25th, 1779, aged sixty-three, and was buried in the Cathedral Church of Norwich, where is a monument to him on the north side of the chancel. The Rev. Philip Bell, A.M., was, on the presentation of Mrs. Moore, instituted to the rectory of Wimbotsham and vicarage of Stowe Bardolph, on the 26th of August, 1779. On the death of Mr. Bell, in 1834, the Rev. John Clavering * was instituted, on the presentation of Sir Thos. Hare, Bart.; and he is the present incumbent.

THE CHURCH.

The Church of Wimbotsham, situated at the distance of about a mile and a half to the north-west of Downham Market, and closely adjoining the high-road from Ely to Lynn, comprises a chancel, nave, western tower, and north porch. The entire edifice is constructed of rubble, dressed with ashlar; the material employed being chiefly the rag-stone of the locality. The walls, which are very massive, are apparently those of the original Norman edifice. The roofs have a high pitch, and are thatched with reeds.

EXTERIOR.

The eastern gable of the chancel is pierced by a threelight window, having its head filled with net-tracery: above, is a recess in the wall, now presenting the appearance of a large niche, but which probably was originally a single-light

inhabitants of which pay rates to Stowe, and are considered as belonging to it. About the year 1650, the inhabitants of Stowe Ward made complaint that they were forced to keep "watch and ward" for both Wimbotsham and Stowe; and on this occasion it was determined that they were bound to keep the watch for Stowe, and not for Wimbotsham. Stowe Ward is mentioned in old deeds as far back, if I am not mistaken, as the time of Edward III., if not earlier.

* Grandson of Robert, Lord Bishop of Peterborough, and descended, through the Claverings of Tilmouth, co. Durham, from Robert Fitz Roger, Sheriff of Norfolk, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10, Ric. I., and again temp. John.

window. Beneath the east window the masonry is worked in the form of an arch; while above this window, toward the south, are evident remains of the original Norman apse-arch.* Toward the north, the chancel is lighted by a small, singlelight, Norman window, placed at a considerable height from the ground: the glazing of this window is now almost flush with the outer face of the wall, but in the original design there does not appear to have been any arrangement for the introduction of glass, the aperture either remaining entirely open or being closed by a shutter.

The south wall of the chancel contains two Early English lancet-windows, of considerable size: both are placed in the western moiety of the chancel; and the more westerly of the two is trefoiled in the head, and is brought down much nearer to the ground than its companion, in which the archhead is plain.† Above these windows yet remains the original Norman Corbel-table:

* On opening the ground immediately to the eastward of the present edifice, the foundations of the Norman apse, which once formed the eastern termination of the chancel, were discovered. These foundations describe a semicircle, and appear to have been undisturbed from the time that the apse was destroyed.

† The lower part of this window was probably separated from the upper,

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executed. A similar corbel-table is also preserved on the
north side of the chancel; but here are no heads, and less
variety in the ornaments of the small arches. The skew-
table of the chancel-gable rises considerably higher than the
ridge of the present roof, which itself descends below the
perpendicular masonry at the angle of the gable, thus pre-
serving the pitch with the skew-table itself.
This same
arrangement appears in the gable and the roof of the nave.
The nave itself is lighted, towards the north, by two square-
headed windows of the Perpendicular Gothic period; that
which has the more easterly position being of two lights,
while the other contains a third light, and is throughout
upon a larger scale. Above these windows there appears to
have been a corbel-table of the same character as that of the
chancel; but of this member no actual remains now exist.
Further to the west, a porch of considerable size is set at
right angles to the nave, and covers a fine Norman doorway,
opening into the Church. The arch of this doorway is
molded with the twisted-cable and the double-billet mold-
ings, and a bold, plain, annular roll: it rests on either side
upon a cylindrical shaft, with cap and base. The doorway
itself is square-headed, and the tympanum above is plain.
The porch is of the transition period between Decorated
and Perpendicular Gothic: it has a good square-headed win-
dow to the east, and a corresponding one to the west: the
porch-arch is of two orders of moldings; the sub-arch being
a roll with three fillets, upon which, towards the exterior, a
series of square and circular roses is worked with a rich
effect: this sub-arch is shafted. The porch is supported by
angle-buttresses; and a small niche under a label-drip is
introduced above the outer arch in the gable.

On its south side also the nave is entered by a Norman
doorway, which, like the north door, is spacious and lofty.

to form a "low side window," in connection with the altar. The entire
opening is now without any division, and is glazed throughout.

The arch is of two orders, both shafted: the outer shafts are twisted, and the inner are covered with zigzag work, and are octagonal in their section. The arch-molds are rich specimens of zig-zag, billet, and twisted-cable work ; and the door, which is square-headed, and placed beneath a tympanum, now devoid of any ornament,―re

*

tains some good iron-work. A perpendicular three-light window adjoins this doorway, while further eastward are two other windows of an earlier period, of which, one is a most interesting specimen of the first combination of two lights within a single window-arch; and the other is a single lancet, trefoiled at the head: this last-named lancet is placed very low in the wall, and now is partially closed up.† Above, a modern square window has been opened, apparently with the view of affording additional light to the present pulpit. The two-light window has its lights covered by a continuous drip-stone, delicately molded, and springing externally from twisted corbels: above the lights the masonry is pierced by

*This doorway is figured in Cotman's Etchings.

†The portion of this window, which now is closed up, originally formed a "low side window," and served as an adjunct or accessory to the chantry-altar placed at the south-east angle of the nave. That these singular openings were confessionals, appears the most probable of the many theories and conjectures which have been advanced respecting them; though this opinion at present is far from being altogether conclusive. (See the Archæological Journal, Vol. IV., pp. 314–326.)

a quatre-foiled circle, surrounded by an undercut molding
raised above the wall-face. The window-arch itself is quite
plain, consisting of a single order, chamfered, and altogether
devoid of drip-stone. *

The tower is very massive, low, and plain: it is strength-
ened by angle-buttresses set diagonally, those toward the west
being of four stages: these buttresses all terminate below the
parapet-string, in the centre of which, on the north, west, and
south faces of the tower, is a large gurgoyle head.† The
parapet is quite plain, with a single battlement rising at
each angle: there appear, however, to have been pinnacles.
at the angles, fragments of which are now built into the wall
of the churchyard. The belfry contains in each face of the
tower a two-light window beneath a label-drip; and, to the
west, a three-light Perpendicular Gothic window is placed
immediately above the basement; and above this window a
very small pointed lancet is now blocked with masonry. A
stair-turret abuts upon the tower at its south-eastern angle:
this turret rises but little above the crest of the adjoining
wall of the nave, and there terminates in a capping, which
slopes to the tower-wall. ‡

INTERIOR.

Entering the church through the north porch, immediately to the east of the doorway, within the building, is a small

* The lights in this window may be regarded as two distinct lancetwindows placed in immediate juxtaposition; and the masonry which divides them has rather the appearance of a very narrow strip of wall, than of a mullion properly so called. The quatre-foiled circle above is altogether distinct from the two lancets; a portion of the masonry of the wall intervening between the drip-moldings of the three members: the cusping of this circle is also of the earliest character. In the circle, and in the heads of the two lancet-lights, some of the original glass remains. (See the very valuable treatise on "Windows,” in Brandon's Analysis of Gothic Architecture, pp. 18-23.)

†These, with the buttresses to the north porch, are the only buttresses attached to the edifice.

The belfry contains three bells.