the Virgin, Bishops Cannings. 3 



! within this period, but the stone roof of the stair-turret is 

 coeval with the shingle roof of the tower, and the pitch of the 

 latter is still to be traced on the west and south sides of it. 

 The lower window in the west end of north aisle and the 

 doorway in the north transept were built up, or closed, at this 

 date, and the gable of the porch re-built. 

 I Among the Post- Reformation structural alterations made before 

 the commencement of the late restoration may be mentioned the 

 insertion of the archway in the south wall of the porch, and the 

 three-light window and fireplace in the sacristy, which are of 

 seventeenth century date ; the new roof of the nave, bearing date 

 1670; and, in more modern times, new roofs to the chancel and 

 south transept and the re-building of the chapel with new east 

 window to the same. 



I may here mention a feature which I discovered on my first 

 inspection of the Church, and which I thus referred to in my 

 preliminary report, dated 22nd October, 1881: — " That the spire 

 was also erected at this time (fifteenth century) is clearly shewn by 

 the very interesting fact which I noticed upon a close examination 

 of the work — that oyster shells are used in forming both the vertical 

 and the bed joints in the stone-work of the aisles, clerestory, and 

 spire ; and this peculiarity is not met with in the work of any other 

 period at this Church.''-' I have since applied this test to other 

 parts of this Church, and the result fully substantiates the statement 

 I then made. 



J The proportions of the twelfth century nave must have been very 

 fine. The roof sprang from the level of only about a foot below 

 the plate of the present roof. 1 and the high pitch increased the 

 height of the interior by about 10ft. The main light was from the 



, 1 The parapet added to the nave when the clerestory was re-built is (as will be 

 Seen on reference to the sketch view from the S.W., which forms the subject of 

 one plate) an embattled one, with richly-crocketted pinnacles marking the divisions 

 of the bays, and carried up over the west gable, one pinnacle occupying the usual 

 position of the gable cross. The flat pilaster buttresses at the angles do not 

 appear to have been taken down more than 4ft., and the manner in which those 

 on the north and south faces are adapted to receive the " Perpendioular " pinnacles 

 is especially worthy of notice. 



B % 



