GODLEY HUNDRED 



Amberley, Bury, and Rogate, and in most cases an 

 earlier date may be assigned to them than would at 

 first sight appear probable. They were made to suit 

 the exigencies of the situation, and, as in the case of 

 these openings, oak lintels were employed, instead of 

 arches, on the inside. Of the same period is a square- 

 moulded corbel, for an image or light, on the nave 

 wall, to the east of the south doorway. 



The roofs of nave and chancel are ancient and 

 of very massive timbers, with double wall-plates, hol- 

 lowed and chamfered, similar to those of early date at 

 West Clandon and Capel, Surrey. The tie-beams, 

 which are of large scantling, have hollow mouldings, 

 intersecting with the hollows on the 

 wall-plates. These roofs may be coeval 

 with the walls, but owing to their 

 plain character it is equally possible 

 that they belong to the period of re- 

 storation in the IJth century. The 

 spaces between the rafters seem to 

 have been plastered from the top of the 

 wall-plate as far as to the end of the 

 vertical part, above which the tiling 

 was exposed. An interesting feature has 

 survived in connexion with the nave 

 roof, viz., a canted or wagon ceiling, a 

 yard or more in width, covering the 

 three end rafters at the east of the nave, 

 and forming originally a sort of canopy 

 over the rood and attendant figures. 

 It is constructed with wide feather- 

 edged oak boarding and simply moulded 

 ribs, and at the bottom, on the vertical 

 face over the struts of the rafters, is a 

 battlemented moulding. The whole 

 shows traces of decoration in colour, 

 such as white stars and yellow flowers 

 on a red ground. This panelled ceiling 

 dates between 1450 and 1500." The 

 rood-loft was carried on a very massive 

 beam over the chancel arch and on 

 another to the west, the mortised of 

 which remain in the wall-plates. 



To about the same date belongs the 

 picturesque porch too much ivy- 

 covered which has plain sides of oak 

 framework, filled with the original clay 

 daubing, a flat four-centred arch to the 

 front, and a barge-board of pierced 

 intersecting archwork, having some 

 shallow tracery spandrels cut in the 

 solid timber at the apex. The design 

 of the whole is unusual and pleasing. 



The nave still retains its late 1 5th- 

 century seating with square panelled ends and moulded 

 cappings. Not less interesting is the fine pulpit with 

 its sounding-board. It is almost unique in being partly 

 constructed of red deal, mixed with oak and walnut or 

 cedar, and bears the date 1628, with the initials N Bon 

 the front panel. The stiles and rails are carved, and 

 there is some inlay work. The base is modern, re- 

 placing that which was destroyed, and before the re- 

 storation the whole pulpit was thickly coated with white 

 paint, the removal of which disclosed the curious 

 variety of woods used in the original construction. 



At the restoration paintings of at least two dates in 

 the mediaeval period were discovered beneath the 



PYRFORD 



whitewash, the earlier representing the original scheme 

 when the chapel was built, and the other principal 

 one, which was a very loose and tender coat, corre- 

 sponding to the ijth-century period, when so much 

 was done to the building. Portions of the older 

 scheme only were capable of preservation ; and among 

 them are three consecration crosses (of the common 

 form, a cross patt^e, within a circle), one on either 

 side of the chancel, and one on the west wall of the 

 nave. Besides these, and also belonging to the 1 2th cen- 

 tury, are some very curious fragments on the north and 

 south walls of the nave. They are painted in little 

 more than red outline. On the north wall, between 



PYRFORD CHURCH : THE PORCH 



the doorway and the eastern window, are depicted the 

 sacraments of the Jews the Giving of Manna and 

 the Water out of the Rock. Below these are a band 

 of conventional scroll-work and a flying angel. Op- 

 posite to this, on the south wall of the nave, is a still 

 more singular subject, which appears to be Jezebel 

 looking out through a lattice and ' tiring ' herself. A 

 wall with stone jointing, battlements, and windows 

 with diamond-shaped lattice-work are shown, and at 

 the top a disproportionately large head, perhaps in- 

 tended to represent Jezebel. At the foot of the wall 

 are six figures of soldiers marching past with spears in 

 their hands, the last leading Jehu's horse, while Jehu 



6 At Lapford, Devon, and Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk, are good example! of panelling on nave roofi in the space over the rood-loft 



