DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6913#0090
48 ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
now stands, with a small part of the wall attached to it, on the western side of the
cloister-court, was the grand entrance. This door-way is pointed, while that of the
chapter-house is round-headed. The detached arches on the north side of the small
court, between the house and the cloister-square, are of the pointed kind ; but not
in the same proportion as those of the church ; and the pillars also of the former
are much smaller in the diameter, with respect to the arches they support. The
smaller doors, which communicate internally with the passages adjoining the north
and south sides of the chapter-house, and the door of the chapter-house itself, are,
like the windows, round at the top.
The arches and pillars of the nave are not exactly of the same dimensions, as
those at the western end are larger than the others. The second pillar from the
west end measures eleven feet from the upper side of the square base to the capital,
which is one foot three inches in height. The diameter of the shaft is five feet, and
from the centre of one to that of another, is fourteen feet two inches. The slightly-
pointed arch rises five feet two inches above the capital on which it rests. At the
eastern end of the nave, the two pillars next the tower are shorter by about eighteen
inches than those at the west; from which circumstance I conclude there were two
steps at this place, passing across the nave, and defining the limits of the choir.
The second pillar on the south side also, is of an octagonal figure, perhaps with'a
design of affixing a desk or pulpit to it. The roof was probably vaulted throughout
the whole extent ; and the chancel certainly was : for the corbels, remaining in the
centre of the north and south walls, distinctly point out the direction of the groining.
These corbels, or brackets, are very neatly worked, and are preserved quite perfect,
as well as those which support the great arches under the tower, on the east and
west sides. In the chancel, to the south of the altar, are three large recesses, or
stone seats, with one of smaller dimensions. It often happens, that a small recess
of this kind appears singly, in churches where the three large seats are wanting; and
as the bottom is always hollowed, the obvious use of it was to receive the holy
water, used by the priest at the celebration of the service. Much has been said on
the appropriate use of these seats ; some have thought they were designed for hear-
ing confessions, others, that they were for the accommodation of the visitor and his
attendants, on particular occasions ; but the most rational conjecture seems to be,
that they were intended for the priest, the deacon, and the sub-deacon, who officiated
at the altar in performing high mass.*
* See Remarks by Mr. Denne, in Aichoeologia, vol. x. Nos. xxix. and xxx. and a dissertation on this subject,
with proofs from Romish Missals, in Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lvii. p. 663.
now stands, with a small part of the wall attached to it, on the western side of the
cloister-court, was the grand entrance. This door-way is pointed, while that of the
chapter-house is round-headed. The detached arches on the north side of the small
court, between the house and the cloister-square, are of the pointed kind ; but not
in the same proportion as those of the church ; and the pillars also of the former
are much smaller in the diameter, with respect to the arches they support. The
smaller doors, which communicate internally with the passages adjoining the north
and south sides of the chapter-house, and the door of the chapter-house itself, are,
like the windows, round at the top.
The arches and pillars of the nave are not exactly of the same dimensions, as
those at the western end are larger than the others. The second pillar from the
west end measures eleven feet from the upper side of the square base to the capital,
which is one foot three inches in height. The diameter of the shaft is five feet, and
from the centre of one to that of another, is fourteen feet two inches. The slightly-
pointed arch rises five feet two inches above the capital on which it rests. At the
eastern end of the nave, the two pillars next the tower are shorter by about eighteen
inches than those at the west; from which circumstance I conclude there were two
steps at this place, passing across the nave, and defining the limits of the choir.
The second pillar on the south side also, is of an octagonal figure, perhaps with'a
design of affixing a desk or pulpit to it. The roof was probably vaulted throughout
the whole extent ; and the chancel certainly was : for the corbels, remaining in the
centre of the north and south walls, distinctly point out the direction of the groining.
These corbels, or brackets, are very neatly worked, and are preserved quite perfect,
as well as those which support the great arches under the tower, on the east and
west sides. In the chancel, to the south of the altar, are three large recesses, or
stone seats, with one of smaller dimensions. It often happens, that a small recess
of this kind appears singly, in churches where the three large seats are wanting; and
as the bottom is always hollowed, the obvious use of it was to receive the holy
water, used by the priest at the celebration of the service. Much has been said on
the appropriate use of these seats ; some have thought they were designed for hear-
ing confessions, others, that they were for the accommodation of the visitor and his
attendants, on particular occasions ; but the most rational conjecture seems to be,
that they were intended for the priest, the deacon, and the sub-deacon, who officiated
at the altar in performing high mass.*
* See Remarks by Mr. Denne, in Aichoeologia, vol. x. Nos. xxix. and xxx. and a dissertation on this subject,
with proofs from Romish Missals, in Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lvii. p. 663.