In that year Messrs. Vulliamy, Hardwick & Good were called in to report upon the state of the Tower. Other reports were made in 1861, 1864, 1866 and 1868. The cracks which the subsidence of the Tower caused in those parts of the church which abut upon it, occasioned naturally considerable alarm, and the opinion became general that before long it would be necessary to take down the Tower to avoid a catastrophe. The scheme proposed early in 1872, for the “alteration and possibly enlargement of the Parish Church,” was the result of these two distinct impulses. The course which was adopted reflects great credit upon the Trustees. Instead of resorting to an open competition, three architects were invited to send in designs, and a proper remuneration was offered for the services of the unsuccessful competitors. The Trustees deserve the thanks of the profession and of the public for so straightforward and honourable a course. The scheme submitted to the competing architects involved three conditions: first, the need of improvement in the arrangements of the church; secondly, the necessity of taking down the Tower, assumed to be in a dangerous state; and thirdly, a limit of expenditure fixed at £6500. For this sum it was required that a new Tower and spire should be erected, and a proper chancel be added to the existing nave terminating in an apse. I cannot forbear in passing to remark upon the good taste shown in the suggestion, contained in the instructions to the architects, that the new tower should occupy a central position over the new chancel. Such a proposal shows a sound appreciation of the capabilities of the existing church and a regard for its surroundings, which augurs well for the future of the building. I am astonished to find that one of the competitors should have disregarded so judicious a suggestion. I propose now to examine the three conditions which, as I have said, are assumed in the scheme of the trustees, and I shall endeavour to show that one of them is unfounded, and that two of them are mutually inconsistent.