By T. H. Baker. 



255 



" 2. ' Taking out the stone windows,' which are good for centuries to come 

 and are the most important features of the place, and substituting 

 deal ones. 



"3. Destroying the beautiful Elizabethan ceiling of the room under the 

 chapel, and putting a new plain one. 



" Apart from archreological considerations I am of opinion that those of 

 practical economy can be much better served by retaining and repairing the 

 existing features, which are far more durable than anything which would take 

 their place ; and that it can be carried out without increased cost — whilst the 

 comfort and convenience of the occupier can be equally well met. 



" There are serious items of disrepair which need immediate attention — the 

 windows both as regards the stonework and the glazing are in a bad state, half 

 the tracery of one having disappeared, and other parts are badly fractured ; the 

 side walls are spreading owing to the giving way of the main framing of the 

 roof ; whilst the disturbance of the west wall by the Elizabethan alterations has 

 caused it to settle outwards, and the chimney (which appears to have insufficient 

 foundations) is assisting this movement. 



" The method of repair which I advise is as follows : — 



" To underpin with cement concrete the foundations of the west end for its 

 entire length, and the north-west buttress. 



"To repair the oak wall-plate of the roof and strap it with iron at the joints 

 to secure a longitudinal tie, the ends having short bolts and ' S ' plates outside- 



" To insert a transverse iron tie-rod across the centre of the roof and through 

 the walls, under the wall-plate with ' S ' plates on the outside ; this might be 

 suspended to the circular ribs in the centre, and so treated as not to be an unsightly 

 object. 



" To take out and carefully re-build the bulged parts of the walls, at the north- 

 west angle, and on the north side, against the two-light window, and insert new 

 bonding stones. To re-set the inside arch of the two-light window in the north 

 side, and reinstate the fractured stone in it. 



" To key up the inside arches of the three-light window and doorway in the 

 north wall, and run the joints with thin cement, and repair the wall over the 

 door. 



" To restore the missing tracery of the two-light window of the chapel by 

 copying the two halves of lights which remain : and the transom by the fragment 

 left in the jambs. 



" To carefully repair the defective stonework of other windows, piecing wherever 

 possible, and only renewing where stones are too far gone for this ; running all 

 bad joints with thin cement. (In this work the greatest care should be taken 

 not to scrape the surface of old stonework.) 



" To reinstate two defective buttress weatherings. 



" To cut out and repair the masonry of the north wall where cracked on the 

 inside face, and insert stones across the fractures. 



" To re-glaze the windows with lead lights (for preference), inserting new 

 iron saddle bars when missing, and putting a wrought iron casement to open in 

 each window. The windows might thus be made as free from draught as the 

 contemplated new ones. 



" To repair the Elizabethan ceiling of the sitting-room under the chapel by 



T 2 



