Bells Cathedrals: Wimbourne Minster and Christchurch Priory | Page 7

wall by additional stonework. The modern restorer, however, has
again put a window of Perpendicular character in place of the oval
window inserted in the last century, using to aid him in his design,
sundry fragments of the original tracery found embedded in the walls.
[Illustration: WIMBORNE MINSTER IN THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY. From an old Print.]
Before the nineteenth-century restorations, the pulpit, probably late
sixteenth-century work, stood in the nave against the middle pillar on
the north side, and the nave and choir were separated by a screen of
three arches on which stood the organ. The central arch had doors. On
either side of the choir were a set of canopied stalls: these canopies
were removed in 1855 to make the chancel aisles available for a
congregation. As the canopies interfered with both sight and sound, the
floor of the choir was lowered to only three steps above the nave, and
the stalls reduced to four on each side, with a view to make room for
restoring the Norman steps indicated by traces on the wall under the
floor, which led up to the high altar of the Norman church. The
arrangement of steps was then three from the nave to the choir, four
from the choir to the next level to the east, and seven from this to the
presbytery, and one more to the altar platform. In 1866 further changes
were made: the stalls were increased to the present number to provide
sufficient accommodation for the choir, the additions being made out of
old woodwork. The level of the floors was also rearranged; five steps
now lead up from the nave to the choir, seven to the presbytery and one
more to the altar platform, the altar itself being raised yet another step.
During the restoration carried on from 1855 to 1857, great changes
besides those already mentioned were made in the interior: the

whitewash and plaster were removed from the walls, a west gallery was
taken down, the nave re-seated, the organ transferred from its position
upon the screen to the south transept, and much mischief was done
from an archæological standpoint, a thing which seems almost
inseparable from any nineteenth-century restoration.
An examination of the masonry shows clearly that all the exterior walls
east of the transepts save the east wall of the presbytery, which is
somewhat out of the vertical, the top hanging forward, have been if not
entirely rebuilt at anyrate completely refaced, and this work was no
doubt done at the restoration at the middle of the nineteenth century.
The doorway in the middle of the north choir aisle is entirely modern;
the doorway which formally occupied this place was provided with a
small porch.
How far this rebuilding and refacing were rendered necessary by the
condition of the walls at that time it is now impossible to say. The fact
that the walls of the nave aisles were not similarly treated may have
been due to want of funds, or it may be that the architects employed
found them in a better condition than the walls of the choir aisles, and
so preserved them, though they considered the latter beyond the
possibility of preservation without the extensive renewing that
evidently took place.
The room containing the chained library was at the same time refitted.
New shelves and rods were provided, but the old chains were used
again.
The restoration of 1855-1857 did not extend to the transept; but these
were taken in hand in 1891, with the usual result--namely, the
destruction of some existing features, such as the seventeenth-century
tracery of the north window,[3] to make room for a nineteenth-century
window in Decorated style, which, however, differs altogether from
any window in the minster; the walls were raised about two feet and a
roof of higher pitch put upon them, which necessitated alterations in the
gables. A sundial which stood at the summit of the south gable was
taken down, and this in 1894 was erected on a pillar built in the
churchyard, a short distance from the south wall of the western tower.

The transept previous to the restoration with the sun-dial on its gable is
shown in the illustration on p. 19.
[3] This tracery is shown in the illustration on p. 21. The original
foliation seems to have been cut away, and the intermediate mullions
extended to the points of the two lights. This may have been done with
a view to economy in reglazing the window. The modern window is
shown on page 37.
A small chamber to contain the hydraulic apparatus for the organ has
recently been added to the east side of the south transept.
CHAPTER II
THE EXTERIOR
Wimborne Minster does not occupy a commanding position--it stands
on level ground, its two towers are not lofty,