62 CHURCHES IN THE RURAL DEANERY OP DORCHESTER. 



There was a circular staircase leading to the rood loft, the upper 

 doorway to which was a small square opening, the stone steps, with 

 the exception of the uppermost one, which is now supported by an 

 iron bar built in for the purpose, were removed and a doorway made 

 in the opposite side of the turret to give access to the organ 

 chamber. A plain painted oak 17th century pulpit stood against 

 the door of the rood loft turret, entirely blocking it, so that its 

 existence was not suspected until the pulpit was removed. The 

 door was then revealed, and on opening it the turret within was 

 found filled with hay and straw, which must have been there for 

 centuries, possibly since Cromwell's visit to these parts, for the 

 pulpit was of that date. 



On removing the whitewash from the walls of the south aisle 

 15th century wall paintings, rudely executed in outline, were found. 



One altar slab was found in the pavement of the porch turned 

 upside down'; this was buried in the chancel. 



The organ chamber with its archways into the chancel and aisle 

 were added at this time, the old windows of the church displaced 

 by the arches being repaired and inserted in its walls. 



The piscina now on the south side of the chancel was in the 

 south aisle, and there were indications that there had been a chapel 

 there, possibly formed by a parclose from the first pillar to the wall. 



There were some ancient oak benches (14th century), but these 

 were too much decayed to be used again. 



19. BROADMAYNE. 



The CHANCEL : Early English (13th century), contains a triplet 

 east window with the characteristic roll moulding round the three 

 lights on the inside, three single-light windows, one on the north, 

 two on the south, and a piscina with trefoil head, which has been 

 re-tooled, all of the same date. In the south wall is a 13th century 

 doorway (now walled up). 



NAVE : On the south side partly concealed by the stairway to the 

 pulpit is another piscina, and near it a 14th century window. The 

 church doorway next to it is of the 13th century. The window to 



