By Harold Brakspear^ A.R.I.B.A. 



323 



Burton, and is one of the most interesting Churches included in 

 this year's programme. It consists of chancel, with north chapel, 

 nave, with north aisle, north and south porches and a western tower. 



The earliest feature of the Church is the circular font of Norman 

 work, the lower part of which is formed like a scallop-capital with 

 fish- scale ornamentation above. 



The Norman Church which existed before the present one was 

 built, probably consisted of a chancel and nave, with north aisle 

 divided by an arcade, but none of it exists. 



The present arcade is the most curious feature in the Church. 

 Although apparently Norman, upon examination it appears to be 

 no earlier than the fourteenth century, most of the caps having 

 some distinguishing feature of that date, intermixed with well- 

 known forms of Norman ornament. The arches are obviously 

 fourteenth century, of two plain chamfered members, and labels 

 with terminals of carved heads. But the Norman features in the 

 caps would lead to the supposition that the present arcade was a 

 bad copy of an earlier Norman one. 



The external walls of the nave and aisle are those of the re-built 

 Church of the fourteenth century. The south doorway — an early 

 example little removed from Early English — is of two orders of 

 mouldings, with continuous arch and jambs undivided by capitals, 

 and has a curious little canopied niche over the apex, with flanking 

 buttresses, in which are carved two small human figures. There is 

 a contemporary window of a single light, with cusped head, in the 

 north wall, and remains of the lower part of a similar window in 

 the west wall of the aisle. 



The fourteenth century aisle terminated in a line with the chancel 

 arch ; the eastern termination is well marked on the outside by a 

 shallow corner buttress, similar to the one at the west end. On the 

 inside the difference is marked by the change in styles of the roof ; 

 that over the western part being the original one of the fourteenth 

 century, with arched rafters resting on a wall-plate ornamented at 

 intervals with dog-tooth — while that to the east is similar to the 

 others of the fifteenth century over the rest of the Church. Both 

 roofs, however, are unfortunately plastered up on the underside of 



