By C. E. Pouting, F.S.A. 



287 



the whitewash having recently been peeled off the remainder, 

 considerable traces of mural decoration were discovered. On the 

 south wall, eastward of the door, is the lower part of a S. Christopher 

 — a man with bare legs, and carrying a long staff : in the left 

 hand lower corner is the figure of a boy pointing with a stick ; 

 there are also to be seen in the surroundings three fishes and a 

 bird's nest. Over the south door, and continued over the filling 

 up of the early window referred to, is a pattern of scroll-like stems 

 with fruit and leaves, all in dark red colouring, and fragments of 

 similar work occur on the north wall. On the east splay of the 

 Perpendicular window here are indications of a figure of the Blessed 

 Virgin Mary and Child. The east wall over the chancel arch has 

 painting of a floral design without figures. 1 



Eastward of the cross passage (which was probably the only part 

 then seated) the benches, with the exception of four, are 15th 

 century work, with plain solid ends. The altar rails are good 

 work of the Laudian period, the newels having tall turned 

 terminals, and the balusters being alternately turned, and flat 

 ones shaped. The lectern is a good example of the 17 th century 

 double revolving desk, on a stem, and bears a chained copy of 

 Bishop Jewel's " Apology." 



The pulpit is dated 1619 and has a blue velvet cloth embroidered 



and parts of the oak pews are preserved on the east wall. 



The royal arms bear the inscription : — •" John Pile : Henry 

 Eakings. Chr. War. Fear God. Honour the King. C.E. 1678." 



There are five bells, the inscriptions of which are correctly given 

 by Mr. Lukis, 2 excepting that the first word on the pre-Eeformation 

 fourth bell is AV, the E does not exist. 



The works of repair which have been carried out recently were 

 limited to the nave and tower, and include : — the underpinning of 

 the foundations of the leaning walls of the nave and of nearly the 

 whole of the tower ; the repair of the masonry and pointing open 



1657 

 I.S.. I.C. 



The prayer desk is made up of work of a similar type, 



1 At the west end there is another fresco not yet fully opened out. 

 2 Wilts Arch. Mag., vol. ii., p. 207. 



