To return to the rood-loft staircases, which, and the doorways to them, are met with constantly, over one hundred instances being found in _Lincolnshire_ alone. Usually, of course, they cut through more ancient work, as at _Stow_, where a Saxon pier has been cut through (the Saxon piers of the eastern tower arch are likewise cut and channelled to allow of the insertion of the beams of a rood-loft); at _Normanton_, where a Transitional arch has been cut into; at _Frieston_, where the third pier from the west of the Norman north arcade of the nave has been replaced by a square mass of stonework containing the rood-loft stairs, with a Perpendicular rebate for the parish rood-screen; or as at _Whaplode_, where the fine Norman chancel arch has been cut across for the rood-loft, to which a Tudor staircase gave access. It will have appeared from the quotations already given that at Canterbury, Winchester, and Beverley there were rood-lofts (_pulpita_) as early as the eleventh century. At Peterborough Cathedral, too, we learn that there was a new rood-loft set up by Abbot Benedict before 1193. At _Sibsey_ (St. Margaret’s) there is a Norman nave and aisle arcades, with lofty circular pillars, square abaci and scalloped cushioned capitals. The easternmost arch of the south arcade is narrower than the others, to admit of a turret staircase formerly giving access to the rood-loft, and its respond has some later detail than the others. The rood-loft doorway at _Colsterworth_ is among the earliest known. It has an abacus on which the nail-head ornament exists. This was probably the original rood-loft entrance, which was subsequently altered when the Perpendicular chancel arch was erected, as this must have partly blocked up the entrance. The builders therefore destroyed the right side of the original doorway and made a side entrance. At East Shefford Church (Berks), in the north wall, are two Early English windows for lighting the rood-loft, the entrance to the staircase for which still remains. At St. Nicholas, _Skirbeck_, the nave is of Early English date, and in consequence of the rood-loft staircase, the north arcade has narrower bays than the southern. At _Bratoft_, the aisle arcade, of Decorated date, has the easternmost arch much narrower than any of the others to allow of the rood-loft staircase. The little staircase at _Cotes_ is in the thickness of the south wall. The entrance doorway is moulded in wood, and near the top a tiny two-light window, cut in alabaster, lights the stair. At _St. Lawrence_, _Sedgebrook_, the rood-loft apparently was carried across the aisles, as was the case at _Corby_ and _Carlton Scroop_ (and at _Grantham_); and access to it was supplied by a newel staircase on the south side of the church in a turret, in which a sancte-bell formerly hung. This arrangement of a staircase turret leading on to the nave or aisle roof, and ending in a sancte-bell cot, was obviously convenient, and is not very infrequent.