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Model Parish Church   PARCLOSE SCREENS WITH THEIR LOFTS
 
 
 
 Dennington  (Suffolk) Church of St. Mary, south aisle, Chapel of St. Margaret 
          The screening off of private spaces was common in parish churches as well as great cathedrals.  Most often this screening prevented bodily intrusion, but allowed visual and auditory access.  Generally, the lower portions of a parclose were solid, built of wood paneling and the screens above were elaborate open canopies.  The issue of textile hangings that may have curtained off views demands more research.  Screens occasionally supported lofts to accommodate musicians, singers, or liturgical performances.  The Bardolph parclose loft has a parapet with pierced tracery four-foot high and the internal width of the loft is two foot seven inches.  Although the chapel’s dedication, basically an altar honoring St. Margaret in the south aisle of the church, is earlier, the screens date from the internment of Lord Bardolph and his Lady about 1450.