Salisbury.

Since writing the above little note on Amesbury church, the necessary repairs to the tower have been most sympathetically carried out by Mr. Detmar Blow. No changes are to be noticed from the exterior—the test of a good architect’s work applied to old buildings. The underpinning disclosed the remains of a Saxon pillar embedded in the masonry of the nave wall—may not this fact go to prove that the present building stands on the site of Elfrida’s church? At the completion of Mr. Blow’s work, which includes the underpinning of the tower, repairs to the nave, and the rehanging of the bells, further repairs were found to be necessary. The Rev. F. Windley (the new vicar) held a meeting, dismissing Mr. Blow and appointing Mr. Warre as architect in his place, with most unfortunate results. The roof of the exquisite little chapel has been removed and altered to a higher pitch, inferior flint work used, and crude yellow stones instead of the beautiful silvery-grey old coping. This act of vandalism was done against the wishes of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and my own. No “restorations” (so called) should ever be allowed for these buildings, only “repairs.” The pitch of the old roof should not have been altered, even if originally higher, as, so to speak, the whole thing had grown together; also nothing but old stones for coping should have been used, and grey flints instead of black ones. It is extraordinary to see the damage done to the rare and beautiful buildings in this neighbourhood. Yellow stones, hideous in colour, put in with still more hideous plaster, is the local idea of suitable “restoration.” The vandal architect Butterfield buried (in 1853) under the chancel the memorial tablets, at the same time breaking up the lovely old font and burying its remains. This latter has been beautifully mended by Mr. Kite, builder. The memorial tablets, some very beautiful, have not yet been rehung, as they should be, in the body of the church.

Amesbury Abbey, 1900

I was requested to give a cross for the altar. I had a copy made of the celebrated Celtic “Cross of Cong.” I also presented an altar-cloth of old crimson Italian damask (from Florence). A dove, embroidered in different tones of gold and silver thread, decorates the frontal. Mr. Windley thought fit to cut and alter this altar-cloth, adding an unsuitable top and fringe, and spoiling the effect of the chancel by covering the pink alabaster with cheap, ugly, woven materials. The effect of the delicate lines of the Celtic cross and the crimson damask are by this treatment utterly ruined.

Florence C. M. Antrobus.

February 9th, 1908.