multiplied to any extent, without the intervention of the engraver or lithographer,) the cost of the proposed Architectural Sketches' will be materially reduced; and though not aspiring to the dignity of the elaborate works abovementioned, or laying claim to high artistic excellence, it is hoped that the illustrations will be such as to convey correct impressions of the originals; that important feature in architectural prints-faithfulness-being scrupulously maintained. Our ancient and time-honoured churches, being the most numerous, will of course form the chief objects for illustration, due attention being at the same time paid to old manor and court houses, ancient tithe barns, bridges, and the picturesque half-timbered structures, which are often to be met with in out-of-the-way nooks and corners, as well as in the streets of our towns.

"Illustrations of the following objects of interest will appear at an early period:-The churches of Areley Kings, Astley, Rock, Clifton-upon-Teme, Shelsley Beauchamp, Shelsley Walsh, Martley, Holt, Doverdale, Hampton Lovett, Alvechurch, Belbroughton, Leigh, Mathon, Newland, Hanley Castle, Queenhill, Severn Stoke, Sedgeberrow, Cotheridge, White Ladies' Aston, Spetchley, Whittington (old chapel), Besford, Cropthorne, &c., &c. Elmley Lodge, Huddington Manor-house, Crowle Court, Holt Castle, Harvington Hall, Severn End, Bewdley Old Bridge, old houses at Droitwich, Bishampton, Wyre, &c."

We are glad to see that the subscription for the Pugin Memorial Fund has exceeded £1000. But the committee require £500 more for the proper endowment of a Travelling Studentship.

A correspondent from Leamington calls our attention to the state of the churches at Edensor, near Bakewell, in Derbyshire, and at Slindon, in Sussex. The former church is a miserable specimen of the architectural style of the last century: but as our correspondent says that it is the intention of the Duke of Devonshire to replace it by a new church of better architecture, it is needless to waste indignation on its present shortcomings. Of the state of Slindon church (which adjoins a hall, which formerly belonged to the see of Canterbury, and in which Cardinal Stephen Langton died, on July 9, 1228) our correspondent gives us no recent information.

A valued correspondent urges the translation into French of Mr. Bodley's paper, in our last number, on the Destructive Restoration so fashionable in France.

We do not admit critiques of works of art, for which we are not responsible, even from such a journal as the Marylebone Mercury, but we shall be very glad to view the works of the artist, who has for warded such a slip, whenever we have an opportunity.

It is pleasant to see how frequently sculpture is now used for the decoration of ecclesiastical and civil buildings. We have been favoured by Mr. S. S. Teulon with the sight of some photographs from spirited bassi-relievi, representing respectively a huntsman, a hawkingparty, and the farewell of a knight to his household, which have been sculptured for Elvetham House, Hampshire, the seat of Lord Calthorpe. The last group is by far the least successful of the three.

Errata. In p. 78 of our last number, in the postscript to Mr. Bodley's paper on "Church Restoration in France," Nantes is printed (by an obvious error) for Mantes.

THE

ECCLESIOLOGIST.

"Surge igitur et fac: et erit Dominus tecum."

No. CXLV. AUGUST, 1861.

(NEW SERIES, NO. CIX.)

THE SISTER CHURCHES AT REEPHAM.

Or ecclesiology in East Anglia we are not now purposing to speak at length. To do so, indeed, would fill a volume, and we do not in the present observations pretend to point out all its numerous, and beautiful, and curious churches, or to describe with accuracy and minuteness the distinctive character of the various types of church found in that region. But some of these peculiarities will occur at once to many of our readers, who must have observed, while exploring East Anglia, First, the round towers, which are scarcely found in other parts; Second, the remarkable inlaid flint work, also peculiar to this district; Third, the wondrous hammer-beam roofs, of different degrees of richness; Fourth, the magnificent fonts, also of a local type. There are also many spacious and beautiful churches, with lofty clerestory and tall and light arcades, and abounding in closely set windows, strangely contrasting with the small churches of rough flints, to which the rude round tower is generally appended.

The district is remarkably full of churches, lying at short distances from each other, and we not unfrequently find in lonely spots some which have been allowed to fall to ruin, the parishes having been annexed to others.

Another circumstance to be noticed is the very close juxtaposition in which two churches are often placed, belonging to different parishes, sometimes as at Antingham, in the same churchyard, sometimes as at Kirby Bedon, on opposite sides of a lane; but in most instances one church has fallen to ruin, while the other is made to serve for both parishes. Our present purpose, however, is to point out a notable instance of the juxtaposition of churches, such perhaps as cannot be found elsewhere, and which not being in a very obscure or remote situation, we are surprised that it should not have attracted more attention. The traveller, on approaching the small market town of Reepham, can scarcely fail to observe with some surprise the steeples and roofs of

two churches rising in very close companionship above the surrounding houses. On entering the town he will be still more surprised on finding that the two churches are not merely contiguous, but actually attached to each other, one being joined on to the east end of the other, and each forming a distinct parish church with separate tower and entrance; the western one serving for the parishes of Hackford, and Whitwell, the eastern for those of Reepham and Kerdiston. And to make the group still more remarkable, it seems that a third church, for Kerdiston parish, formerly existed in the same enclosure.

It is scarcely necessary to describe the architectural features of these churches minutely, as they are not very good specimens of the Norfolk church, and derive their interest mainly from their singular relation to each other. The western or Whitwell church has a chancel and nave, a small south transept, a western tower, and south porch. The east window and chancel arch are Middle-Pointed, the southern windows of the chancel Third-Pointed, and the sill of the most eastern one formed into a sedile. The roof of the chancel is a fine, high-pitched one. The nave has on each side Middle-Pointed windows of two lights, set in arched recesses formed by an arcade in the wall. The nave is ceiled and much white washed, the chancel small, and encumbered with pues. The south porch and the tower are of good Third-Pointed, and have some very nice inlaid flint work.

The eastern church, S. Mary, Reepham, is a larger and better one than the western, but has suffered from mutilation, and the interior is encumbered by pues. It consists of a nave with a north and south aisle, chancel, tower partially engaged in the south aisle, and south porch. The arcades of the nave are Middle-Pointed, with octagonal pillars, the chancel wholly that style, having lateral windows of two lights, and an eastern one, lately restored, of three lights. There is a sedile below the sill of the south-east window, with an angle piscina,1 and eastward of this a curious arched recess with a transome, which may have been a reliquary.

There is a very fine tomb on the north of the chancel, with crocketed canopies, transitional from Middle to Third-Pointed; the chancel, also, has some very fine ancient stalls, with rich tracery and standards having poppy heads.

The tower is plain, and rather small, and together with most of the walls of rough flint. The font appears to be First-Pointed. Most of the windows in the aisles are mutilated.

The two churches are not set one directly to the east of the other, but touch each other just so much as to admit of the one having an east window, and the other a west window.

1 The angle piscina is very common in Norfolk.

211

ON BELL RINGING.

To the Editor of the Ecclesiologist.

SIR,-Will you allow me to follow up the subject of Ringing so ably advocated in your last number by a Christ Church M.A.?

I wish to lay before your readers a few extracts from letters which from time to time I have received from respectable persons who have for years devoted much of their time and attention to ringing as a science and an amusement. All these tend to show that where it is taken up out of love for the thing, and a desire to be useful, it may be followed without damage to health or morals, and that it is quite a mistake to suppose that it necessarily leads to drinking and other low habits; not a jot more so than becoming a member of a madrigal society or a cricket club in which various grades of society in these days unite so happily together. It is only by such a union that we can hope to restore the belfry to a state of respectability, and so by degrees cast out the low characters.

First then, with regard to rules, one writes thus,—

"Rules are very necessary to conduct a band of ringers generally, but not so much so when the clergyman himself takes an interest in the ringers and the ringing of the bells. Coarse language, drinking and smoking are the chief things to be put down, for they are not only a great evil, but things totally at variance with the mind in acquiring and practising the real art of change-ringing. It is a very mistaken idea that ringing is labour, or that it requires more refreshment than a musician beating a big drum in an orchestra. To wit, myself, I am not a strong man, and only just recovered from three months' illness, caused by sitting too much at my desk, and over-anxiety in my business. Now I rang the 5th bell in a peal of 5040 Grandsire Triples on Thursday last at (three hours). All the refreshment I took or required was a glass of ale before and after the peal, and the other ringers in like manner."

On another occasion the same person writes thus,—

"The public seem to think that ringing is extremely laborious work, and that the beer-can is a necessary appendage, but if they understood the art of variation, they would enjoy the exertion as we do. It is a pity that this noble art should be so little understood by the more enlightened upper classes. How delightful it would be to see a body of gentlemen take to the ringing of the bells of their parish church, learning the art thoroughly. I am convinced it only wants a start, and then we should have in the church, among the congregation, those who resort to the steeple, and we should shut out the low characters who now infest the belfries."

Another most respectable ringer, in the Midlands, writes thus,—

"No music can be compared with bells in full swing-no recreation so manly, amusing, and skilful as the ringing of them. I wish the science were indispensable among the qualifications of a clergyman, who has, or who ought to have, the command of both bells and ringers; then we might hope for a reformation in ringers, and an advancement of the science, but till then, I fear all attempts will be troublesome, if not futile."

Another experienced ringer, a respectable tradesman, writes thus,—

"I have much pleasure in forwarding to you my opinion on the practice of scientific ringing on church bells, trusting it will help the advance and gradual perfection of an art deserving the consideration of a higher class of society, and remove any incumbrance to its progress. Speaking with an experience of sixteen years, (during which I have taken part in some of the greatest performances ever achieved by any society,) I can safely assert that it will be found a healthy exercise, and afford much innocent and intellectual amusement for the employment of leisure hours, and will invigorate and exalt the mind much more so than the depressing excitement of profane mirth and intoxicating liquors, a practice too often indulged in by labouring men who have followed ringing not as amusement, but as a profession, that they may procure the means of gratifying their desires for dissipation and vice, which has been a great drawback to this noble science. But, to show that excessive drinking can be and is avoided by societies who follow ringing for both mental and bodily exercise, in the whole of the extraordinary performances in which I have taken part, (which have varied in number of changes from 5000 to 7524, in some of the most difficult methods, and in time from three to six successive hours, according to the number of changes and weight of bells,) I have never in one instance known one of the performers get the worse for liquor, thus showing that those who acquire the greatest scientific attainment are exceptions to the class of persons so often found among ringers in towns where they are sometimes composed wholly of the working classes."

Another writes thus,―

"I have rung in several peals, such as Steadman's Caters, Treble Bob, and one of each Superlative Surprise, and Norwich Court Bob, and was in the long peal of 8448, on the memorable 10th of April, 1848, at S. Matthew's, Bethnal Green. I never drink any thing but tea, coffee, and water, being what is termed an abstainer from all intoxicating drinks for about twenty years. I have followed ringing from my infancy, though there are very many superior performers to myself in London."

I may here add, that upon inquiry I am told that the writer of the above is quite a first-class man in arte campanologica.

To the above may be added an extract from a letter I received a few days ago from a gentleman in the North, who has lately become a ringer. He speaks in raptures of the science and pleasure of changeringing, but deplores the drunkenness which sometimes disgraces the ringer who is paid for a wedding-peal, or other joyous event, and in conclusion he says,—

"All endeavours to improve the morality of the belfry must promote the improvement and diffusion of good change-ringing. The main source of dissipation is the money obtained for ringing at weddings. I think it would be a great improvement if the fees paid on such occasions were collected by the church authorities into a permanent fund for the maintenance of ringing, instead of being given directly to the ringers."

In my Practical Remarks on Belfries and Ringers, I have alluded to the evils of Peal-ringing on Sundays. However delightful and poetical may be the thought connected with a cheerful peal on a Sunday morning, every year convinces me more and more that in most cases it is productive of evil. With how many is Sunday an idle day, and when such characters collect about the belfry, (and the sound of the