What did the early restorers do? They said, "This is a Norman
church; all its details should be Norman too." So they proceeded to
take away these later additions and imitate Norman work as much as
they could by breaking down the Perpendicular or Decorated tracery in
the windows and putting in large round-headed windows--their
conception of Norman work, but far different from what any Norman
builder would have contrived. Thus these good people entirely
destroyed the history of the building, and caused to vanish much that
was interesting and important. Such is the deplorable story of the
"restoration" of many a parish church.
An amusing book, entitled _Hints to Some Churchwardens, with a few
Illustrations Relative to the Repair and Improvement of Parish
Churches_, was published in 1825. The author, with much satire,
depicts the "very many splendid, curious, and convenient ideas which
have emanated from those churchwardens who have attained perfection as
planners and architects." He apologises for not giving the names of
these superior men and the dates of the improvements they have
achieved, but is sure that such works as theirs must immortalize them,
not only in their parishes, but in their counties, and, he trusts, in
the kingdom at large. The following are some of the "hints":--
"_How to affix a porch to an old church.
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