IS Restoration and the Preservation of Ancient Buildings. 



road, 1 and, for a long time, I was unaware of its existence, but after 

 I had observed it, I took a considerable interest in it, as it was the 

 only example of the kind that we had in the place. It had not a 

 simply moulded cap, but an embattled ornament, and was like the 

 example above-mentioned, at Easton in the parish of Corsham. 

 Then came a time when the old house was pulled down, and, one 

 day, the workmen employed brought me rather a peculiar corbel, 

 apparently of the fifteenth century. I said that, as I was not the 

 owner of the house, I had no right to receive the corbel, and I asked 

 them what they would do with it if I did not receive it. They re- 

 plied that they should build it into their new wall. I therefore 

 agreed to keep it, and I asked them what they had done with the 

 cap of the old chimney. They said they had cut it up, and built 

 it into the wall. I therefore wrote to the owner, and told him that 

 I had the corbel, and I found that he was quite unaware that there 

 was anything of interest about the old house. I have the corbel 

 still. What part of the house it belonged to I do not know, and 

 I regret that I did not take the opportunity of looking over the 

 house before it was demolished. 



At Stockton House, in South Wilts, which we visited on the 

 occasion of the last Warminster meeting, I noticed that the sills 

 of a good many of the windows, of the sixteenth or early seven- 

 teenth century, had been cut down, not however, I think, very 

 recently. On pointing this out to a friend of mine, who understands 

 these subjects, he asked me whether I did not think it a perfectly j 

 legitimate thing to do. I am afraid that I had not the presence I 

 of mind to say that I did not. That is to say, I think it is an Si 

 alteration which should be avoided if possible. In this case, the I 

 transoms were originally at half the height of the windows. Cutting I 

 down the sills, of course, throws the transoms out of position, altering I 

 the character of the design, as I think, for the worse. If the old H 

 sills were found to be at an inconvenient height from the floor, that ■ 

 could be got over, in the case of recessed windows, by raising the 



1 It stood behind the house, occupied by the late Mr. J. H. Crisp, which was 

 formerly the vicarage. 



