fair array of more than forty Gothic churches, besides goodly monasteries, hospitals, and chapels; together with these, the gates of the city, the castle, guildhall, tolzey, crosses, bridges, markets, and some of the better mansions, would have made up a museum, not to be equalled in interest by any collection of architectural curiosities existing in this country. From a consideration of what has been irrecoverably lost, a hint should be taken for future practice. We might have models made of all new public buildings; at least (and this clause would lighten the expense considerably), of all possessed of any architectural merit : and some of the nobler relics of past ages might, from time to time, be added to the collection. Indeed, an architectural museum, to consist, not of models only, but of fragments of carved stone and wood-work, of ancient furniture, encaustic tiles, metal work, and similar curiosities, would prove, we think, an exceedingly attractive exhibition: the experiment has never been fairly tried, but there are few places where it could be more readily made, than in this most venerable city, Ancient Bristowe.

THE situations selected in former days as the sites for churches were frequently very singular, and were certainly regulated by very different motives from those which determine such matters in the present day. Nothing was more common than for the top of a steep and high hill to be selected as the ground whereon to raise a structure to God's glory, whilst the village, whose inhabitants were to form its congregation, lay

In such

in the low lands, and probably at a considerable distance. cases, it has been a fashion with tradition to ascribe the erection of the fabrics to the agency of a being the least likely to take part in an operation of the kind; for the motives which could have led to such a choice of locality became a mystery when piety grew studious of her comfort; and it has been found the simplest plan for explaining inexplicable things, to refer them to the author of confusion.

It would, perhaps, be impossible to determine, exactly, where the original village of Clevedon stood; but it seems certainly highly improbable that it was in juxta-position to the church, as, had it been so, in all likelihood some traces of its buildings would yet be discoverable in that vicinity. It is very true that hamlets, and villages, and even towns, have disappeared from spots upon which no marks of their former existence can now be detected; but then there have been assignable causes for their so complete demolition-public ways have been made, or the ground has been cleared for cultivation; but in this case such causes have not operated; the open hill-side has been marked by sheep-tracks for centuries. We think it probable that Clevedon, when it first became a village, occupied nearly the same ground as the present "old village," for the migration of human habitats does not appear to have been of frequent occurrence until the last and present century. The present "old village" extends almost a mile and a-half from near the church to the Walton Road; and we do not think it improbable that at a very early period there were straggling dwellings along almost the same extent. If to modern notions it appear a little unlikely that a church intended for the use of persons whose dwellings were distributed along such a length of road should be placed at one end, and consequently at a very considerable distance from some of the inhabitants, and comparatively near to others, let it be remembered that when old Clevedon church was built, churches were not so numerous as they are now. We believe that at that period there was no other nearer than Congresbury, a distance of more than five miles; and consequently old Clevedon church must have served not only for the inhabitants of the village, but for the dwellers in the marshes for some miles round; and thus, though at one extreme of the district from which its name was taken, it may have been more centrally situated when all its congregation was considered.

It is evident, however, that the choice of a central situation was not the object of most consequence in the estimation of those who selected the spot on which the church stands; as then it would not have been placed so close to the sea, whilst many of the parishioners must have dwelt at a distance of some miles inland. There are two points, indeed, which may have rendered its present location more desirable than one more remote from the coast; and these are, first, that if built on the low lands, it might have been in danger of injury from the floods, which even in the last century did much damage in the Kenn and Kingston Seamore marshes; and secondly, that built upon elevated ground, overlooking the sea, a church must, at a period when lighthouses were unknown and charts excessively imperfect, have formed an invaluable sea-mark. Indeed, old Clevedon

church has been looked upon by pilots, even in our own time, as of importance in this respect; and this has been made an excuse, till within the last three or four years, for white-washing it all over. The erection of lighthouses on the Flat Holme, at Marcross on the opposite Welsh coast, at the mouth of the Avon, and in other parts of the channel, seem to have authorized now, the substitution of rough

cast.

But we have spoken much of the situation of this church, without stating where it is situated. It stands in the lap of an insulated hill, at the western extremity of the old village of Clevedon, facing the south, and open towards the sea upon the north, but partly sheltered and concealed by the higher parts of the hill towards the east and towards the west.

The church is a cross church with a tower at the intersection, a south aisle to the nave, and a south porch. It has been built and repaired at various periods, and we find portions of the original Norman church mixed up with additions and alterations in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles.

The chancel walls appear to be the oldest part of the existing structure, but the windows and the chancel-door have been inserted in them at a comparatively late period.

A corbel-table on each side serves to point out the age of this portion; on the south side, ten corbels are remaining, and on the north thirteen; most of the sculptures on these are grotesque heads; but there are, likewise, some of foliage, one representing a bird, and others. The east end has a 4-light Perpendicular window, with a drip terminating in heads, one of which is that of a bishop.

The south side of the chancel has a two-light square-headed window near the east, and had once a similar one, now stopped, at its other extremity; and between these is the chancel- door. Another such

window is found on the north side. The roof over the chancel retains a moderately high pitch; the cross, that once adorned the gable end, has perished.

Next in age to, or contemporary with the chancel, is the tower; its upper stage, indeed, has been added at a later period, and of the arches on which it stands, two only retain their Norman character. As we wish first to describe the exterior of the building, we will speak at present only of the part above the roof; of this, the lower stage has had windows on each side, now built up and covered with roughcast, so as scarcely to be discernible; they consist of two lights each, arched over separately, but included beneath a general arch; and there is one of these, besides some small openings of later date, on each side of the tower. Over these, a corbel-table surrrounds the steeple; immediately above which, probably, the original pyramidal roof was placed there is now another stage of wall, of late Perpendicular date, perforated by four small two-light windows, and terminating in an ill-formed battlement; and the roof is flat and of lead.

The nave has, at its west end, a mutilated Decorated window of three lights, the side lights very acutely pointed, and without foliations; upon the gable above it a cross

remains. At the same end of the south aisle there is a two-light Perpendicular window, nearly resembling two Decorated two-lights upon the south side. Between the latter stands the porch, of Tudor date, having a good plain doorway, a plain parapet, the string of which has some bold but mutilated gurgoyles,

and a staircase turret at its north-west corner, by means of which access may be had to the lead-flat forming the roof. There is a rich pinnacle at the external angle of this aisle. Towards the western end of the nave, on its north side, is a three-light square-headed window ; by it a door (plain Perpendicular), now stopped up. Nearer the transept another three-light window, likewise square-headed, but with more design and good mouldings.

The south transept has beneath its gable a very good four-light Perpendicular window; and there is just enough of an outline traceable in the rough-cast to show that it once had a small window on its eastern side. It has diagonal buttresses.

The north transept has, facing the north, what was once a Decorated window of two lights; but the tracery has been removed, the lower part built up, and a chimney carried up by its side. A mutilated cross yet stands at the apex of the gable.

We were disappointed, when we last visited this church, at not being able to gain access to the interior. It is a thing, surely, loudly to be complained of, that a church-key should be left to such uncertain keeping that after being referred for it from one to another some three or four times, it should not be to be met with at last. It appears that it is kept sometimes by the churchwarden, sometimes by the clerk, and sometimes by the sexton; it has lately been in the holding of the lastnamed functionary, and having called vainly, first on the clerk, then on the churchwarden, we sought it at the vicarage, where we learned that the sexton would be the proper person to apply to, and that he was probably in the churchyard, as there was a funeral pending. Thither we went, but found the grave finished, and the digger thereof departed; and as his dwelling was more than a mile distant, and we were pressed for time, we were fain to give up the pursuit. We were particularly anxious to have entered (though retaining a pretty good general recollection of the interior), having heard in the village that improve. ments have lately been going forward; that the walls have been stuccoed and scored to imitate stone; and that the old oak roof over the south aisle had been taken down, and converted into candlesticks, snuff-boxes, "and such small gear."

We are enabled, however, from a well-filled Camden scheme with which we have been favored by a friend, to add notices of the principal features of the interior; and we give a view of the curious and beautiful chancel arch, of late Norman work, from a sketch made on a former visit to this church.

There are three stone steps to the chancel; this contains nothing worthy of remark excepting an altar-tomb on the north side, of late date, and a recess, which may have been intended for an Easter sepulchre. There are two steps up to the north transept, and two down to the south; the latter appears to have been formerly lower; thus in some degree the levels of the floors were accommodated to the slope of the hill. In the south transept is a pretty piscina, with an ogee arch, trefoiled. The nave has a modern arched ceiling, covering the old wooden roof; the piers between it and the south aisle are octagonal; it contains a few old seats with poppy heads, and has an Elizabethan pulpit and reading-pew on the north side of the tower arch. The font is plain, probably Norman, but altered at a later period; it stands upon three stone steps.

There was formerly a hagioscope to each of the transepts, but that to the south has been blocked up.

The monuments consist of the altar-tomb in the chancel, already mentioned, date 1593; the figure of a knight in the south transept, seven feet in length, dressed in the armour of the time of Edward III.; and a small figure of a female (about 2 feet 6 inches in length) on the south side of the nave, near the tower.

In the belfry are two bells only, upon one of which is the following inscription:

"I to the church the living call;

And to the grave do summon all. 1725."