BRISTOL AND WEST OF ENGLAND ARCHITECTURAL

SOCIETY.

THE Annual Report, for 1850, has been published; the following are extracts from the statement of the Committee: :

"Your Committee have ventured to give advice to the authorities at Wells Cathedral, urging them to the adoption of oak stalls in the choir in preference to stone. They received a very courteous communication from the Dean of that Cathedral on the subject, but it appears that the taste of Wells has prevailed in favour of stone stalls.

"That most interesting remain, the chancel of S. John the Evangelist, Elkstone, near Cirencester, came under the notice of your Committee. They strongly urged the employment of a first-rate architect, to preserve it, if possible, in the state it has been for so many years, and Mr. Scott was corresponded with on the subject; but in consequence of his pressing engagements, he was not able to attend to it at once, and other persons were employed, through whose agency the work has been taken down and rebuilt: the peculiar character of the Norman arches being entirely lost.

"The repair, and in fact preservation, of the tower of S. Michael's, Othery, Somersetshire, has also been under the direction of your Committee; and they are happy to report, that after very great difficulties it has been satisfactorily completed. The chancel of this church is now about to undergo a thorough reparation, which will then render this church as complete as to its internal arrangements as could be wished.

"S. Michael's, Buckland Dinham, has also undergone many of those improvements through the spirited exertions of the vicar, which were contemplated in the last report. The First-Pointed chantry on the south side has been rebuilt, the original features being carefully reset. The gallery has been swept away, and the western arch opened to the church. The western window has been restored and filled with painted glass, the design being the patron saint supported by the angels Raphael and Gabriel. A very handsome and substantial lych gate has been erected at the entrance to the churchyard, after the pattern of the one at Clifton Hampden, near Oxford.

"The whole arrangement of the church of S. James, Mangotsfield, near this city, was submitted to your Committee, and many important suggestions were offered, but how far they have been carried out your Committee have not had the opportunity of judging.

"The arrangement of S. Mary's, Compton Dando, Somersetshire, was also supplied by your Committee, and they are happy to report that the good work of the demolition of the unsightly pews has commenced, and new open oak seats with tile flooring are being placed in their

room.

"Your Committee were consulted, and gave the best advice in their power on the formation of an architectural society for the county of Dorset. They are not however aware how far the matter has progressed, but it is very cheering to know that the cause of ecclesiastical

architecture is fast advancing in that county, and on a scale of magnificence with regard to the splendid abbey at Sherborne, which few counties can boast of.

"There have been frequent communications with that very important body, the Northamptonshire Architectural Society, for the purpose of establishing more intimate union between the two societies. Among other things, a plan for the union of reports of several societies was submitted to this Committee, which though they entirely approved of, as calculated to advance the best interests of ecclesiology, they were obliged to decline falling in with, for fear of exceeding the means which the finances of this society have at command.

"Before closing their report, the Committee wish to advert to the fact that they have received notice from the Archæological Institute of Great Britain, that they purpose holding their meeting in 1851 in this city. Local secretaries will be required to prepare the way for them, and it is hoped that that hospitality for which Bristol is so widely celebrated will be extended freely to a body of gentlemen who invariably discover many hidden architectural treasures, and stir up an active spirit in the several branches of ecclesiology and archæology."

Appended to the Report is a very able paper on bells, read before the Society at the general meeting on December 10th, 1849, by the Rev. H. T. Ellacombe. It is illustrated by several engravings; one of a bell, showing the technical names, in Latin and English, of each part; another drawing, showing a bell-wheel, from a fine ancient example at Dunchideock, Devon; a third, of a modern wheel, with the technical names of the parts; a fourth, of various details, separately given; and the last, showing a plan of the head-stock, looking down on the bell, and an elevation of the bell and stock. The paper itself is particularly worth reading. We extract an important observation from its conclusion:

"It is of the greatest consequence that the timbers should take their bearing independent of the masonry, that is, not fixed into it.

"If in the course of years, as will be the case, the frame should vibrate or get rickety, it should not be made steady by putting wedges between the beam ends and the walls, as is commonly done by inexperienced workmen, but it may be easily stiffened by driving hard oak or iron wedges in at the backs of the tenons of the braces, in the mortices in the cill pieces.

"The construction of the timbers or cage of S. Paul's, London, may be taken as a good example of hanging heavy bells in a belfry, The timbers should always be laid on wooden plates, the whole resting either on stone corbels, or on a set off formed in the wall. It is not the downward pressure from the weight of metal, but the lateral pressure or vibration caused by the motion of the bells, which does the mischief, especially if any of the timbers are let into the walls or touch them laterally. To avoid this a well constructed cage is trussed and braced diagonally with most substantial timbers, the weight of the whole, if properly rested on corbels or set offs, keeps it steady. The higher the bells are placed in the tower, the more does the vibration caused by ringing them affect the masonry."

THE ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY OF THE ARCH-
DEACONRY OF NORTHAMPTON.

THE Fourth Report of this Society has only lately reached us, though it appears to have been long published. We mention it for the especial purpose of calling attention to a valuable paper "on the use of brick in ecclesiastical architecture," read at Oundle, by the Rev. Thomas James: not that we fully agree with it, particularly as regards Mr. James' unqualified commendation of the "Lombard" church at Brixton. The subject cannot but benefit by full discussion.

NEW CHURCHES.

S. Mary, Colton, Staffordshire. By a very curious mistake, we noticed in our last number, as the designs for this church, what were in truth the original sketches for S. Peter, Treverbyn; and which were, as we then truly said, better in many respects than the drawings of the latter church as actually built. Mr. Street has since permitted us to examine the real designs for Colton, and we hasten to repair the accidental injustice we have done him. The tower of the old church, and also its south chancel-aisle, both of a coarse First-Pointed style, are to be retained, as well as the arcade-a Middle-Pointed one-between this aisle and the chancel. The new parts are to be of a good Middle-Pointed style. The complete plan will comprise nave, with aisles, without a clerestory, chancel, with south aisle, west tower, and south-west porch. The chancel is of noble length, and properly arranged. The eastern part of the (ancient) chancel-aisle, which retains its sedilia, &c., is to be used, we presume, for sacristy; an arrangement which, under the circumstances of the case, is perhaps the best that could be adopted. We are greatly pleased with the detail throughout; it is varied, but characteristic and vigorous. An external arched and recessed tomb, between two buttresses, on the north side of the chancel, intended for the founder, (who is the present rector,) is exceedingly well treated, and gives an interesting and beautiful detail to the design. Besides the ample precedent for this arrangement, it has in Staffordshire the authority of a prevalent localism. We are not quite sure whether the spire, and the parapets and pinnacles, which Mr. Street means to add to the tower, are not too consciously picturesque. A grated aperture for ventilation, in the eastern part of the north wall of the north aisle, is, we think, made too prominent. Is it well placed for its purpose? and might not such an apparatus, in a church like this, with three separate gabled roofs, be placed within the valleys of the roofs, so as to be less obtrusive, without any departure from principles of reality? We incline to think that gabled openings in the roof are the best arrangements for ventilation. We like the roofs, which are open, very well. The design

of those for the nave-aisles is, however, less good than the others, and will, we believe, look heavy when wrought. The screen will be a low one, of stone, with metal gates; the south parclose, of wood. All the seats will be moveable, on a tiled floor; and it is hoped that the woodwork throughout will be of oak. Mr. Street also purposes to introduce

tiles in the decoration of the walls.

S. Peter's, Chichester (Subdeanery).-This church, by Mr. Carpenter, is now opened, by licence, before consecration. We must reserve a notice of it for the time when we can review it from an ocular inspection. The detail, we are glad to hear, has been left in block, in a great measure; a much more reasonable plan than stinting the detail, for the sake of immediate completion of the design. We may take this opportunity of expressing our hope that the restoration of the north transept of the cathedral, which is in a very bad state indeed, may soon be undertaken by the Dean and Chapter.

S. Stephen, Devonport.-We have seen the designs for this proposed church, by Mr. St. Aubyn. The accommodation is for between 700 and 800 the style, a late Middle-Pointed: the type, a large town church. The site is bounded by streets on three sides, and almost the whole area is occupied by a very square plan, comprising nave and aisles, without clerestory; chancel and aisles, and a sanctuary without aisles, with a tower and spire over the chancel proper. The arrangement is very correct throughout: three steps rise to the chancel, which has a low screen and parcloses, and three more steps rise to a spacious sanctuary, furnished with sedilia, &c. The chancel has stalls (not returned) and subsellæ. There is a great deal of merit in the design; the tracery is varied, but wants vigour, and might be a little earlier with advantage, particularly in the east window, which almost Flamboyantizes. The idea of a tower rising above the chancel is good; it should be treated, however, so as to avoid the stinted appearance of the sanctuary, which is a defect in this design. We should also advise Mr. St. Aubyn to dispense with the window shown (in the north elevation) below the belfry stage; and the quasi-embattlement, at the base of the spire, seems to us superfluous. The narrow dimensions of the site preclude the addition of any buttresses. The roof shows three separate gables. We are more and more inclined to think a clerestory indispensable for the full effect of a town church. We have not had the advantage of seeing any internal sections. The tower is of unusual bulk, in relation to the whole design. In a town church, care should be taken not to sacrifice internal effect for the sake of the display of a massive tower.

S. Cwyvan, Tydweiliog, Caernarvonshire.-We hail with real satisfaction the revival of ecclesiastical art in this remote corner of North Wales, -the importation, it should perhaps be called, of a higher and more refined architecture than Caernarvon has seen since the days of feudal grandeur, and its application to greater purposes. The church of Tydwei liog has been rebuilt by C. G. Wynne, Esq., of Cefnamwlch, under Mr. G. G. Scott, during the past year. The church is of the early Middle-Pointed period, and consists of a nave and a short chancel, with a vestry on the north, and a southern porch. The windows are plain,

with soffit cusping. Over the west end rises a double bell-gable, supported by a buttress of considerable size and dignity. The gable is solidly constructed, to meet the winds of a very exposed situation. The vestry on the north is made to project transeptwise from the western end of the north side of the chancel, into which it opens by an arch. A parclose screen is to be erected across this, and behind it will be the organ, immediately at the back of the choir. We much regret that a transept-like effect should have been given to a mere vestry. The chancel has plain longitudinal seats, a portion of one on the south side being used as a prayer-desk. The sanctuary is of ample size, a wise and effective provision, with a foot-pace, sedilia, formed by lowering the window-cill, &c. A low chancel-screen, and gates, and a lectern are to be added. The pulpit is to be on the northern angle of the chancel; the other furniture is moveable; the floor is tiled. Mr. Scott has employed for the walls the severe grey stone of the country, laid according to the genius of that material, without reference to courses. If there is a certain roughness in some of the work, it would seem just what this wild and remote region would lead us to expect; and it argues what is more to the purpose, the boldness and success with which Mr. Scott has turned the local resources of the country, and its maximum of mechanical skill, to his account. It must be no small satisfaction to those who know and feel the power of this "art of arts," to see Mr. Scott at home in a strange region, and turning the ungainly materials of wild mountains into constructions, bold in proportion to their apparent impracticability; as it is, on the other hand, to see the bricks of a manufacturing city put together with a judgment and delicacy which reminds us that Mr. Butterfield can impart an Italian hue and refinement to the coarse and disheartening vicinity of coal-smoke and mill chimneys.

S. —, James Town, S. Helena.-Many of our readers know that a church for the poor in this place is much wanted, and has been for some time in contemplation. The Bishop of Capetown, who is understood to be on his way to England, has undertaken to provide a suitable design, and to leave it at S. Helena, on his way homeward. The pecuniary help of friends in England is very much wanted.

NEW PARSONAGES AND SCHOOLS.

Ruan Lanihorne, Cornwall.-Mr. White has very successfully worked out this design, already noticed in our pages. One might almost mistake the perspective we have seen of it for an old building; it is so irregular and picturesque. We have some fears that this might, in reality, appear exaggerated.

S. Columb, Cornwall.-Here Mr. White has had an ancient shell to work upon and enlarge. The result is very good indeed; it will look a very model of domestic religious architecture. The plan is a quadrangle, with galleried staircases in the court.