hill. From the south-west door is a beautiful view over Pickmere and Budworth Mere. The plan of the church is very regular. It consists of a spacious chancel of two wide bays, with aisles north and south; the nave of six bays, with a lofty clerestory; north and south aisles, a massive western tower, and a south-west porch. There are also chapels at the east end of the nave, projecting north and south as transepts. The church measures from wall to wall, inside of nave and chancel and aisles, one hundred and eighteen feet long by fifty-two feet six inches wide, exclusive of west tower and north and south chapels. The chancel arcade seems to be the earliest part of the church as it now stands; the arches are four-centred, and from the section of their mouldings might have been built in 1450 or even later. The section of the pillars looks rather earlier, and they were evidently designed for quite a different form of capital than those which now rest on them; possibly the pillars came from an earlier building. The part of the building next in order of date is probably the western tower. The details are very late, and would correspond with the date of 1528, in which year we know that money was left for the "making of Budworth stepul." The west doorway itself looks earlier than this; it may have been saved from an earlier building. Over the door and on either side of it parts of an inscription are built in; the detail of the lettering is still earlier than the adjoining work of the doorway, so that I do not think it can have (as some archæologists say) anything to do with the builder of the present tower. It must have been very shortly after the rebuilding of the tower that the rebuilding of the nave was begun. The tower arch and capitals are of the same character as |
