256 



Notes on the Churches 



old mouldings which remain indicate the date of the original parts. 

 It will, be seen that the Norman feeling lingers in the billet mould 

 of the label, and in the square abacus (which latter, though modern, 

 is probably copied from the old). The Church of which these 

 features formed part has, however, with these exceptions disappeared, 

 but there is no occasion to regret this circumstance when so beautiful 

 a structure has been given us in its place. 



The re-building commenced with the north and south transepts, 

 which date from the earlier half of the fourteenth century. The 

 tracery of the south window has been renewed, also the whole of 

 the two east windows of the south transept, but it is probable that 

 they are copies of the original work, as they go very well with the 

 old mouldings. There is a singular stepping up of ljin. only, in 

 the string course of the south transept, to adapt it to the respective 

 levels of the side and end window sills. The east window in the 

 north transept is of three lights, whilst that on the south is of five 

 lights. Canon Jackson mentions a tradition that on the destruction 

 of the chapel near Easterton one of these transepts was appropriated 

 to the inhabitants of Eastcott tything and the other to Wedhampton 

 (Wilts Magazine, vol. x., p. 279). 



Immediately after this came the re-building of the chancel, and 

 this was done in the best work of the period. It is of three bays 

 divided by buttresses of very unusual form — they are very massive, 

 but they have not proved equal to the demands made upon them by 

 the heavy stone vault and roof, both being without any tie in them- 

 selves. It is somewhat remarkable that these buttresses, having to 

 resist so much lateral thrust, should have been exaggerated in width 

 rather than in projection Each bay on the south side and the two 

 end bays on the north have good two-light windows of" Geometrical " 

 design, but the middle bay on the north is occupied by a well- 

 designed porch over the priest's doorway, formed by carrying up 

 the base- mould of the buttress ; both inner and outer doorways 

 having plain straight-sided pointed heads. The east window is a 

 modern one of three lights and poor design, The two angle but- 

 tresses and those at the east end have also been added, doubtless 

 with the view of arresting the spreading of the walls. 



