There are different styles here. The earliest columns are at the east end of the nave and consist of four shafts arranged around a central column. Others are of solid round construction. The variation reflects the estimated 80 years it took to construct the nave. During that time church design was evolving from the traditional solid Norman style through to the style known as Early English. So the columns in the nave are not totally uniform in appearance but they do help to tell the story of the many decades it took to build them and the way architectural styles were evolving all the time during that period.
The Capitals at the top of the piers.
There are six different styles of decoration on top of the columns and again, these reflecting the changing architectural trends over time. On the north side they are a fairly consistent design with the leaves carved in relief around the capital. On the south side there is a variation in foliage detail and appear more roughly executed – possibly because of different masons with varying skills. From three of these capitals whimsical faces peer out. They face south or south east but not towards the alter or the congregation. They are incorporated into the foliage and hard to spot. These faces or “grotesques” were thought to protect sacred spaces from evil spirits and be a reminder of the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
