Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/579

 GODLEY HUNDRED

��Amberley, Bury, and Rogate, and in most cases an earlier date may be assigned to them than would at first sight appear probable. They were made to suit the exigencies of the situation, and, as in the case of these openings, oak lintels were employed, instead of arches, on the inside. Of the same period is a square- moulded corbel, for an image or light, on the nave wall, to the east of the south doorway.

The roofs of nave and chancel are ancient and of very massive timbers, with double wall-plates, hol- lowed and chamfered, similar to those of early date at West Clandon and Capel, Surrey. The tie-beams, which are of large scantling, have hollow mouldings, intersecting with the hollows on the wall-plates. These roofs may be coeval with the walls, but owing to their plain character it is equally possible that they belong to the period of re- storation in the IJth century. The spaces between the rafters seem to have been plastered from the top of the wall-plate as far as to the end of the vertical part, above which the tiling was exposed. An interesting feature has survived in connexion with the nave roof, viz., a canted or wagon ceiling, a yard or more in width, covering the three end rafters at the east of the nave, and forming originally a sort of canopy over the rood and attendant figures. It is constructed with wide feather- edged oak boarding and simply moulded ribs, and at the bottom, on the vertical face over the struts of the rafters, is a battlemented moulding. The whole shows traces of decoration in colour, such as white stars and yellow flowers on a red ground. This panelled ceiling dates between 1450 and 1500." The rood-loft was carried on a very massive beam over the chancel arch and on another to the west, the mortised of which remain in the wall-plates.

To about the same date belongs the picturesque porch too much ivy- covered which has plain sides of oak framework, filled with the original clay daubing, a flat four-centred arch to the front, and a barge-board of pierced intersecting archwork, having some shallow tracery spandrels cut in the solid timber at the apex. The design of the whole is unusual and pleasing.

The nave still retains its late 1 5th- century seating with square panelled ends and moulded cappings. Not less interesting is the fine pulpit with its sounding-board. It is almost unique in being partly constructed of red deal, mixed with oak and walnut or cedar, and bears the date 1628, with the initials N Bon the front panel. The stiles and rails are carved, and there is some inlay work. The base is modern, re- placing that which was destroyed, and before the re- storation the whole pulpit was thickly coated with white paint, the removal of which disclosed the curious variety of woods used in the original construction.

At the restoration paintings of at least two dates in the mediaeval period were discovered beneath the

��PYRFORD

whitewash, the earlier representing the original scheme when the chapel was built, and the other principal one, which was a very loose and tender coat, corre- sponding to the ijth-century period, when so much was done to the building. Portions of the older scheme only were capable of preservation ; and among them are three consecration crosses (of the common form, a cross patt^e, within a circle), one on either side of the chancel, and one on the west wall of the nave. Besides these, and also belonging to the 1 2th cen- tury, are some very curious fragments on the north and south walls of the nave. They are painted in little more than red outline. On the north wall, between

���PYRFORD CHURCH : THE PORCH

the doorway and the eastern window, are depicted the sacraments of the Jews the Giving of Manna and the Water out of the Rock. Below these are a band of conventional scroll-work and a flying angel. Op- posite to this, on the south wall of the nave, is a still more singular subject, which appears to be Jezebel looking out through a lattice and ' tiring ' herself. A wall with stone jointing, battlements, and windows with diamond-shaped lattice-work are shown, and at the top a disproportionately large head, perhaps in- tended to represent Jezebel. At the foot of the wall are six figures of soldiers marching past with spears in their hands, the last leading Jehu's horse, while Jehu

��6 At Lapford, Devon, and Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk, are good example! of panelling on nave roofi in the space over the rood-loft

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