Norton, Co. Durham: Saxon central tower, with transept 52 Carlton-in-Lindrick, Notts: west tower 57 Tickhill, Yorkshire: general view from S.E., shewing clerestory, western tower and projecting eastern chapel 63 St Mary's, Beverley: south porch 69 Cirencester: south porch 72 Patrington: north side of chancel and vestry 83 Walpole St Peter: from N.E. 86 Wensley: chancel, with low side window, from S.E. 91 St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol: from N.E. 95 Patrington: interior, looking across nave from S. transept 99 Well, Yorkshire: font cover 107 Banwell, Somerset: rood screen 113 Hawton, Notts: Easter sepulchre 125 CHAPTER I THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARISH CHURCH § 1. The early history of the English parish church is obscure, owing to the fact that architectural remains of the earliest fabrics are somewhat scanty, and that their actual date still affords ground for dispute. The episcopal constitution of the Romano-British church is not fully known; but it is probable that, as in Gaul, every considerable centre of population possessed within its walls a church, which followed the 'basilican' arrangement common to the Christian churches of the Roman empire. But while, on the continent of Europe, the ecclesiastical history of the chief provincial capitals remained unbroken, and the great cathedrals of the middle ages rose upon sites which had been, from the establishment of Christianity in the empire, the centres of the religious life of Roman cities, the continuous history of church-building in England was broken by the relapse into heathenism which followed the victorious invasions of the Saxons. The history of church architecture begins again with the coming of St Augustine in 597 A.D. Of churches which may reasonably be said to have been built as an immediate result of his mission, there are several remains in Kent; and the famous church of St Martin at Canterbury is probably in large part the building which he and his companions used for their first services. There is more than one theory as to the original extent of the church; but there can be little doubt that the western part of the chancel, the south wall of which is built of Roman brick, is of Augustine's time. Bede tells us that Augustine found an earlier church, built during the Roman occupation, on this site or on a site closely corresponding to it. It is safe to assume that he repaired this building, and spared all that he could of its materials. Apart from the Kentish churches there remains, on the remote