Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/200

144- NOTES ON EXAMPLES OF roof, appears modern ; it is finished with a low wooden spire. Near this is Bury, which is figured by Woillez, as a fine Romanesque church with a round tower, or large turret, at one of its western angles. I did not see it, for want of time, though assured it was well worth the visit. We have now a very pleasant road stretching through a wooded valley, passing by Babaguy, which I did not stop to examine ; Circs les Mello, a church principally of early Pointed, though with a debased tower at the south-western angle. It has a fine western porch, and a rose window above. The piers of the nave are low cyHndrical ones with four engaged shafts ; these have square abacus, that in front sup- porting the vaulting cluster. The arches are pointed — a small single arch occupies the place of the triforium, and the clerestory is a triplet. The abacus to the shafts in both is round, the only instance of the sort I recollect during my late excursions. The chancel is flat, and without vaulting ; possibly modern. Our next object is Mello, a fine cross church with a wooden belfry at the intersection. Its proportions are lofty, and its nave and transept short. The style is early Pointed, the piers clustered, low and bold. It has a few round-headed windows. This church deserves a visit of o-reater leno-th than I was able to give it. The village is beautifully situated at the foot of a high bank crowned by a very fine chateau, parts of which seem okl, though it is kept in perfect repair as a residence. I was told of many other churches in this neighbourhood, which is evidently full of objects of interest. On the range of hill beneath which we pass on our road to Creil, is St. Vaast, of which I could only obtain a glimpse through the trees, and Montataire, whose church and chateau are striking objects to the traveller by railway. The church has a northern tower, and a polygonal apse with tall wiedows. Another excursion from Creil showed me three churches remarkable for the additions made by later architects to the original structure. Of Villers St. Paul, the nave, which is Romanesque, with pointed pier arches, is described by Woillez, and is a curious specimen. Eastward of this is added a large and lofty transept, much higher than the nave, with a short chancel, the ground-plan of this addition