Aisle

Subsidiary space alongside the body of a building, separated from it by columns, piers or posts. They are often found in churches and were sometimes added at a later date to the original building of the nave and chancel, such as at St Nicholas' Church, Cuddington (right). They provided extra space for the growing congregation. Older barns can also sometimes be aisled, like the fifteenth to sixteenth century barn at Burrow Farm in Hambleden parish. Medieval hall-houses were also sometimes aisled to allow more room, such as 12-14 Station Road, Ivinghoe. Later methods of building allowed wider areas to be spanned without the need for aisles.