602 Tisbury Church. 



In giving a more detailed description of the Church I will begin 

 witli the exterior, commencing at the north-west corner of the 

 chancel and continuing round the Church by the south and west 

 to the north. 



The Chancel. The main building of the chancel is of the " Deco- 

 rated " period, that is, the latter end of the thirteenth century, or 

 more probably the early part of the fourteenth century. It has 

 had certain later alterations, amongst others, the tracery to the 

 windows, which I do not think are correct restorations of the 

 original, nor do I think that they are themselves the original 

 tracery. Also the very large east window has been reduced in 

 size. The chancel is divided on each side into three bays by good 

 buttresses. In the centre bay on the north side is a small priest's 

 door, with moulded jambs and arch, and round the whole chancel 

 there runs a well-moulded plinth. In each of the bays above a 

 string course is a three-light tracery window {see Plate II.), en- 

 closed in a plain chamfer and hollow jamb and arch, with a splayed 

 hood mould over. The jambs to these windows seem mostly 

 original work, but the tracery and the outer arch are of later date 

 and have been inserted. This tracery, which is alike in all the 

 windows both on the north and south sides, is a not altogether 

 happy attempt to copy the flowing tracery of the " Decorated " 

 period: perhaps it is a seventeenth century restoration. A string 

 course and parapet complete the walls. The buttresses terminate 

 just under the coping of the parapet as gables, and have trefoil 

 cusps under the dripstone in the apex. At the east end there 

 was originally a very large window, probably of seven lights, the 

 jambs and outer arch and hood of which still remain, but none of 

 the tracery. Where that was there is now a five-light window, 

 with a much more pointed arch. The space between this window 

 and the original one is filled in with ashlar work. This window is 

 said to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who was born 

 not far from Tisbury ; if it is really his design it is a very good one 

 for that time, when Gothic was not considered to be worthy of 

 notice. Over the hood of the original window are the wings and 

 legs of an eagle — the body has been broken away. Immediately 



