s work are especially
interesting. Originally they were decorated with rich colour and gold,
much of which still in parts remains. The canopy of tabernacle work
has been ruthlessly destroyed, together with the major part of the
easternmost section. All the shafting is very richly moulded with a
great number of diminutive mouldings, principally ogee and hollow.
Foliage work of rare beauty and representations of grotesque animals
form the greater part of the ornament. There are interesting remains
of diaper work in the wall which forms the back. The plinth and seats
are probably modern work. At the top are placed some pieces of
battlement work, of which there is a great amount in different parts
of the building. It seems a pity that the remains of the sedilia which
lie elsewhere in the church cannot be placed together in position
here--not "restored," but honestly pieced as well as may be done with
care and patience.

The north-east pier that supports the tower bears a plain corbel,
supporting what is supposed to be the remains of an oak case for the
Saunce-bell or Sanctus-bell.

=Tiles.=--During the wholesale restoration of 1875 and following years
some old tiles were found, after the pattern of which the present
tiles were made. The fashion of paving buildings of the age of
Tewkesbury Abbey with glazed and glossy machine-made tiles, all cut
mathematically true, is much to be deprecated. Time has done much, and
will do more, to remove the glaze, but nothing will ever remove the
stiff printed look of the pattern. The black patches of tiles are
rather heavy in appearance, but the pavement looks better so than it
would if broken up with streaky slabs and squares of glaring white
marble incised with more or less pictorial designs relieved with a
background of black cement. The choir of Tewkesbury in this respect
has fared better than that of Gloucester, though a little more might
have been made of the graves of the illustrious dead who are known to
have been buried underneath.

=Windows of the Choir.=--These fourteenth century windows are the
chief glory of the choir. There are seven in all, and though they have
suffered much from wilful damage and neglect, there are perhaps no
others in England containing quite so much glass of the same date, and
in such good condition as a whole.[23] Every one must rejoice that in
1828 lack of funds prevented these windows from being thoroughly
restored.

The windows nearest to the t