316 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 



south-east corner of the nave is a bold semi-octagonal stair turret, 

 that led to the rood loft across the chancel arch. Although 

 approximately of the same date as the rest of this work, it is an 

 after-thought, as it is not bonded into the nave walls. The steps 

 have all been destroyed, but the upper part of the newel exists as 

 also the doorway, at the foot from the Church and at the top on to 

 the destroyed rood loft. There is a small square window imme- 

 diately under the wall plate of the nave roof and to the west of 

 the turret, apparently to light the upper part of the rood, and in it 

 are a few fragments of the 15th century glass. From the north 

 aisle to the chancel, in the south-east corner of the former, is a 

 curious skew passage. It has a moulded arch of 16th century date 

 to the aisle. For what purpose this could have been wanted is 

 very doubtful, and I am inclined to think it a post-suppression 

 arrangement." 



In Aubrey's time were remains of stained glass in the " north 

 side of the east windowe," consisting of an escutcheon of the Eussell 

 family, and " In the limbe ' Orate pro Animabus . . . Elizabet 

 uxoris Ejus,' two figures with labels issuing from their mouths," 

 and " In the chancel in the limbe of the window thus ' Orate pro 

 anima Thome Drew et pro bono statu Agnitis uxoris Ejus.' " Of 

 the modern stained glass windows, that at the east end was the gift 

 of Miss Mary Pyke ; that in the north wall of the chancel was the 

 gift of Stephen Demainbray, Esq. ; that in the south wall of the 

 nave the gift of William Edward Beak, erected in 1873, "to the 

 memory of his affectionate parents." 



The Church was restored, at a cost of about £900, from designs 

 by J. H. Hakewell, Esq., in 1865, when the present oak seats 

 replaced the old closed pews. The sounding-board, of early 

 Jacobean work, placed over the modern pulpit, is all that remains 

 of the old oak. At the same time the porch was lowered, an outside 

 door opened into the tower staircase, two galleries — one under the 

 tower and another in the aisle — removed, as also a stone screen 

 across the chancel arch, which had been erected some thirty years 

 before to support Dr. Smith's memorial, now over the entrance 

 door. A small organ chamber was added at the east end of the 



