urse. The last addition to the
fabric was the present vestry, in which was a chantry founded by the
Hall family. This was built out at right angles to the north aisle, at
the point where the old work was met by the later extension. Not until
the church had been fully aisled, and afforded no further room for new
altars, were chantry chapels usually added in the shape of excrescences
from the fabric.

[Illustration: Fig. 16. Plans of Grantham church: (3) about 1350; (4)
present day.]

Sec. 75. One interesting feature in the planning of chancels, which has
been much discussed, is worth a note. This is the fact that the axis of
the chancel is frequently out of line with the axis of the nave, and
generally has a slight northward inclination. Sometimes, as at Henbury
in Gloucestershire, the inclination is very considerable, so that, from
the west end of the church, nearly a quarter of the east wall is out of
sight. Usually, the inclination is very slight; and there are many cases
in which it is not northward, but southward--Sidbury and Salcombe Regis,
near Sidmouth, Eastbourne in Sussex and Aldwinkle St Peter in Northants,
are cases in point. The popular explanation is that it symbolises the
leaning of our Saviour's head upon the cross. Like most symbolical
explanations, this is founded entirely upon fancy: the inclination is
by no means confined to churches with cross plans, and, if it were, the
theorists who argue from this standpoint confound the symbolism of the
cross-plan between the cross itself and the Body which it bore. Others
have sought to explain the phenomenon by suggesting that the orientation
of the chancel followed the direction in which the sun rose on the
morning of the patronal feast. A succession of visits at sunrise to
churches on appropriate dates has not hitherto been attempted upon a
comprehensive scale: if it were undertaken, it probably would be found
that the sun, instead of rising obediently opposite the middle light of
every east window, as the theory requires, would have many puzzling
exceptions in reserve. The marked divergence of axis at Henbury is
explained by the site of the building, which is on a gentle slope, with
the axis of the nave distinctly from south-east to north-west. When the
chancel was rebuilt in the thirteenth century, the masons kept as high
upon the slope as they could, and so twisted the axis of the chancel a
little further east. But we must also remember that, when chancel