ENGLISH MEDIAEVAL ARCHITECTURE. 169 



of the foregoing classified periods which the archaeologist 

 is as well able to distinguish as is the naturalist the 

 classes of plants, animals, insects, or fossils ; nay, further, 

 within our own county there are most interesting 

 specimens of each of the four periods. I may go a 

 step still further and say that each of the five hundreds 

 which formed the ancient division of this county contains 

 examples alike beautiful and interesting. I might almost 

 say that there are several churches which in themselves 

 exhibit traces of every change of Middle Age style. 

 Thus, in the Collegiate Church of Gnosall, between 

 Newport and Stafford, we have features characteristic of 

 each period and every transition of style which occurred 

 during the 500 years of which we are speaking ; and 

 the same may be said of that reposeful old church of 

 Checkley, in the valley of Tean Brook. So also of the 

 large parish church of Tamworth, and perhaps of St. 

 Peter's, Wolverhampton, but this last has undergone 

 the process of restoration and in consequence has lost 

 much of its charm to the antiquarian. Of course a 

 better example than all these would be our gem of a 

 Cathedral at Lichfield, but I purposely abstain from re- 

 ferring specially to it as its charms and attractions are 

 known to everyone, whilst the humble yet interesting 

 parish church is frequently passed by as not meriting 

 time or study, and it is to these that I desire more 

 particularly to direct your attention, in the hope that 

 for the future they may for some of you be a 

 greater source of interest and pleasure. It is for this 

 reason, too, that the examples selected for illustration 

 have been chosen from this class of buildings. 



It will be gathered from what has been already said 



