THE CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, PLYMOUTH. 219 
nearly fifty years ago is being cleared away, its proportions are being 
revealed, and its appearance as left by its architect may to some 
extent be imagined. But in saying this I would not wish to be 
understood to say that it is fine or noble in the sense in which so 
many of our churches are, but simply as a building of its time. 
It is said that no part of the Church is older than 1430, but 
the greater part of it to all appearance is much later than this. 
But we shall see as we go on how much the edifice has been pulled 
about. We have no information or evidence whatever to guide us 
in our attempt to ascertain the character of any earlier building, 
with one-exception, of which I shall presently speak. 
As mentioned in a former paper, the earliest reference we have 
to anything pertaining to the fabric of St. Andrew is in 1385, 
when it is stated that a south aisle was added to the Church, 
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Nothing of this presumably 
remains; but in 1440 we find an altar of the Blessed Virgin still 
in the Church, and in the following year the north aisle is said to 
have been built. In 1488 we have accounts of moneys given 
towards the south aisle of the Church, and reference is also 
made to St. John’s aisle, and the aisle of Corpus Christi. 
Between 1440 and 1460 the north chapel and the tower were 
built, and we may conclude that by 1490 the building, much as we 
now have it, was completed. But could we go back four hundred 
years, how different should we find the Church, and much more 
like a place of worship than we have hitherto known it. Happily 
it is resuming now to a great extent its former aspect. I may say, 
however, that two things are wanting to bring the edifice more 
nearly approaching its original condition. 
The first is to take away every bit of plaster from between the braces 
of the roofs throughout the Church. I believe I am right in saying, 
and the inspection of every Devonshire church more and more 
confirms me in my opinion, that these spaces were never originally 
plastered. While Perpendicular work debased almost everything 
else, it brought wood-work, and especially the wooden roof, to 
perfection ; and I will never believe that such a roof as that of St. 
Andrew was intended to be plastered over as soon as completed. 
The other want is, the glory of the Devonshire church, the high 
richly-carved screen and roof loft, or, if we cannot have the latter, 
the screen alone. Without this the Church can never be complete, 
or present a satisfactory appearance, for the simple reason that the 
