GODALMING HUNDRED 



PUTTENHAM 



plane, following the natural slope of the ground, and 

 there is reason to believe that this sloping floor remained 

 till 1861. 



The church is entered from the south by a round- 

 headed doorway built of clunch, very much retooled. 

 It is of two moulded orders, the outer standing upon 

 a shaft with square abacus and scalloped capital of 

 unusual design. The abacus is continued as an impost 

 moulding across the inner order of jamb and arch, 

 which are plain except for a quirked bead on the angle. 

 A round-headed window to the west appears to be 

 modern, but may be a copy of one found at the resto- 

 ration ; and the traceried windows to the east of the 

 porch are quite modern. The north arcade, in chalk 

 or clunch, is of four semicircular arches of a single 

 square order without a label, an unusual number, neces- 

 sitated by the lowness of the wall through which 

 they were pierced : a diminutive arch has been pierced 

 through the east respond at the restoration. The 

 piers are circular and their bases have square sub-bases 

 with angle spurs and chamfered plinths. The capitals 

 are square, with chamfered abaci and somewhat irre- 

 gular scalloping of the common pattern, the capital of the 

 west respond only differing from the others in having 

 the scalloping concave with a small round-topped 



touched up. The last-named seems to have been rebated 

 for a shutter. The thinness of the transept walls 

 (l ft. 10 in.) is exceptional. 



The date of the chancel arch is if anything some- 

 what earlier than that of the chancel, which may be 

 placed at about I zoo. It is pointed, of two orders 

 chamfered like the jambs, which have no shafts, but 

 only an impost moulding at the springing. Its setting 

 out on plan shows some irregularity. A string-course 

 of a round section remains within the chancel, and on 

 the north side are the two arches to the chapel. These 

 are of one pointed order, with narrow chamfers, and 

 the central column has a circular moulded capital and 

 base. The east window and the buttresses flanking it 

 are modern,>but the two eastern windows in the south 

 wall are apparently restorations, and follow the lines of 

 the east window of the transept. An 18th-century 

 engraving shows three-light windows in the east walls 

 of the chancel and north chapel, both apparently 

 of early 14th-century character. The two eastern 

 windows in the south wall of the chancel, now 

 restored in stone, are shown as plain wooden 

 frames in this old view. The piscina is also restored. 

 The window in the western part of the south wall 

 of the chancel is ancient, built of chalk, and dates 



C.116O BBc.<4oo 



c.1200 CUD 1800-61 



Scale of feet 



PUTTENHAM CHURCH 



GROUND PLAN 



cresting just above the necking. 76b The modern 

 plastering is cut with scalloped edging round the arches 

 an ancient feature found at Compton, but here 

 probably only borrowed. There are no ancient 

 windows in the aisle, which is lit by dormers of modern 

 date, and the door in the north wall is modern. 



The west tower wears a somewhat battered appear- 

 ance from the friable nature of the sandstone of 

 which it is built, and most of the windows and other 

 dressings inside and out, including the lofty arch to 

 the nave, have been renewed in Bath stone. It has a 

 large square stair-turret on the south side, and is 

 finished by a plain parapet of modern date. 



The transept chapel, which is shown in Cracklow's 

 view (c. 1824) as having a large square window with a 

 wooden frame in its south wall, now has a poor three- 

 light traceried opening of discordant character in its 

 place ; but the three-light window in its east wall and 

 the small single-light opening to the west are ori- 

 ginal early 14th-century features, though a good deal 



from about 1400. It is of three lights with six small 

 lights over, under a square hood-moulding, which 

 terminates on one side in the bust of an angel and 

 on the other in that of a mitred bishop or abbot. 

 The westernmost of the three lights has its sill 

 lowered in a very peculiar manner to serve as a low side 

 window a feature very noticeable in Cracklow's view. 

 This light alone retains the original iron stanchions 

 and cross-bars, and the lower part has the mullions 

 rebated for a shutter. 



The windows in the north wall and the door in 

 the east wall of the north chapel are insertions of the 

 early part of the igth century, the former probably 

 replacing lancets. A blocked recess with an oak lintel 

 in its west wall seems to have been a door of commu- 

 nication between the chapel and the aisle. The floor 

 of the chapel is raised above that of the chancel, and 

 there is a platform or altar-pace at the east end. 

 The roof is ceiled. 



Both the nave and the chancel roofs are ancient and 



~ 6b One of the capitals at Compton it 

 precisely similar, and there are others very 

 like it at Rustington and Sompting, Sussex. 



The lame masons must have worked in 

 and out of the two counties, as at Alfold 

 and other Surrey churches there is a 



57 



striking resemblance to features in the 

 sister county. 



