Part 2 (2/2)

Between the Lady Chapel and the north aisle of the choir was a pa.s.sage (to which the two great arches were open), and at the eastern end of it was a small vaulted chapel, the remains of which are clearly to be seen, including the broken piscina. Above this were chambers, concerning which Gunton[25] has preserved a tradition that they were ”the habitation of a devout Lady, called Agnes, or Dame Agnes, out of whose Lodging-Chamber there was a hole made askew in the window walled up, having its prospect just upon the altar of the Ladies Chappel, and no more. It seems she was devout in her generation, that she chose this place for her retirement, and was desirous that her eyes, as well as ears, might wait upon her publick Devotions.” He says also that little is known of her except that she was a benefactress to the church, and that a wood she bestowed upon it is still called by her name.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Apse and New Building, from the South-East.]

At the extreme east is the =New Building=. Its side walls are built in continuation of the walls of the choir aisles, and it has a square end.

It is lit by thirteen large windows, all of the same design, of which the five at the east end, and the two most western of the sides, are of four lights each, the remaining four having three lights each. Between each pair of the latter there is no b.u.t.tress; there are thus in all twelve b.u.t.tresses, six being at the east end. These are ma.s.sive, having to support the heavy fan-tracery within. Each b.u.t.tress has a seated figure at the top, commonly believed to represent an Apostle; but the outlines are much worn, and it is not possible to distinguish them by any symbols they may bear. There is a very handsome open parapet, adorned with ornaments and s.h.i.+elds bearing letters or monograms.

The parapet of quatrefoils, which runs round the sides of the transepts and choir, is not continued in the apse; an Early English parapet, with five circular medallions cusped, having been erected previously. The Decorated windows of the apse are particularly fine. The arcade beneath the upper tier, unlike the arcade in similar positions in other parts of the church, is here intersecting.

The three beautiful geometric windows in the east wall of the =South Transept=, which have three circles in the heads with five cusps, are most likely of exactly the same design as the windows in the demolished Lady Chapel. At the south end of this transept is a Norman door, and outside are the remains of a short covered pa.s.sage which communicated with the cloisters. These will be described hereafter.

The south side of the nave differs only from the north side in its having two doorways from the cloisters, in the superior elegance of the south-west spire, and in the unfinished state of the south-west tower.

The portion of this tower above the roof Mr Paley p.r.o.nounces, from the details of the windows on the east side, to be of much later date than the other tower; and he adds that it is hard to see how the roof of the transept was terminated before this stage was built to abut it. Both towers are longer from east to west than from north to south.

Of the two doorways from the cloister to the cathedral, that at the east end of the north walk, which is called the Canons' door, is a fine specimen of Norman work. The arch is of four orders supported by nook-shafts with plain cus.h.i.+on-capitals. The innermost order has a very uncommon moulding--large chevrons with a fleur-de-lis in the angles. The outermost order has a double zigzag moulding, and a double-billet hood moulding surrounds the whole arch. The other archway at the west end, called the Bishop's door, is an insertion of the thirteenth century, with bold tooth-ornament on each side.

CHAPTER II.

THE CATHEDRAL--INTERIOR.

The plan of the =Monastery= given on page 58 has been taken from one prepared by the late Precentor Walcott of Chichester, and communicated to ”The Building News,” in 1878. In this plan the choir is represented as it was arranged in olden times, and not as it appeared after it was shortened by the erection of the organ-screen under the eastern arch of the tower in Dean Monk's time. The position of the ancient buildings is also indicated, though some of them, as the Lady Chapel, Dormitory, Chapter-house and Infirmary Chapel, have long been destroyed. The various portions will be understood by the following references.

(1) New Building. (2) Reredos, or Altar-screen. (3) Screens. Recent discoveries have proved that the choir aisles originally ended, or at least were designed to end, in apses. (4) High Altar. (5) Entry to pa.s.sage to Lady Chapel; a small chapel to the east. (6) Lady Chapel. (7) Door to it from north transept aisle. (8) Chapel of S. John. (9) Chapel of S. James. (10) Chapel of S. Oswald, the Holy Trinity Chapel above it.

(11) Chapel of S. Benedict. (12) Chapel of SS. Kyneburga and Kyneswitha, sisters of Peada and Wulfere, the original founders of the monastery.

(13) Choir. (14) Sacristy. (15) Choir-screen. (16) Front of rood-loft.

(17) Nave. (18) Gate to grave-yard. (19) Gate to Prior's lodging. (20) Minster close. (21) Gatehouse to Abbot's lodging, with the Knights'

chamber above. (22) Chancel of the chapel of S. Thomas of Canterbury.

(23) Great gateway of the close. (24, 25) Doorways from the cloisters.

(26) Slype. (27) Parlour. (28)Chapter-house. (29) Porch. (30) Dormitory.

(31) Cloisters. (32) Lavatory. (33) Refectory. (34) Dark entry. (35) Gong. (36) Kitchen. (37) Abbot's lodging. (38) Prior's lodging. (39) Infirmarer's hall. (40) Chapel to Infirmary, dedicated to S. Laurence.

(41) The chancel, and (42) the nave of this chapel. (43) Hall of Infirmary, the inmates occupying the aisles. (44) Door to Infirmary.

(45) Precinct wall and stables. The building close to the south side of the Infirmary, not numbered in this plan, is an ancient residence now used as a dwelling for one of the canons in residence. The small building south-west of the front is an old vaulted room, now used as a clerk's office, originally believed to have been the Penitentiary. The old abbey gaol has escaped notice, though it in part remains. Its door is immediately to the right upon entering the close through the great gateway.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plan of Monastery Buildings.]

=The Interior=.--With few exceptions, to be noticed in due course, the whole of the interior of the cathedral is in the Norman style, and many judge it to be the most perfect specimen in England. The plan consists of a nave of ten bays, with aisles, and a western transept; transepts of four bays with eastern chapels, the south transept having also a groined chamber to the west, extending for its whole length; a choir of four bays, terminating in an apse, nearly semicircular, with aisles; and beyond the apse a large square-ended addition for more chapels, having a groined stone roof of fan tracery, now known as the New Building. The ritual choir, as distinguished from the architectural choir, extends two bays into the nave. This arrangement is a return to the ancient one used by the Benedictines, the choir in Dean Monk's alterations having been limited to the portion east of the central tower.

As we enter at the west door we see at a glance the entire length, and the whole beauty of the admirable proportion of the several parts. While many may wish that the great arches of the tower which can be seen from the west end had never been altered from the round form of the Norman builders, few will regret that the Decorated arches which took their place were retained when the tower was rebuilt, instead of having new arches in the Norman style subst.i.tuted. The want of colour which is so marked a defect in many English cathedrals is not so conspicuous here, because of the painted ceiling.

The Norman work being in the main so complete, it will be best to begin the description where the building itself was begun, at the apse. At the west door we stand where the work was finished. We know when the building commenced, in 1117, but we do not know exactly when the whole was finished to the western wall; but, speaking roughly, though not very far from the truth, we may say that the minster took eighty years to complete. This may be slightly more than was actually taken. During that time the work was not continuous: there were some Abbots who appear to have done little or nothing towards extending the works, and sometimes accordingly there was an entire cessation from active operations.

Including the west front, we should have to a.s.sign nearly 120 years to the completion of the building.

=The Choir=.--Up to the commencement of the apse the choir is of four bays. The pillars are alternately round and with eight or twelve sides; all have cus.h.i.+oned capitals, indented to agree with the mouldings above; all had a shaft on the inner side rising to the roof, to support the wooden groining, but the lower parts of some of these shafts were cut away to make room for the woodwork of Dean Monk's choir. The ornamentation throughout is plentiful, but we see nothing but the billet, the chevron, and the hatchet moulding, all indicative of early work. The triforium has two recessed arches, beneath the princ.i.p.al arch, divided by a plain shaft. It is specially to be noticed that all the tympana in the triforium range are differently ornamented. In each bay of the clerestory range are three arches, one large and two small ones; the capitals to the shafts have the plain cus.h.i.+on (as in the triforium) and from these shafts a narrower arch connects them with the outer wall.

There is a pa.s.sage here all round the choir. Below the triforium a stringcourse of chevrons runs all along.

<script>