Fig. 98.—Church on Egilsey. Section from West to East.
heads and rebated jambs without chamfers. On the north side of the nave is a window 3 feet 3 inches high and 8½ inches wide at the outside of the wall with semicircular head. (Figs. 98-100.) The jambs are splayed inwards to 2 feet 9 inches wide. On the south is a similar window. It is to be observed that these windows have no external chamfer—that is, the outer edges of the jambs are acute angles. This peculiarity is found in early Irish churches.[128] They were not originally glazed, but probably had a frame fitted into them, when required, covered with parchment. On this south side are two windows, not original—one close to the east wall and low down, the other high up over the south doorway, (see [Fig. 102].)
The side walls are about 15 feet 4 inches high from the floor, equal to the internal width of the nave.
On the west of the nave is the tower, which is circular, 14 feet 10½ inches diameter externally, and 7 feet 8 inches diameter internally. An arch 2 feet 5 inches wide leads from the nave into it. ([Fig. 101.]) The jambs are 3 feet 7 inches thick, and the head is semicircular. The tower appears to have been built with the nave, although the stones in the tower are on the average smaller than those in the nave, which difference may be accounted for by the unfitness of large stones, when not freestone, for circular work.
Fig. 99.—Church on Egilsey. Section from East to West.
The tower seems to have contained four chambers, including the one on the ground.