The Architecture of Malmesbury Abbey Church. 95 



where at present it no longer remains. Ely Cathedral is the only 

 English example on a very large scale, and I do not know of any 

 case, besides Purton and Wimborne Minster, where a smaller church 

 of this outline remains perfect to this day. But we all know that 

 Hereford Cathedral presented the same form within the memory of 

 man, and it is manifest that such was the case at Leominster as long 

 the church was perfect. Bangor Cathedral and Christ Church in 

 Hampshire bear evident tokens that they were at least designed for 

 it, central towers having been certainly contemplated, if never 

 erected, though the western ones now alone remain. At Shrewsbury 

 Abbey, again, we cannot doubt but that the central tower must 

 have existed, though that portion of the fabric has been destroyed. 

 We might add Wymondham Abbey, in Norfolk, so lucidly illus- 

 trated by Mr. Petit, 1 if we are really to consider this as a case in 

 point, and not rather as two distinct churches in juxta-position. 



In some of these cases, the western tower formed an integral 

 part of the original design. This was the case at Ely and at 

 Leominster, and Mr. Petit has shown that the present Perpendicular 

 west tower of Wimborne represents a Norman predecessor. But 

 the western tower is more commonly a Perpendicular addition. 

 We can hardly help concluding that the churches had previously 

 been without bells, — the central towers acting simply as internal 

 lanterns, — and that these towers were now added for their reception. 

 This enables us to add to our list, as at least analogous cases, several 

 instances where a western tower was added to a church which had 

 previously possessed only a central bell-cot, as at Llanrhystid in 

 Cardiganshire, and several of the extraordinary towers in Pem- 

 brokeshire. At Wanborough, in Wiltshire, we have a western 

 tower added to a church which had previously something between 

 a central bell-cot and a central spire. 



In most of these instances, the new tower was built beyond the 

 old nave, so as to destroy any west front that might have previously 

 existed, 8 just as if one were now to add a west tower to Romsey, or 



1 Archaeological Proceedings at Norwich, p. 115. 

 2 So at Waltham Abbey, after tho Dissolution, a tower was added to the west 

 end of the nave, which remained the parish church, the central lantern haying 

 perished with the monastic choir. 



