Ancient Stained Glass in Westbere Church

ANCIENT STAINED GLASS IN WESTBERE CHURCH. 8 ably fine specimen. Internally, there are good triple sedilia and a piscina ; the chancel arch is supported by crouching figures of large size, forming corbels. Their faces, and many of the dripstone terminations to the windows, are carved with features so remarkably life-like as to warrant the belief that they are actually portraits of some personages whose names are now forgotten. A closer inspection will shew that the walls of the chancel are of much greater antiquity than any of the fourteenth century architectural features, all of which are insertions. The progress of the recent works revealed the same interesting evidences with respect to the walls of the nave, which are, however, covered with recent flint work. The existence of the early plan, already alluded to, is accounted for by the fact, thus ascertained, that the church is of more ancient date than its Decorated features would suggest. It is dedicated to All Saints. The recent operations have consisted entirely o.f works of repair, and no attempt has been made to substitute new work for ancient. The building is now beautified by a fine series of stained-glass windows, on the south side, presented by the late Mr. Thomas Scott, of London, as a memorial to his wife. The large west window has been filled in with a remarkable composition, in stained glass, commemorative of A.11 Saints, presented by a sister-in-law of the Rector. The accompanying plate represents the'most interesting of the fragments discovered. They are rather more than one-third the natural size. The colours are mainly red, of great intensity, blue, yellow, green, and brown. l3 2