Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/423

 THIRTEENTH AND FOURTEENTH CENTURIES. 313 period, called the square-headed trefoil ; and three original win- dows, two of them square-headed, the third at the east end, a double lancet ; it has a door into the court-yard, and had an- other into the hall. This room would appear to have been the kitchen, but the fire-place is not large enough for very extensive cooking. The small room under the chapel appears to have been a cellar, and is still used as such ; it has no windows but only small loops. The solar, or larger room above, adjoining the chapel, has its original open timber roof, which although plain, is of good character ; it is canted, of seven cants, with tie-beam, king- post, and struts ; the king-post is octagonal, with square aba- cus, and base, which sufficiently indicate its date. The entrance to the solar is by steps from the yard, and it appears always to have been external and in the same situation, probably by a covered projecting staircase, oppo- site to one of the doors of the hall, traces of which still remain. The north wing has its walls nearly in their original state, though some windows and doors have been in- serted, and the interior arrangements have been altered. In the west gable is a small quatrefoil window, or open- ing into the roof, and one of the up- per rooms retains its original double lancet window ; there is also part of an original chinmey, but the fire-place is of the fifteenth centtuy. At Sutton Courtenay, near Abingdon, is another house of about the middle of the fourteenth century, or the reign of Edward the Third, and in this instance the hall is nearly per- fect, it measures 40 ft. by 23 ft. 10 in. ; its original open tim- ber roof remains, it is very lofty, canted, and supported by king-posts with struts resting on wooden arches which rise from stone corbels, most of which are carved into heads, and one of these has the wimple ; the arches and purlins are well moulded with the quarter round and fillet. There are two windows on each side, which have originally been lofty, with pointed heads carried up through the roof in the manner of donners, these have been altered, having been cut off at the transoms ; the alteration of the roof consequent u])on this is very perceptible, the dormers over the heads of the win- dows having been removed, and on the outside these windows Window in the Ga