisel was introduced for carving between 1100 

 and 1180 ; up to 1110 the axe was used.f Now there are no signs 



* "St. George was chosen by our ancestors as their tutelar saint under 

 the first Norman king" (Butler's Lives of the Saints, Ap. 23, vol. iv., 

 p. 253). 



t The use of the chisel and gouge was well known to the Britons (see 

 Frank's " Horse ferales " and ArchaeologicalJournal). A bronze chisel, 

 similar to the carver's chisel used to-day, was found in a British barrow 

 in Devonshire. 



