Visited by the Society in 1889. 



27 



The bits of shafts and an early coffin lid built in over the door point 

 to the conclusion that a Norman Church stood on this site. 



The porch has the original roof and ogee inner doorway with the 

 old hinges, but the outer doorway is new. The font is probably 

 coeval with the Church. 



Church of S. Gregory. Beckington. 



This is a Church of the written history of which I know nothing 

 but what has been given to us by Mr. Medley. I have nothing to 

 add to this but what can be gathered from the stones of the building 

 itself ; and from these we may trace many of the alterations which 

 the Church has undergone, and which make it so extremely in- 

 teresting. This interest has been well preserved in a very careful 

 restoration. 



In the first place I may say that we have here only the second 

 piece of pure Norman work which we have seen during our ex- 

 cursions, and it is somewhat remarkable that we should have 

 journeyed for two days within our own count} 7 of Wiltshire and yet 

 have to go over its borders to find any complete part of a Church 

 older than the middle of the twelfth century. The tower of this 

 Church is of Norman date for its full height, although it was 

 re-modelled in the fifteenth century by adding angle-buttresses, 

 staircase, and parapet, and by the insertion of the west window and 

 the archway into the nave (which, by the way, is of the same 

 panelled type as those we saw at North Bradley and Road), and 

 by vaulting the lower stage in stone. 



It is not easy to account for the arch above the west window, but 

 it is part of the original work, and at first sight it seems to suggest 

 there having been some erection to the west of the tower, as at 

 Netheravon, but the string below, and the absence of traces of the 

 side walls contradict this, and the character of the arch is that of a 

 relieving arch. There are also traces of windows in the north and 

 south sides. Like many other Norman towers this appears to have 

 had insufficient foundations, hence the necessity for the buttresses 

 added in the fifteenth century and the somewat clumsy excrescence 

 against the north wall. There are remains of the Norman work in 



