we are in the habit of finding.1 In several places the turf has been turned back for me and at a depth of about one foot in almost every part plain tile paving, tolerably perfect, is found; the tiles are very much burnt in the places which I saw, namely, in the nave, the choir, the north transept, and in the greater and small cloister; in the last of which, however, the accumulation is much the greatest, and has evidently been filled in with rubbish from other parts now to some extent lowered. We must not take it for granted that the level of the surface was always as it now is; for, on reference to a view in the Monasticon (v, 73), and Phillips's select views, as well as Grose's Antiquities (vol. iii), we find the plates show the ruins buried several feet deeper than they are at present. The nave and aisles were 61 feet 3 inches wide, but the nave proper was 117 feet long in the clear, 28 feet wide and about 60 feet to the apex of the vaulting which enclosed it. Dugdale, Britton, Phillips, and indeed all who have written, have evidently copied from one original, and given wrong dimensions. The error has apparently arisen from the tower space having been added to, instead of being deducted from, the separate lengths.

Those now given are taken from actual measurements on the spot. The central tower, which is not exactly equal sided, is the next point whence we obtain an entirely fresh view: we will first, however, remark that of this tower but a few feet of one pier remain, and three rough mounds to show the position of the others. It was, including its walls, about 48 feet by 46 feet. I have carefully examined the piers and obtained drawings of the plinths and mouldings. I cannot find any evidence of any other towers, so that the usual position of Saint Michael's chapel in a western tower of Clugniac monasteries was wanting in this priory. It is just within the range of possibility that the chamber over the aisle was a chapel of Saint Michael, but the marks of benches and presses, and the nature of the construction, are against that supposition. The transepts in the clear are together 144 feet from north to south. The north transept has part of two walls remaining and the foundations of other parts. It is worthy of attention from its having two aisles (few abbeys having more than one) one of which at least, that on the west side, was entirely closed in.

The lowest part was a vaulted crypt, now merely bare walls not rising above the surface. The arch would bring the floor several steps above the floor of the transept, from which there was a doorway into the room over the crypt. The window sills belonging to the crypt shew that it was dimly lighted. There is a false back to the end of the vault, which would incline one to suppose it might have been intended as a place for the concealment of treasure in time of danger, as well as for the temporary deposit of the dead. In the north west angle of the transept was a doorway to a staircase. (Plate x, E.)

1 The view of the west end, drawn in 1771, and given by Grose, shows the ground covering the nave piers as high as the capitals of the inner arcade.

B B

The south transept is in some respects peculiar; up to this part we may consider we have been examining the works of, within a very short limit, one period, though there are indications of slight variation of date here and there, just enough to show that the works which were begun to the east were continued westward, and in accordance with the characteristic principles of the age, carried with it what was at the time, perhaps with justice, thought to be progress and improvement in art; we may therefore justly reverence those who have shewn their appreciation of the beautiful works of the preceding age, and who by their arrangements endeavoured to preserve that of the ornamental chapter house adjoining, and continued it in their works. The arcading of the transept encroached on the chapter house; and to preserve the uniformity of these arches, and at the same time not destroy the chapter house, they have recessed the old wall, the arch and pier of the new work being actually within the wall (N), necessitating ingenious arrangements and mouldings. In like manner, the arcading at the south end is carried on piers built into the old wall, and it will be found that the wall is really thicker in the aisle than in the main transept. This transept has but one aisle on the east side, the other is occupied by a triple vaulted-recess open to the cloister (B) for what purpose is not absolutely known. We shall however revert to this presently. The only instance I am acquainted with of any arrangement at all approaching this, is the south transept of Westminster Abbey, where the cloister runs under the lower part of the west aisle of the south transept. Returning to the transept, we find, on the west side next the nave-aisle, a triple arcade with the mouldings in the head of the centre arch, cut away for the reception of the head of a former statue, and in the two outer compartments, are small brackets, so that this formed a group about a shrine. There is a drain from the centre compartment, by which we infer that there was a piscina. Adjoining this was a newel staircase, part of which now exists.

On the opposite side, in the aisle, were some chapels to the east, divided by wooden screens. The mortices for a parclose are still visible in the shafts; and a piscina (0) of later construction is in fair preservation, in the lower part is built a Norman capital: here was at least one altar, probably two or three; the base of one is distinctly marked.

Retracing our steps to the great central tower we turn again eastward, and are merely able to point out the position of the piers of the once choir. There were seven bays. It is curious, however, to observe that the eastern is within a few inches the same length as the western limb; one is divided into seven bays by six pillars, the other, as already stated, is divided into eight bays by seven pillars.

In the choir, also, the few remnants of the bases are circular, while those in the nave are elaborately indented into shafts; and although those in the choir are slightly smaller in diameter, to the sight they are practically larger, and I feel no hesitation in attributing

to an earlier age the construction of the choir than to the nave and tower. This indeed is the part which would be of Earl Roger's constructing. The south wall has the evidence of a doorway, probably the abbot's private door, and at the east end of the south aisle was a window corresponding apparently with that at the extreme west end of the same aisle with an altar beneath it (c). The choir was a few inches wider than the nave and with equally wide aisles; the arcading was of wider opening than in the nave, and was probably of semi-circular arches.

The Lady chapel, still further to the east, is just indicated by the foundation: it was about 41 feet long by 25 feet wide1 and without aisles. Of its character and height we can form no conjecture, except by comparison with the parts immediately adjoining; but the buttresses shew that it could not have been earlier than the middle of the twelfth century. We shall complete our examination of the church by taking notice of the exterior before proceeding to the domestic departments.

The west end exhibits sufficient to enable us to as clearly define its former appearance as the interior of the nave. There was a central door with a large western window over it and a small window lighting the south aisle, whether a similar window was in the north aisle it is impossible now to say, but as there was nothing similar in the internal arrangements, with the common disregard for balancing an elevation, a different window may have been placed in the north aisle. The side of the great west window partly remains, with the blank arcading on the face of the wall beside it. The north front has nothing beyond a few portions of nearly bare wall, with the masonry of the same age as the internal parts, that is, of Early English construction, and with the shallow projections which was the first form of buttresses, and supplied the place of the previously thicker walls to resist the thrust of the groined vaulting or roof trusses.

Of the eastern end nothing remains, nor indeed any thing to note, until we reach the south transept, upon which we must bestow our chief attention to arrive at any conclusion. Here it is made evident that the nave and transepts were of equal height and form: the string course under the clerestory windows still exists, under which commenced the roof over the triforium. These clerestory windows are single lights with a continuous label. The south window of the transept is a triple window with a single narrow light over it in the gable, the latter lighting the space between the vaulting and the roof. The remaining square-headed openings below these ranges of windows communicate between the triforium and a gallery which ran all round the building, and was the place whence the draperies were hung on such festivals as required those decorations; and formed also the means of communication with other parts of the buildings.

The conventual buildings are on the south side of the church. Making our way to 1 Forty feet wide. Monasticon, v, 75.

those of the earlier buildings, we begin with the beautiful chapter house with its interlaced wall decorations tier above tier (Plate XII). Until recently, it has always been called a chapel, and had rubbish within it to the depth of several feet. This is the only portion remaining of the structures commenced by Roger de Montgomery but not completed by him, for the date of its erection is certainly not within sixty years of his rebuilding. It is a beautiful specimen of the semi-Norman, or transitional period, which prevailed only during the reign of Henry the Second; before which time Earl Roger had long been dead.* There is no record yet discovered by which we can ascertain the designer of this or indeed of any other part of the priory. It must have been in the abbacy of Humbald or that of Peter de Leja, the latter of whom was promoted to Saint David's in 1176. The walling

is very elaborately ornamented with the interlaced arcading which has by some been supposed to have given rise to the invention of the pointed arch. There are innumerable examples of interlacing, but none so elaborate and beautiful as this. It is divided lengthwise into three bays by blocks of six shafts, these bays again being subdivided each into five spaces, by columns from which spring the arches in three tiers intersecting each other in every tier. Almost every shaft has a differently-carved capital. Each bay has been vaulted and groined with six roll-ribs, which may have been later than the walls. The diagonal masonry which fills the arch above the arcading is curious, and I should think of a date subsequent to the lower part.

The clear size is 51 feet by 28 feet 6 inches. Dugdale gives it as 66 feet by 31 feet and Britton 60 feet by 30 feet.

The entrance from the cloister to the chapter house is through a recessed circular headed doorway, which may have been without doors, perhaps with a metal work gate, as the capitals run through to the inside. There is no way of ascertaining if the two side arches, which are rather narrower, were glazed, because the inner portions are broken away; it may, however, be assumed that they were not glazed. In the spandrils were formerly the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, to whom the church was dedicated when rebuilt. That of Saint Paul is entirely gone; but Saint Peter can be identified by his key, which is still to be made out. It does not appear to be so early as the chapter house by a century.

The east end has been partly reconstructed, and there is part of a shaft remaining in the upper part, which would lead to the notion that a window had been there in such a position as that it would light above the vaulting. In that case there may have been, as was most probable, a dormitory or library above the chapter house which was lighted by this window. There is a string course along the south end of the transept, from which a roof would lean, meeting the gutter of a roof over this chamber, and to which access 1 Vide p. 149 ante.