site of the gallery tower, but broken now by the river-its bridge being replaced by a modern one just to the west of its old position. The low meadows south-west of the tilt yard mark the position of the pool, and the rising ground beyond shews its limit in that direction. Turning north wards, the interior side of the water tower, stables, and Lunn's tower are visible, but fenced out from closer inspection, and forming part of the farm yard. Here again are features which would seem to indicate that the water tower had an ecclesiastical purpose. The stables are partly of hewn stone, partly framed in wood, and are probably of Leicester's building. If desirous of a nearer view, the visitor on leaving the Castle may pass through the farm yard to the east of Leicester's gateway, and examine Mortimer's tower, of which there are important remains; ́and crossing the bridge trace the walls of the tilt-yard to a considerable distance. This will also lead him to the meadows on the south side, from which perhaps the best general view of the Castle may be obtained. This, however, is a point on which we do not presume to dictate: an artist may spend with profit many days beneath the walls of Kenilworth, and still find new combinations of its varied outlines, each more striking and pleasing than the last. The view from the south meadows is, nevertheless, the one which we seem to have seen attempted most frequently. In crossing the little wooden bridge, on the road to the Castle, it is probable that the eye may have lighted on the Church spire and a neighbouring pile of ruin which lie in the valley of the stream to the east, at the distance of some third of a mile. These are the parish Church of Kenilworth and the poor remains of its once flourishing Augustine Monastery, and we cannot let our readers leave Kenilworth without a visit to them, and a few words from us respecting them. Kenilworth Church, dedicated to St Nicholas, consists of western tower and spire, nave, north and south aisles, north transept and chancel, of the following interior dimensions— But in regard to the aisles, these measurements do not include a portion built off at the west end of each, for a vestry and lumber room. To begin with the interior. The east window of the chancel is in second pointed style of three lights, filled with stained glass, in praise of which nothing can be said in regard to appropriateness, though the purpose of the donor, the late Bishop Butler, cannot be too highly estimated. It contains little but coats of arms, which are surely out of place in the holiest symbolical position of a Christian Church; and to make way for it the ancient window with flamboyant tracery (examples of which are rare in this country) was displaced, and now forms the entrance to a summer house in the Vicar's garden. On the south side of the chancel are visible the upper portion of three sedilia, ogee shaped and quite plain, under an horizontal moulding; the piscina, if any, is hidden by wainscotting. The north and south windows are all of two lights, of early third pointed character-three on the north side exactly corresponding in pattern and position with three on the south, but here there is a fourth, which forms with the third a doublet in the south-west part of the chancel. The north-west corner shows the rood staircase and door, now blocked up. The chancel arch is low, semicircular, having evidently been cut down when the roof was lowered. In the piers of the chancel arch are traces of a rood screen. The nave arches are not the same north and south, but they are all of that simple and frequent character which makes it not easy to decide their exact date. Those on the north side are probably early second pointed. The pier arches are all singly recessed with the edges chamfered. |