teas not the Church of the Priory. 



27 



of the nave, though I don't remember any remaining indication of 

 a cloister, in that case. At Dunster, the nave was parochial. 



Tanner says Alfrida commended the Abbey, founded by her, to 

 the patronage of St. Mary and St. Melorius. Such is understood to 

 be the dedication of the present Church. 1 think it probable that 

 this earlier Nunnery was attached to the Parish Church, and that 

 the latter stood on the present site. When Henry II. brought 

 nuns from Fontevraud to Amesbury, in 1177, he gave the Abbey 

 itself of Amesbury (the then existing building) to the Abbey of 

 Fontevraud, and gave to the Church of Fontevraud the Church of 

 St. Mary and St. Melorius of Ambresbury, and the parish with all 

 tithes and lands adjoining to the same. This was a grant by 

 Henry II., confirmed by a charter of King John, and it proves the 

 present dedication to be as old as the 12th century. 



The Monastery was considerably enlarged, in 1177, and, at that 

 time, besides building a new Church, the nuns must, I think, have 

 re-built the Parish Church. As Canon Jackson says the present 

 Parish Church " is of great antiquity," but no part of it appears to 

 be older than the time of Henry the Second, and the Convent may 

 have begun by building the nave, as being more immediately 

 wanted for parochial purposes, leaving the transepts, tower, chancel, 

 &c, to follow, the nave being Norman and the rest Early English, 

 not much later. The nave was probably originally aisle-less, and 

 the addition of a south aisle, in the Perpendicular period, seems to 

 show that, at a late date, increased accommodation was required. 

 The Norman windows also were walled up, Perpendicular windows 

 were inserted, and a new roof was put. It would be an important 

 point to ascertain the date of this roof. It seems to be agreed that 

 it is very late, but, if near the date 1539, it must be difficult to 

 prove it later than that date and not a trifle earlier. I am informed 1 

 that Amesbury was a " waste and desolate place," in the latter part 

 of the 15th century, and that, in the early part of the reign of 

 Henry YIIL, it enjoyed a short period of great prosperity. 



I have not overlooked the peculiarities of the eastern part of the 



By the Rev. C. S. Ruddle. 



