All Saints, Ladbroke, Warwickshire.

All Saints was mostly rebuilt in the early c14. The low side window on the north side of the chancel was clearly an afterthought, thouigh exact dating is difficult. ¹

1. Historic England official list entry.

Holy Trinity, Orton Longueville, Northants.

Holy Trinity may have been rebuilt towards the end of the 13th century.¹ The lintels of the two Decorated windows in the south wall of the chancel are both at the same height so may have been built at the same time. The westernmost of these, hard up against the wall of the south chapel is of two lights. Beneath its sill there is a rather elaborate window consisting of three ogee headed lights under a transom. Whether this was part of the original build or installed later is hard to tell. Another example of a three-light extension to form a low side window can be seen at Flore, Northamptonshire.

1. Peterborough Churches website.

St Andrew, Barton Bendish, Norfolk.

The chancel is c14.¹ On the south side are two early c14 two-light windows and a priest's door. The windows are too high to serve as confessionals. That the low side window was installed after these two principle windows is evidenced by the continuous string course under the windows which rises to form a hood mould over the priest's door. This has been crudely cut away under the westernmost light to allow the installation of a rectangular low side window (now blocked. Internally there is no trace of the low side window.

1. Historic England official entry for St Andrew's

St Andrew's, Barningham Norfolk.

View of south side of chancel. The church is c14 and later.¹ The two 2-light windows on the south side of the chancel are identical in design, and at the same height above ground, suggesting they were installed at the same time. The westernmost window, hard up against the western end of the chancel has been modified; transomed across both lights to provide a low side window. The transom on this window has been furnished with elabrate block carvings, unlike its counterpart to the east, suggesting that this was a later insertion. One light is now glazed, while the other (the westernmost) still has iron bars, and a wooden shutter in place.

1. Historic England official list

St Peter's, Fakenham Magna, Norfolk.

The chancel is c13.¹ The original pair of lancets, placed roughly centrally are still in situ. To either side are two-light c14 windows of similar appearance, suggesting a partial rebuild. Both these latter windows are too high to have served as confessionals. Beneath the westernmost window is a blocked rectangular opening, clearly of a later date. The lintel of the earlier window acting now as a transom to the lower one.

1. Historic England website. Official List Entry.

St Mary Magdalene, Wardington, Oxfordshire.

The chancel is c14.¹. The square headed two-light Perpendicular window on the north side of the chancel is likely to be mid to late c14. The westernmost light of this window has been loweered to create a low side window. Internally the splay has been lowered across both lights to create a wide seat. A wooden shutter is still in situ. Judging by the consitency of the stonework it is possible that the low side window was part of the scheme and installed at the same time as the window above it. Wardington is one of those rare churches with a bell cote fixed to the eastern gable of the nave, below which is an oculus which likely carried the bell rope through the wall (see next slide). The entry on the Historic England website suggests the bell cote is late c13. If the Sanctus Bell Theory as applied to low side windows is to hold, then why add a low side window later?

1. Historic England website official list entry.

All Saints Church, Gazeley, Suffolk.

The chancel is c14.¹ The north and south of the chancel has two 2-light Dec. windows, all very similar in design, but clearly much restored. Both north and south windows at the western end of the chancel have been modified by introducing a two light low side window, and these were clearly introduced at a later date. There is ample evidencee that both lights on each side had shutters. What makes these low side windows particularly interesting is the fact that their jambs do not line up with those of the earlier window, the lower lights being a lttle narrower. This would make their construction a little easier as the side wall beneath the original window jambs would continue to provide support while the central section was opened up. Internally one can see how this was achieved. Internally the original splay of the window has been lowered beyond the sill of the low openings to form a seat, but a lip has been retained on both sides. Continued on next slide../..

1. Literature in the church.