Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/412

394 doorway. In the south wall is a square stone, having at its angles a trefoil-like ornament, and engraved with a circle which incloses on its lower half some lines radiating from a central hole. This is said to be a consecration-stone, which, from its little elevation above the ground, it may have originally been, although its lines would lead us to infer that it has served also for a sun-dial. Corhampton church has no other tower than a modern wooden bell-turret at its west end, above an original window divided by a rude oval balustre. The chancel-arch, also rude, springs from impost-like capitals, and is of depressed segmental shape. A stone elbow-chair, formerly occupying part of the altar-steps, has lately been placed within the altar-rails; and in the chancel pavement is a rough irregularly oblong-stone, rudely incised towards its angles with crosses, denoting it to have been the altar-stone.

The Norman church at Warnford is a long plain edifice, comprising a chancel, a nave, a west tower, and a south porch. Its walls, being very thick, appear still to be in excellent condition, although the church is rendered damp by trees which closely surround it. The chancel and nave, being of equal breadth and height, are externally distinguished only by the juxtaposition of two of the roof-corbels. The tower is square, and from certain marks on its north and south sides, is probably older than the nave; but it possesses nothing of Saxon character except, as at Barton and Barnack, the absence of an original staircase; unless, perhaps, originality may be due to the existing stairs, composed of triangular blocks of oak, fastened to ascending beams supported by carved posts, and a semicircularly recessed landing-place in the south-eastern corner of the wall. The upper part of the tower has been repaired with brick, but its belfry-windows, two on each face, are original large circular holes, splayed inwardly and lined with ashlar. The porch and inner doorway are of a pointed style. Inserted in the north wall, one within and one without the church, are two small stones with inscriptions, evidently of great antiquity; but the letters, partly illegible from age, are wholly so, except to those conversant with ancient characters. Against the south wall is a consecration-stone, precisely similar to that of Corhampton, but in better preservation, it having been secluded from the weather by the porch. The present east window is an insertion of the fourteenth century, but on the inside of the east wall is a large arch, which probably contained windows corresponding to the Norman windows in the side walls. The ceiling is flat and modern, but some roof- brackets and corbels below it indicate that the ancient roof-timbers may probably remain. This church is sadly disfigured by high pews and a huge monument at its east end.

At East Tisted, Mr. Hussey saw a hagioscope with openings in the Perpendicular style; but as a new church is there in course of elevation, this interesting ecclesiastical feature is now, probably, no more.

Dr. Bromet observed that in one part of this communication, Mr. Hussey seemed to doubt whether Corhampton church may not have been restored since Saxon times, with some of the materials, and on the plan, of a preceding Saxon edifice. But such doubts, he thought, are not admissible; for otherwise they might be applied to every church without a recorded date. Considering it, therefore, as really Saxon, he thought that this church is a monument peculiarly valuable; our few other Saxon ecclesiastical remains being only towers, doorways, or smaller portions of buildings.