This is a cruciform church, consisting of a nave, south aisle, central tower with transepts, and chancel. Its general character is that of the Decorated period, though rough in workmanship, and without much ornament. In this it resembles other churches in the same district. But on the west end and north side of the nave, and on the east and west sides of the north transept, occur those pilaster strips which are observed in many buildings supposed to be Saxon.
Head of Chancel Door.
There is also a round-headed doorway on the north side, which will best be described by a drawing and a section of the moulding of its label. The central voussoir, whether designedly or accidently, projects downwards, so as to form a decided keystone. The pilaster strips, which have evidently been curtailed in their height, are composed of stones of different lengths, and are about five inches wide, and three in projection from the wall, which has been carefully cleared of plaster and shewn to consist of irregular masonry. These strips do not quite touch the ground, but are terminated by a short transverse bar, and a similar bar also terminates the strips on which rest the label of the doorway. On the east and west sides of the north transept the pilaster strip is crossed by a short transverse bar at a height of about nineteen feet. The angles of the nave and transept, though dressed with masonry of a more regular character, do not present what is generally known under the name of "long and short work."
Masonry, Stanton Lacy.
Westward of the tower, and engaged in the northern wall of the nave, is a buttress, the masonry of which projects a little beyond the face of the wall, and its base also appears in the interior, as if a portion of the nave wall had been destroyed for its insertion, with the view of giving the central tower a more certain support. The support indeed of the tower is in no place trusted entirely to the walls in which the pilaster strips appear, there being a buttress on each side of the transept, which is much narrower than the tower. If these remains are Saxon (a question of course open to controversy), they are the more valuable, as indicating a cruciform church of that date.
J. L. P.
↑This church is referred to in the preceding article.
