138 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
exterior, about 1550. The present ugly yellow-brick facing of the south
and east fronts of the church was executed early in the 19th century,
and marks the taste of the period. The circular nave piers were then
"improved" by being provided with bases and capitals in cement, but the
westernmost responds still retain their original early 13th century capitals
to bear witness to the artistic character of the "restoration." Six of
the stones of the shaft of the S.W. respond bear identical mason's-marks
of circa 1400 date.
The original capitals of the nave-arcade were of the Early English
style: a mere fragment of the original moulding still exists to the western-
most pier of the S. arcade. The modern cement capitals are of early
English character, but are overheavy and present an unpleasing aspect.
The four easternmost piers of the nave-arcade have cement bases of
characteristic Perpendicular type, although the capitals to these same
piers (also cement) are of Early English character. The corbels which
support the roof-trusses over the two easternmost bays are of different,
and simpler, design from the others. These variations are evidences of
the alterations of circa 1400.
The arches to the S. chancel-arcade, and the arch between the S.
chancel-aisle and the nave-aisle, are depressed four-centred arches, whereas
the corresponding arches to the N. chancel-aisle are not depressed: all
alike, however, are of late Perpendicular type.
Judging from the remains of the Norman clearstory lights, it would
appear that both the present nave and the original Norman nave had
the same number of bays, except that two bays in the present nave are
additional, as they take the place of the former crossing. The Norman
bays were, however, slightly wider.
The filled-in Norman clearstory windows were first brought to light
in 1865, when, during a restoration, paint and whitewash were removed
from the stonework and plaster from the walls of the clearstory. A
fresco of the Last Judgment, believed to be of late 15th century date,
was then destroyed: it had been discovered in 1844 during an earlier
restoration and is described in detail (though with some erroneous con-
clusions) by the writer of a now rare pamphlet, published in 184510, but
was again whitewashed over.
The church contains many fine monuments, of which only a few may
be referred to here.
The oldest monument is an elaborate altar tomb at the entrance to the
N. Chapel of the Chancel. A tradition says that this was the tomb of the
last Abbot of Stratford Langthorne, William Huddlestone, but this is
clearly wrong, as indents of former brasses on the upper face of the tomb
indicate a man and two wives, one of the female figures wearing a variety
of the horned headdress, which was the fashion circa 1460 to 1470.
The next oldest is a brass to Thomas Staples, 1592, representing a
civilian with four wives : he gave xx shillings a year for the poor of the
parish.
In the south aisle on the wall is a slab with a lengthy inscription in
memory of Nicholas Avenant, or Avenon, 1599, the founder of "Avenons
Charity," which has been the cause of much litigation. He gave an
10 "Sketch of the History and Antiquities of West Ham Church, Essex," by a Layman, 1845