110 



History of the Parish of Stockton, Wilts. 



it appeared that the chancel had been formerly ceiled, in the form 

 of a lofty pointed arch, and that the walls had been painted in oil, 

 on a smooth surface of plaster. Traces of this painting were found 

 under the white-wash, when the east window was scraped, in 1828, 

 and as the old ceiling cut off the upper part of the window, and 

 had preserved the wall above from the white- wash, the design of the 

 painting was clearly made out. The ground was a dull white, 

 marked out by rather wide double lines of black or chocolate, in 

 imitation of regular stone work; on each stone was a black 

 quatrefoil, and a sprig of a dull yellow colour. The splay of the 

 window had larger black quatrefoils at regular distances, without 

 the imitation of stone work. Above the label of the window was 

 inscribed " O come let us worship and fall down, and kneel before 

 the Lord our Maker," Psalm 95, 6. The corbel heads had been 

 painted, and had black eye-brows. The painting was probably 

 not very ancient, but had an ornamental effect. The communion 

 table is of oak, not older perhaps than the time of James I., and 

 was in a very dilapidated state in 1842, when it had a new oak top, 

 and was thoroughly repaired. The altar rails were of the meanest 

 description until December, 1847, when Mr. St. Barbe presented 

 to the church a very handsome oak railing. There are two square 

 pews in the chancel. 



The nave has on each side two lofty pointed arches, supported 

 by low heavy pillars, and respond ; with square capitals, and bases 

 of transition Norman character. The arches are recessed, and 

 chamfered on both sides. The capitals of the piers differ on the 

 south side of the nave ; on the north side they are alike, though 

 that of the respond at the west end varies in some respects, and is 

 peculiar in its form. The wall on each side connecting the piers 

 and arches with the chancel, is pierced with a small arch, pointed; 

 that on the south side moulded round, the arch on the north side, 

 chamfered. The tower arch is early English, recessed and widely 

 chamfered, supported on half columns with only a 2- inch round at 

 the spring of the arch in the place of a cap. In the wall above 

 was a lancet window to give light from the church into the tower ; 

 it is now plastered up. The clerestory is perpendicular, with three 



