Virtual Tour of St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray - Pages 19-20

Architectural Quirks

Look closely at carving of the north aisle capitals, and see how fine the detail still is after almost 800 years.

You will notice also a projections of moulded stone just above the capitals, and on the wall opposite springers of a half-arch, resting on corbels carved with leaf-patterns identical to the capitals. No-one has satisfactorily explained these incomplete structures.

If projected forwards, the half-arches would meet the arcade in the spandrels (the triangular space between the arches), and it is clear that the whole arcade has sunk slightly and is several degrees out of plumb. Was this the start of a bracing construction that eventually proved unnecessary?

 

We do not know, but it is one possible explanation. Less easy to explain are the projections from the arches themselves, unless they too represent some form of experimental strainer arch.