o signify a Christian church,
irrespective of its plan. A third early church in this district is that
of Corbridge, near Hexham. Here, as at Monkwearmouth, the ground story
of the tower was originally a western porch; while the lofty arch
between tower and nave is, like the chancel arch at Escomb, entirely
composed of dressed Roman masonry, and seems to have been removed from
one of the buildings of the Roman station of Corstopitum, as the arch at
Escomb was probably removed from the not far distant station of
Vinovium.

Sec. 14. The date to which these four northern churches may be assigned is
the half century of the activity of St Wilfrid in England (664-709
A.D.). Bede's account of the architectural work of Wilfrid's friend,
Benedict Biscop, shows that he procured, for the building of the church
at Monkwearmouth, stonemasons and glaziers from Gaul, who were
acquainted with "the manner of the Romans." The account which another
contemporary, Eddius, gives of Wilfrid's church at Hexham, is clear
proof that this important building was a reproduction, in plan and
elevation, of the aisled basilicas of the continent--a fact in keeping
with Wilfrid's life-long aim of bringing English Christianity into
closer touch with the main current of historic Christianity in Rome and
Gaul. The foundations of the outer walls of most of Wilfrid's church
were uncovered when, lately, the new nave of Hexham priory church was
begun; but one of its features has been long known, and is of the
highest interest. The crypt for relics below the apse and high altar
consists of an oblong chamber, with a western vestibule, approached by a
straight stairway from the nave. In addition to the western stair, there
are two stairs which communicated with the apse. That on the south side
remains perfect, and ends in a passage and vestibule, through which the
relic-chamber is entered. The northern stairway leads through a passage
to the western vestibule, at the foot of the stair from the nave. The
crypt of Wilfrid's contemporary basilica at Ripon also remains: here the
arrangement is less complicated; but the arrangement of the main
relic-chamber is equally the chief feature of the plan.

Sec. 15. The foundations of the Saxon church at Peterborough present many
difficulties, and may be of a later date than the foundation of the
monastery in 655 A.D. But no such difficulties of date or plan exist
with regard to the large Saxon church at Brixworth, between No