322 Notes on the Parish and Saxon Churches, Bradford-on-Avon. 



SAXON CHUKCH— NOTES ON REPAIRS TO CHANCEL AND 

 DRAINAGE IN 1908. 



The level of the ground on the north side had risen so as to bury 

 the plinth. This has been lowered and the plinth again exposed 

 to view. It was found that the plinth was the lowest course of 

 masonry, and owing to the stony nature of the ground there was 

 no foundation under it. The soil was therefore excavated in short 

 lengths at a time, 2ft. 6in. deep, and the walls underpinned with 

 cement concrete, projecting 15in. at the bottom beyond the face 

 of the walls, tapering to 9in. projection at the top. At the lowest 

 level a 3in. field drainpipe was laid to intercept the water from 

 the higher ground. On the surface of the concrete foundation an 

 open channel was formed in cement concrete laid to a fall to take 

 the water from the rain water pipes, thus abolishing all underground 

 drains near the building. 



A few bones were found under the roadway between the Saxon 

 and Parish Churches. These were re-interred in the Saxon church- 

 yard. Bones were also found in July, 1908, in excavating in the 

 garden attached to Church House. Though a careful look-out was 

 kept no moulded stone or anything of interest has been found in 

 the ground round the Church during the excavations. 



On the south side, the wall of the chancel was found to go down 

 about 5ft. below the present ground-level. The wall below the 

 ground had been lime-whited, and at its base some coal dust re- 

 mained. A shed formerly used as a coal cellar had stood here. 

 There was no paving. Three new stones were put in to the wall 

 below the ground-level, the wall was pinned up, grouted, and 

 pointed. 



The foundations having been made secure the work of grouting 

 the walls commenced, beginning at the ground-level, course by 

 course. I at first thought of using a grouting machine, but coming 

 to the conclusion that this was not suitable, I decided to adopt the 

 slower process of injecting liquid cement grouting partly by a 

 syringe, and partly by pouring it in, until the whole of the cavities 

 in the wall were entirely full. Before grouting, some of the wide 



