their clients (observe escutcheon above doorway); (3) the almhouses and
chapel in Magdalene Street (entrance through Red Lion gateway, once
part of the main entrance of the monastery), founded by Abbot Bere in
1512 (note founder's rebus above gateway of court); (4) Market Cross, a
modern structure of good design standing on the site of an ancient
hexagonal cross; (5) museum in Magdalene Street, containing several
"finds" from the neighbouring lake village (see _Godney_); (6) the
churches of St John and St Benignus. The latter, in St Benedict Street,
has a well-designed tower, but is not otherwise noteworthy (observe
stoups in porch and Abbot Bere's rebus on parapet above porch). A flood
which in 1606 inundated the neighbourhood is said to have reached to
the foot of the tower. St John's Church in High Street, built by Abbot
Selwood in 1465, has, on the contrary, some pretensions to
magnificence. The tower especially is worthy of observation, as it is
considered by some to be amongst the finest in the county. This,
however, is an extravagant opinion. The arrangement of the windows
superficially resembles that at Chewton Mendip, those of the belfry
being reproduced in the stage below; but the lower pair are not an
exact repetition of the pair above. It will be noted that the string
courses are carried round the buttresses. The elaborate cresting is
rich but meretricious. The interior, Perp. throughout, is lofty and
spacious, but the general effect is spoilt by the timber supports which
are found necessary to shore up the chancel arch. Note externally (1)
bell-cot above chancel (cp. Wrington), (2) groined S. porch with
parvise above: internally (1) plain altar-tombs on either side of
sanctuary, (2) groined vault to tower, (3) at S.W. end the tomb, with
effigy, of one Camel, an abbey official (observe camels on panels
below), (4) finely carved stone pulpit, (5) wooden roof of nave, (6)
good E. window.