Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/21

Rh was, that in order to make room in the present aisle or nave for that which had been lost by taking down the north aisle, the figures had either been buried or, more probably, turned over, and the bottoms of the slabs on which the figures were carved, used for pavement. My first examination was, therefore, made all along the centre of the Church, between the pewing. I discovered nothing here beyond the fact, that a former pavement of the Church, laid in large square tiles, was six or eight inches below the present level. I next examined the chancel, in which are some slabs of considerable size; but I was equally unsuccessful with regard to the figures, though I made a discovery of another kind, which is not entirely without interest: namely, of no less than three (so called) altar-stones, their five crosses, cut in the centre and angles, being more or less clearly traceable on each. It is remarkable that but three altar-stones of the kind have been found in the neighbouring Cathedral of Lincoln: one of which has been used for a modern gravestone. It is in Bishop Fleming's chapel. Doubtless, of these altar-stones in Gonalston Church, one must have belonged to the present chancel, and another to the east end of the destroyed north aisle. In all probability, there was, as usual, a third chapel in this Church, to which the third stone had belonged, as I found, lying neglected in a corner at the west end of the Church, a very fairly preserved stoup or basin, with a drain, evidently a piscina, making the third of these existing in Gonalston Church. The other two are in their original situations; namely, in the chancel, and in the south wall of the old north aisle. These were entirely stopped or filled up with large stones and mortar, and plastered over even with the face of the wall (in the usual churchwarden fashion); I had them both cleared out. They are in recesses, with simple trefoil heads of the early decorated period; the style of the architecture of the Church. The third piscina alluded to above is a projecting basin attached to a block of stone. It is fluted, and terminates underneath with a boss much broken. In order to preserve this relic from further injury, I had it built into the north wall of the chancel.

Having failed in my endeavours to recover the effigies within the Church, I determined now to try outside, in the