Notes on Aldbounie Church, 



157 



belfry windows remind one of Somersetshire work — built. The 

 north porch with chamber over, and the chapel opening into the 

 south transept through a panelled arch, belong to this period ; the 

 low-pitch wooden roofs with which the Church, with the exception 

 of the chancel, is covered, are good specimens of late Perpendicular 

 woodwork. Entering the Church through the south porch — the 

 upper room of which was at the last restoration unfortunately de- 

 stroyed, though the staircase to it remains — we pass through the 

 fine twelfth century doorway into the nave, the arcades of which 

 furnish us with an interesting example of the slight veneration with 

 which the mediaeval mason treated the work of his predecessor. 

 Three bays of the south arcade remain but little altered from the 

 twelfth century, when they were built, but the north arcade has 

 fared differently — the mouldings have been re-worked at a later 

 period and an entirely fresh character given to them. Against the 

 second pillar of the south arcade stands the font, octagonal on plan, 

 the sides of the bowl being ornamented with a lozenge roughly 

 executed. In the south wall opposite is the niche for a stoup, the 

 bowl of which has disappeared ; close by is the entrance and 

 staircase (the latter blocked up) to the room, now destroyed, which 

 was formed in the upper stage of the south porch. The south 

 transept — locally known as the Upham Aisle, contains the brass of 

 Richard Groddard, of Upham, and Elizabeth, his wife. The date 

 of his death is not filled in on the brass, but his wife's death is 

 recorded as happening on the 14th of July, 1482. Against the east 

 wall of the transept is a large stone monument in the style of the 

 early part of the seventeenth century, with effigies of a Groddard, 

 his wife, three sons, and one daughter, all represented kneeling ; 

 above, on a shield, the arms of Groddard of Upham quartering, 

 apparently, Groddard of East Woodhay. This monument is 

 believed to commemorate Thomas Goddard, who died 1597, 1 and 

 his second wife. Above the monument is an old helmet suspended 

 by iron brackets let into the wall but so high up that I was not able 

 to examine it. 



1 The date, 1609, given in Wilts Arch. Mag.> vol. xi„ p. 340, is apparently a 

 mistake. 



M 2 



