which are neither capital nor bands, which define the imposts of the four centred arches; the bold, well-raised bases, that give apparent and real strength; the slender wall shafts, which rise through the columns to the blind story, where the clerestory is usually found, and which are repeated in the aisle chapels; the lofty four-light side windows and three five-light windows of the eastern end, combine to make one of the finest compositions to be found in its style in any local parish church.

ALTERATIONS IN 1847.

The stonework of this fine work happily remains almost complete, the only alteration made having been effected in 1847, when the double pillar of the west nave arch was removed, and a casing, in imitation of the dividing piers of nave and chancel, was substituted, giving it a resemblance to the arrangement of the central portion of a church. Though this was a regretable interference with ancient work, the effect at this portion of the alteration was satisfactory from an architectural point of view. The wall below the windows of the side chapels is panelled in stone, each bay having four panels, with cinquefoil heads.

FORMER PRIESTS' DOORS AND SACRISTY.

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Formerly there was a north and south door at the eastern bay of these chapels. The southern one, with its oak door and ancient hinge and lock, is still visible on the exterior, but blocked up within, and the panels made over the space in imitation of the other bays: the north door was destroyed, and its fragments used to block the opening. A third doorway leading eastwards into the sacristy was blocked up, with lath and plaster, when that building was taken down. One of the commendable things done in the "restoration" of

1897 has been the partial reopening of this door, which is useless, being hidden to half its height by the modern raised floor of the chancel and sacrarium; another, the removal of the sacristy, a low building of 16th century date, built up against the east wall of the chancel. The corbels for its roof remain under the raised sill of the east window, and the aumbry for the church plate is still visible in the exterior of the east wall of the chancel. The sacristy was last used for a school, and is described as having had long mullioned windows, and was probably originally crenellated after the pattern of the exactly similar structure at Sefton.

The existence of this small door indicates from its position that the nave and chancel floors were originally on the same level, with the exception of the traditional one step down into the nave; and it is probable that the original altar stood only on a foot pace, as it did when the Laudian altar rails existed.

These twisted turned pillars, with capitals and bases of strong and very good character, and the fine rails, were removed in 1870, and have since been lost, as has also some arcaded panelling of the same period, that formed pew fronts in the north chapel, shown in a lithograph, by H. C. Pigeon, dated 1847.

There is in the extreme east end of the south chancel wall a single-light window of singular form and position. It is on the level of the clerestory, and is the only ancient clerestory window in Wirral; the window has a transom, and the heads and foot of the two divisions have elliptic arches. The purpose seems to have been to throw light on the fine canopied and pinnacled niche on the north-east side of the east wall, which probably contained the figure of the patron saint, St. Andrew. On St. Andrew's Day the light from this window

falls exactly upon the north side of the altar, where the celebrating priest would stand.

FITTINGS OF CHANCEL

Among the best features of the church, as it now stands, are the stalls for the choir. These are fitted with oak bench ends with poppie heads and carved elbows, the ends are adorned with Perpendicular tracery of the same date as the chancel. On the elbows and some of the poppie heads or finials are several grotesque heads and portrait faces, very expressively cut. A portion of these stalls is modern but good work, replacing some that have been put to other uses, and which were removed from the church on the "restoration" of 1870. Some of these were made up into furniture now in private possession. Two of the poppie heads and part of the stall ends are made up into a kind of arm chair in the singers' vestry. The finials are angels looking outwards, and each bearing a shield. Although the stall work is appropriate and fine, it is not in its original position; what are now the stalls were probably the subsellæ, and other parts, perhaps, some of the nave benches. A drawing made in 1847, in the Mayer Musuem, shows that there were about sixteen such stalls and benches with finials, which are shewn as in various parts of the church, but chiefly in the north chancel aisle, and at that time the whole church, in the centre, was almost filled with 18th and 19th century square pews, nearly up to the chancel rail. At the repewing, these ancient benches were made into the present stalls.

It is certain from remains in the church that the original arrangement included a set of stalls with misereres and elbows separating each seat, carved with attached shafts, and ornamented with heads, figures, &c. Over these were, most likely, canopies, though of such nothing remains. Three of these