354 The Churches of Sherston, Corston, and Nether avon. 



other ; one impost has billet-mouldings as drawn, the other has 

 none, but it is evidently unfinished, being only roughly blocked out 

 in parts. The base mould consists of three simple ovolo mouldings. 

 The eastern arch (B)is round and stilted like the other, but it is 

 higher and has two orders of roll mouldings and triple grouped 

 shafts on each jamb : the caps and bases have been much mutilated 

 but the abacus is square, and the entire feature looks later than the 

 western arch. The floor-line of the former was about 1ft. lower 

 than that of the latter, and the nave floor 1ft. 8in. lower still, 

 following the natural slope of the ground towards the Avon. 



At the ground level, in the north and south walls of the tower, 

 are two small doorways with lintels and round arches above ; both 

 were built up until 1888 when the one on the south was opened 

 out. They occupy a position midway between the west walls of the 

 aisles and the quoin of another wall which has now disappeared (with 

 the exception of slight fragments near the ground at D D) 9ft. 5in. 

 westward ; these two walls were 2ft. thick, as were also two similar 

 ones flanking the western arch, the remains of which have been 

 converted into two buttresses. The quoins at the internal angles 

 of the aisle walls and connecting them with the tower are similar 

 in all respects to the latter, and show that an earlier wall stood 

 where the west wall of each aisle does, or, at least occupied that 

 part of its site immediately against the tower. All these indi- 

 cations lead to the conclusion that the western arch and the north 

 and south doorways opened into three buildings attached to these 

 sides of the tower. The question arises "What were these adjuncts ?" 

 On the visit of the British Archaeological Association in 1880 Mr. 

 Loftus Brock, F.S.A., propounded the theory that the tower was 

 once a central one, the chancel, or apse, being on the site of the 

 present nave, and the nave westward of the tower, with transepts, 

 or chapels, at the north and south of the tower. 1 This view of the 

 matter appears to have found favour with some of our own Members 

 on their visit to the Church last year, To me, however, it seems 

 incredible, and I will re-state the reasons given in my report on 



1 Wilts Arch Mag., vol. xix., p. 152. 



