Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/244

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IFFLEY CHURCH, OXFORDSHIRE.

Boss of Church Vault.

with a curious boss of four heads in the centre; on this vault were remains of the ancient pattern with which it was painted, and which appeared to be of the same age with the vault itself, but this is now effectually concealed by another thick coat of whitewash. The walls of this part of the church have evidently given way at some period, and caused a disturbance of the vault

Pattern on the Vault.

and ribs. This settlement may have taken place in the thirteenth century when the east wall was removed, and the introduction of the two windows of a somewhat later period may have been part of the alterations caused by it. The zigzag work on the ribs is singularly irregular, without any apparent cause. The shafts in the corners of this bay are very remarkable, being triple shafts under a single capital, and the spaces or channels between the shafts are filled with square flowers richly carved in a variety of patterns. On the outside of this bay the hoodmoulds of the Norman windows are continued as strings, as in the nave, as far as the original Norman buttress, but not round it nor beyond it. The windows inserted in this bay are good early Decorated.

The eastern bay of the chancel is pure Early English, and on careful examination is evidently an addition to the length, and