Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-20
RESTORATION DAYS IN
ENGLISH CHURCHES

Thomas Cromwell cut short the history
of some of the noblest of the English alb
beys. There is ST. Adams. that was once
the center Of vast assemblage OF build.
ings, towns and gables courtyards ana
cloisters. kitchens and guesthouses. sta
bles and offices, which stretched out to
the south and west. a veritahle town or
conventional structures. And there was
the Church of Sculac, buried beneath the
sand for a century and only recently dug
out To it's two spires horses were teth-
cred In Ignorance Of what was below. IL
was q find almost worthy OF the great
Munchausen. 1t is planned now to restore
It, and the work will not be as great a.
in some less notable cases
On Chichester Cathedral alone has been
spent some $6J0.0O0. For two years ,d1e
church officials have been repairing tho
famous bell tower which possesses unique
interest In that 1t is the only detached
campanile connected with a cathedral In
England or Wales Some one hundred tons
of stone have been used in the work OK
restoration. most of it being of the green
sand species common to Ventnor and the
Isle of Wight The tower probably dates
back to 1920. and 1t is sometimes said
that it was built by the famous Bishop
Langton. but the style seems to indicate
that 1T was century too late for thae
notable church builder
The work Of lightning will force repairs
to pair OF famous edifices. one being
Bostpn's parish church and the other
ule Olu parish cnuTCQ at HdTTdCOiilDc. ln0
Boston church known as st. BOtolphs.
and dating from the fourteenth century.
Is one of the largest OF the United King
dOm's many large churches. Its ceie-
brated perpendicular tower, 2G3 feet high,
Is a landmark not only over the fens, but
a seamark for mariners. and it's graceful
ociagonal lantern at one time served as
a lighthouse. 1t was this beautiful tower
that was nearly ruined by lightning. The
church itself corresponds in many ways
n "a "a a
fifty-twO windows and seven doors to re-
mind one OF the months and weeks of the
year and the days Of the week. The
twentyfour hours of the day are repre-
scented by the twenty-four steps in tho
porch by which the library Is reached
On each side of the chancel sixty steps
lead to the roof. one flSh: denoting the
hours divisions. the other the minutes
parts. The four stories of the tower
clearly show the four seasons.
* X
The Parracombe church. which was
similarly wrecked. was the home church
of the family of r. d. B!acamore. author
of Lorna Doone." BY single stroke
Of lightning a large portion of the tower
was torn away. the bench in the porch
was smashed. the pulpit reduced to splin-
tiers. every pane OF glass broken ana
neighboring fields. some OF them as far
distant as one hundred yards.
Over in the west country is another
notable restoration but in being made fit
for use once more 1t has lost its original
purpose. and is now a residence, where
at one time it was famous as a priory.
Back In the thirteenth century there dwelt
at Stavordale one Richard Lowell, after
ward Lord Richard. who became the
founder of the priory of Stavordale The
first monks who found ample time for
prayer and meditation in the stiffness OF
the forest of Selwood came from France.
1t had precarious existence down to tho
time of the dissolution Of all the monas-
teries, when it reverted to the king ana
was converted into dwelling house. Its
roof sill shows the original stone bosses.
and the vaulted roof of the little chapel
is beautifully grained. its centers in quar-
tered ROUNDED being deliberately orna-
mented. Externally it looks like mod
ern English church: within 1t is curious
mixture OF home and church.