342 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



embellishment of the place. Betley has an annual fair for cattle 

 held on the 20th of July. 



Near the village is a fine pool, called Betley Mere, which belongs 

 to the Earl of Wilton. It is now chiefly remarkable for its excel- 

 lent gardens, which contribute largely in the supply of vegetables 

 to the neighbouring towns and villages. 



The Church is situated on an eminence at the eastern extremity 

 of the town, and has been partly rebuilt. It has a nave, side 

 aisles, a chancel at the east end, and a square tower at the west 

 end of the nave. The most ancient part of the edifice is the nave 

 and aisles ; which, as well as the chancel, have plain common 

 tile roofs. The windows of the former are also very plain. 

 The side-walls of the nave are part wood, and part plaster : the 

 timber is framed after the ancient manner, and the spaces be- 

 tween filled with plaster, &c. The aisles were, no doubt, coeval 

 with the nave'; but from prior decay, the walls thereof have been 

 rebuilt with common brick. In the interior, the nave is separated 

 from the aisles by four plain pointed arches on each side. The 

 pillars which support them are merely single trunks of trees ; and 

 the architraves of the arches, (if we may use the expression,) are 

 plain curved pieces of wood. From the three middle pillars or 

 trunks, are turned three similar plain wooden curves across the 

 nave ; thus making the nave to exhibit a succession of three 

 pointed arches. The dimensions are as follows : The length of 

 the nave and aisles may be about 15 or 16 yards. The aisles are 

 narrow, being not quite three yards in breadth. The breadth of 

 the nave is about six yards. There is a small west gallery ; and at 

 the east end of the north aisle and nave is a large seat, enclosed by a 

 wooden screen, about eight or nine feet in height from the floor. 

 The nave is separated from the chancel by a wooden partition, on 

 the south side of which is the desk and pulpit, which are adorned 

 with crimson velvet, as is also the altar. The upper part of the 

 partition is neatly ornamented on the side fronting the nave, with 

 three painted tables of the Lord's Prayer and the Belief. Above 

 the Lord's Prayer is painted a dove in glory ; and above the Ten 

 Commandments are the King's Arms ; on each side of which is 

 painted a group of three angels. The doves and angels are on a 

 blue ground. The chancel is built of stone, in a good style, and 

 seems to have been erected by one of the Egertons. 



Upon entering the chancel from the nave, there hangs an hajch- 



