DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6886#0181
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 149
make a full discovery of the defects there: but I hope to find it rather better than
the south side; for it is the vicissitude of heat and cold, drought and moisture,
that rots all materials, more than the extremities, that are constant, of any of
these accidents: this is manifest in timber, which, if always underground and
wet, never decays, otherwise Venice and Amsterdam would fall. It is the same
in lead work; for the north side of a steq} roof is usually much less decayed than
the south: and it is commonly seen in stone work the same. Besides, the but-
tresses here are more substantial than those of the south side, which I complained
before to have been indiscreetly altered for the sake of the cloister; and I find
some emendations have been made about eighty years since, but not well.
Upon the whole matter, I may say, that of the necessary repairs of the out-
ward stone work, one third part is already completed. The most dangerous part
of the vaulting over the choir, now in hand, will be finished in a few months, but
the roof over it will not be opened till summer. The repair of the stone work,
with all the chapels, arch-buttresses, windows, and mouldings of the north side,
is yet to be done, excepting part of the north cross aisle. A great part of this
expence will be in the north front, and the great rose window there, which, being
very ruinous, was patched up for the present, to prevent ruin some years since,
before I was concerned, but must be now new done. The timber of the roof, the
nave, and the cross, is amended and secured with the lead, and also the chapels;
but the whole roof and aisles from the tower westward, with lead and pipes to be
new cast, remains yet, with all timber work, to be mended, as has been done
eastward from the tower already. The chapels on the north side must have the
roofs of them amended, when we come at them, which I see not how we can,
except one small house be removed.
And now, having given a summary account of what will perfect the repairs,
let me add what I wish to be done, to render those parts with a proper aspect.
make a full discovery of the defects there: but I hope to find it rather better than
the south side; for it is the vicissitude of heat and cold, drought and moisture,
that rots all materials, more than the extremities, that are constant, of any of
these accidents: this is manifest in timber, which, if always underground and
wet, never decays, otherwise Venice and Amsterdam would fall. It is the same
in lead work; for the north side of a steq} roof is usually much less decayed than
the south: and it is commonly seen in stone work the same. Besides, the but-
tresses here are more substantial than those of the south side, which I complained
before to have been indiscreetly altered for the sake of the cloister; and I find
some emendations have been made about eighty years since, but not well.
Upon the whole matter, I may say, that of the necessary repairs of the out-
ward stone work, one third part is already completed. The most dangerous part
of the vaulting over the choir, now in hand, will be finished in a few months, but
the roof over it will not be opened till summer. The repair of the stone work,
with all the chapels, arch-buttresses, windows, and mouldings of the north side,
is yet to be done, excepting part of the north cross aisle. A great part of this
expence will be in the north front, and the great rose window there, which, being
very ruinous, was patched up for the present, to prevent ruin some years since,
before I was concerned, but must be now new done. The timber of the roof, the
nave, and the cross, is amended and secured with the lead, and also the chapels;
but the whole roof and aisles from the tower westward, with lead and pipes to be
new cast, remains yet, with all timber work, to be mended, as has been done
eastward from the tower already. The chapels on the north side must have the
roofs of them amended, when we come at them, which I see not how we can,
except one small house be removed.
And now, having given a summary account of what will perfect the repairs,
let me add what I wish to be done, to render those parts with a proper aspect.