114 



HILTON CHURCH. 



the base of the bowl of the holy water stoup still remain in the 

 north-east angle of the porch. The niche in its exterior face is 

 of the 14th century. 



The pier on the south side of the chancel arch contains the 

 steps which formerly led to the rood loft. Before the restoration 

 of the Church the original openings at the bottom and top of the 

 staircase were walled up (this was probably done at the time of 

 the Reformation), and two more doorway openings formed — one 

 on the south side of the pier leading from the south transept and 

 one on the west side, the sill of which is about 3ft. 6in. from the 

 floor. This opening probably gave access to the pulpit. All 

 four openings — three at the bottom and one at the top of the 

 pier — are now left open to tell their own story. 



The tower is a remarkably fine one and is in three stages 

 finished with battlements and pinnacles and turret staircase. It 

 is connected with the nave by a very handsome arch. Mr. W. 

 J. Fletcher writes, " The panelled jambs and soffit of this arch 

 bear a strong resemblance to the work at Sherborne Abbey and 

 are very suggestive of the same designing hand." The belfry 

 contains four bells varying in ^^•cight from 6 to 14 CA\t. A\ith the 

 following inscriptions : — 



1. IRon nobis, Boiniitc, won nobis. 



2. N.H: C.W: T.P. Anno Domini 1684. 



3. R. ^ P. 1637. Anno Domini. 



4. O singe prayse vnto God. 1626. I.D. R.T. 



On the north and south walls of the tower, where it is open to 

 the interior of the Church, are twelve curious panel paintings of 

 Apostles with their insignia, eight feet high, the names of each on 

 a scroll over their heads. The oak on which they are painted has 

 been smoothed with the adze, pointing to the fact that they were 

 painted prior to the invention of the plane, so that their date 

 would probably not be later than the early part of the fifteenth 

 century. Hutchins says "that the painting is not ill done, and 

 in tollerable preservation. " 



