Excavations on the Site of Leeds Priory - Part I

EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY PART I - THE CHURCH P. J. TESTER, F.S.A. The Augustinian Priory of St. Mary and St. Nicholas at Leeds was founded by Robert de Crevecoeur in 1119 and continued in existence until the Dissolution in 1539. Thereafter, an extensive mansion was built on the site which in tum was demolished at the end of the eighteenth century. Nothing now remains above ground of the church or claustral buildings although historical evidence indicates that the Priory was a place of wealth and importance. A partial excavation in 1846 was briefly noted in The Journal of the British Archaeological Association, ii (1847), but no plan or adequate description of what was found is known to survive. In 1973 the Kent Archaeological Society commenced an investigation for the purpose of locating the exact whereabouts of the Priory and discovering - as far as circumstances allowed - its plan and architectural character. This work progressed under the writer's direction for four seasons during which a total of eleven weeks was spent in actual excavation. This has resulted in the discovery of sufficient evidence to enable a reconstruction of the layout to be made and also to elucidate the general architectural development of the church and claustral buildings. In view of the fact that the excavations have now been back-filled, it is considered necessary to publish the evidence at length and in some detail, and for this purpose the report has been divided into two parts. The first, dealing with the monastic church, is presented herewith, while description of the chapter house and other claustral buildings, together with appendices on the finds, will follow in a future volume of Arch. Cant. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Permission for the excavation was given by the landowners, Leeds Castle Estate, and we are grateful for the co-operation of the Agent, Mr. J. D. Money, and the tenant, Mr. R. T. C. Boucher. The late Mr. John Caiger made a preliminary survey of the site and produced draft 33 P. J. TESTER plans as work proceeded which were of great help in tracing the layout. Most unfortunately, he did not Jive to draw the final plan, and I alone am responsible for any shortcomings in that reproduced here as Fig. l . Mr. A. C. Hart and Mr. H. Lange have provided drawings of some architectural details and samples of building stone have been identified by Dr. H. Owen. A grant by the Department of the Environment to cover the cost of back-filling the excavations is gratefully acknowledged. So many have taken part for longer or shorter periods in the excavation that it is not possible to mention them all individually. The considerable contribution made by some of our Members calls, however, for special acknowledgement. Above all, I would express my gratitude to our Honorary General Secretary, Mr. A. C. Harrison, who throughout the whole undertaking has relieved me of many responsibilities in the management as well as participating in the actual labour. Members of the Archaeological Society of Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, the Sittingbourne and Swale Archaeological Research Group and the Thameside Archaeological Group have given valuable help, and we are also grateful to the following: Mesdames N. V. Caiger, P. Connell, R. Coulson, E. Gledhill, M. Knight, H. Lowson, V. Legg and A. Payne; Misses L. Abraham, M. H. Bell, V. L. Bowlzer, R. Payne and A. Thomas; Messrs R. J. Ansell, S. Caiger, E. P. Connell, B. D. Copland, R. J. Cruse, A. Daniels, E. I. Gledhill, 0. K. Hales, R. Harman, J.P. Hayes, N. and S. Isles, T. lthell, R. Knight, R. Knight (Jnr.), J. Lange, R. Lowson, E. P. Mount, P. H. Pearce, S. Perks, S. Thomas and W. Tomsett. THE SITE The site of the Priory is situated about 3½ miles east of Maidstone, in a valley just south of Leeds village (N.G.R. TQ 823530). 1 A small stream, rising from springs south of the Priory, skirts its west side, flowing to join the River Len over half a mile to the north. Leeds Castle, the medieval owners of which were patrons of the Priory, lies less than a mile to the east. At the time of our excavation, the site was covered by obstructions which necessarily limited the scope of our investigation. The ch􀁪rch was found to lie within a plantation of young conifers and the cloister area was covered by a heavily cobbled yard and ruined farm buildings. In these circumstances it was only possible to trace the remains in 1 Mr. J. Caiger calculated that the centre of the cloister garth is at N.G.R: TQ 8235152999. On the current O.S. l.2500 sheet the antiquities symbol marking the site of the Priory is now seen to be over the position of the north transept. 34 f (Q WEST RANGE + + + N AVE + + + + CLOISTER REFECTORY U P ,~---􀀌o'777"----::I¼ KITCHEN L '/:, I I Fig. I NORTH TRANSEPT D O RMITORY R A NGE I I PRESBYTERY 􀀍 􀀎 LEEqs PRIORY 0􀀂 􀀏􀀐 􀀑􀀒 Z3 (lj,,,,,,,., i'j􀀓 c::::r 1!?, ...,. ,9 1p 5 0 l􀁁TH CENTURY EARLY 14TH CENTURY UATE MEDIEVAL P:OST DISSOLUTIO N UNCERTAIN I 1/ilFERRED 2.0 ' 3,0 4P 5,0 FT ! 5 10 15 M PJT EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY places by selective trenching, with more extensive excavation in critical areas where trees or other obstructions were absent. Despite these restrictions, it has been possible to achieve our main objectives to a greater degree than might originally have been anticipated. DESCRIPTION OF THE REMAINS It will assist in following the detailed descriptions if a summary of the main conclusions regarding the architectural development of the Priory is stated in advance: Period/. The earliest remains were those of a twelfth-century aisled cruciform church of which parts of the west end, north aisle, crossing piers, transepts and a fragment of the presbytery have been uncovered. The chapter house immediately adjoining the south transept was also of this period. Period II. A rebuilding of the nave and enlargement of the north transept took place early in the fourteenth century in the Decorated style and a reconstruction of the claustral buildings seems to have occurred about the same time. Period III. Subsequently, the early presbytery was replaced by one of much greater length. Only rubble footings of this remained with no architectural details to indicate its age more precisely. The Norman Church The constructional features of this period were of a consistent character wherever the twelfth-century work could be examined. Walls were of ragstone rubble rendered inside and out, with dressings invariably of Caen stone. This ashlar was well laid with thin mortar joints, the dressed faces exhibiting the close diagonal tooling characteristic of Norman masonry towards the middle of the twelfth century whereas in earlier work the joints are wider and the tooling much coarser. Wherever two walls joined at right-angles they were bonded together with squared blocks of Caen stone. In the area of the church, fragments of scalloped capitals were found, none in situ, and in some cases re-used in later construction. At the south end of the west front a twelfth-century buttress remained, partly embedded in later work (Plate IA). Its faces were of Caen stone ashlar bearing the characteristics previously mentioned. At its north-west corner was a nook-shaft with a base of shallow profile and the ground plinth was moulded (Fig. 2, no. 1). Part of this plinth was returned northward indicating that the Norman west front coincided within a few inches of the later rebuilding. The moulding suggests that the treatment o( the original front must have been of a 35 3 B 4 I FT PJT Fig. 2. I. Profile of moulded plinth of Norman buttress at south-west comer of nave (Plate IA). 2. Profile of plinth at opening into south transept apse with nook-shaft base (Plate IIIA). 3. South jamb, west side, of blocked doorway between north aisle of nave and north transept, with reconstructed profile of base moulding of missing jamb-shaft (Plate VIIB). 4. Plan of fourteenth-century pier against south side of aisle in north walk of cloister, drawn at base of shafts with profile to illustrate moulding of base and plinth below. The three other related bases were of the same form (Plate IVA). EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY high quality, and the nook-shaft is similar to examples on the twelfthcentury west front of Rochester Cathedral. From this buttress eastward, the existing wall of the south aisle had obviously been built on the line of its Norman predecessor and incorporated a considerable amount of re-used Caen stone. At its junction with the south transept there were indications of ashlar bonding where the earlier wall had been attached. The west wall of this transept was mainly Norman work, with evidence of alteration at later periods, and its contemporary south wall formed the north side of the chapter house. Projecting from the east side of the transept was a chapel of stilted-apsidal plan. The south side of its entrance was well preserved (Plate IIIA and Fig. 2, no. 2) but its northern counterpart was mutilated. On the south, the ashlar facing of the opening had a plain chamfered plinth and there was a nook-shaft at the north-west angle. On the outside of the apse were two shallow buttresses (Plate IIB) while adjoining the opening was the lower part of a newel stair turning to the right in its ascent (Plate IIA). At one time the end of the apse had been squared off internally and a wall built to block its entrance. This blocking rested directly on a pavement of glazed floor-tiles bearing fleur-de-lis decoration and covering the step up from the transept to the chapel. On the floor of the transept in front of the step were traces of a tile mosaic pavement, a few of the pieces being in situ with others scattered over the area. Immediately north were remains of the lower part of the opening into an aisle flanking the south side of the Norman presbytery. Only part of the north-east corner remained (Plate IB) and this showed that it differed in plan from the corresponding feature of the adjoining chapel although ashlar and plinth were identical. Corresponding features to those just described must have occurred in the north transept - with the possible exception of the stair - and are assumed to have been destroyed in later reconstruction. At the northwest corner of the transept could be traced remains of shallow ashlarfaced buttresses similar to those on the south transept chapel. Both the north-west and the north-east piers of the Norman crossing were excavated, the original floor-level at this point being 6 ft. from the present ground surface. They had been ashlar-faced with plinths like those in the south transept, most of the facing having been robbed revealing the rubble core. There was no evidence of attached shafts on the faces and the work was of a very plain character. On the west face of the north-west pier, however, there were remains at the lowest level of the eastern respond of the north arcade of the Norman nave. A small fragment of the base moulding survived, similar in profile to that at the entrance of the south transept chapel, and its form suggested that the respond had been half-cylindrical. 37 P. J. TESTER From the east side of the north-east pier there projected a surviving length of the north wall of the Norman presbytery, standing 2 ft. 6 in. above the original floor level. Unfortunately, its eastward extension could not be followed as it appeared to have been completely robbed out in the course of later alterations. The north wall of the twelfth-century north aisle of the nave was found below later floor levels and its ashlar-bonded junction with the north transept was observed. Part of what appeared to have been an external buttress was noted although its position did not coincide with any likely bay intervals of the nave. Absence of any trace of the nave pillars makes it impossible to estimate accurately the number of bays although it may be assumed that they were narrower and therefore more numerous than the five bays of the Decorated rebuilding. The south pier arcade must have occupied the same alignment as its successor. The main deficiency in our knowledge of the Norman church is in regard to its layout east of the transepts. Evidence at present available indicates that there was a presbytery flanked by aisles, with the addition of a pair of short apsidal chapels. Most likely the presbytery was apsidal and probably of no great projection, the western part of its side walls being solid, as shown by excavated remains. Rebuilding of the Nave Early in the fourteenth century a reconstruction of the nave took place. The opening between the north aisle and the transept was blocked and plastered over on the eastern side. A new arcade of five bays was then built on an alignment some distance north of its Norman predecessor. The outer wall of the new aisle had buttresses which are assumed to have coincided with the positions of the piers. Only in the eastern bay could actual traces of a pier be observed by an impression of the square plinth in the mortar of the sleeper foundation, but the base of the eastern respond was well preserved (Plate VIIA). It possessed a marble2 bench on its south and west sides and the chamfered lower part of the plinth was of the same material. From its form it may be deduced that the arcade piers were octafoil in plan, with four major foils separated by lesser shafts, a conclusion confirmed by the discovery of a complete capital of the same size anp form elsewhere on the site and almost certainly derived from the n,ve arcade (Fig. 3, no. 1 ). Communication between the transept 􀁻nd the new aisle wa􀁼 effected \ 2 The word 'marble' is used throughout this report for shelly 'Paludina' Limestone of Wealden origin much used in medieval buildings for decorative purposes. Dr. R. P. S. Jefferies informs me that the fossil fresh-water shells which used to be called Paludina are now recognized as Viviparus. The stone is sometimes called Sussex Marble. 38 I FT Fig. 3. I FT l·1:, ;· I. Plan (underside) and profile of complete capital found in destruction debris blocking doorway at north end of west range communicating with cloister. In size and form it agrees with the respond base found insitu at east end of nave pier arcade (Plate VIIA) and may therefore be accepted as almost certainly from the destroyed arcade. The material is from the Hythe Beds. 2. Part of a stone bowl, possibly from a piscina or stoup. Found inside the south aisle of the nave near its east end. 3. Cusp termination, one of an identical pair found in tracing the outer wall of the north aisle of the nave. From its unweathered condition it may have come from an internal feature. P. J. TESTER by cutting a doorway at the east end at its southern limit at a point previously partly covered by the junction of the Norman aisle wall. Its sides were splayed, and a rebate indicated that the door opened towards the east. On the inner (eastern) angles of both jambs was a vertical keeled roll, while externally on the south similar rolls flanked the semi-octagonal base of a missing jamb-shaft (Plate VIIB). This base was mutilated but Fig. 2, no. 3 reconstructs its profile. Superficially, it might appear to be Perpendicular although the elements of which it is composed are not necessarily late, and circumstantial evidence suggests that the doorway was contemporary with the widening of the nave and aisle. Against the inside of the aisle in its easternmost bay there occurred a semicircular marble base of a respond though from its position it is doubtful if this indicates that the aisle was vaulted (Plate VIA). On the outer face of the aisle were several courses of Caen stone ashlar facing - obviously re-used from the demolished Norman nave as some of the stones were found to have twelfth-century carving on the hidden sides, such as part of a scalloped capital. On the outer side, the faces of the blocks had been re-tooled leaving impressions quite dissimilar from the characteristic Norman tooling (Plate VIB). Presumably, the south aisle was rebuilt on similar lines at the same time, the rectangular plinth of the respond of its south arcade remaining attached to the inside of the west wall (Plate IXB). The rebuilt south wall contained much re-used Caen stone, as previously mentioned. Two doorways existed in this wall - one occupying the customary position for a processional door in the western bay, and the other in the second bay from the transept. Both had marble cills and the external jamb mouldings of the western doorway were sufficiently preserved to indicate their Decorated character (Plate IVB). The other doorway was probably of identical form judging from a displaced Jamb moulding found near by, most of the doorway itself having been destroyed to cill level. Covering the threshold were remains of a floor composed of large plain yellow and dark tiles laid chequer-wise, scored with radial grooves by the scraping of the door and indicating that it was hinged on the west side. A curved stone step bordering the tiles was formed so as to accommodate the inward swing of the door (Plate IIIB). In the west side of the south transept, close to its junction with the aisle, a step and marble cill alone remained as evidence of a doorway at that point providing yet another communication between church and cloister. Projecting from the south wall of the aisle into the north walk of the cloister were four large moulded bases bonded into the wall with the lower parts of filleted shafts rising from them (Plate IV A and Fig. 2, 40 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY no. 4). They were situated at intervals coinciding with the buttresses of the north aisle, and they appear to have been partly connected with a rich and elaborate mural arcade, collapsed portions of which were found among destruction debris in the cloister. Plate VB shows a reconstruction of one of its heavily moulded and cusped arches with a marble capital which may well have belonged to one of the smaller intermediate clustered shafts supporting the arcade. 3 By calculation it appears that there were three of these arches to each of the bays defined by the larger bases. Those bases were, however, plainly intended to support more than this arcade and may indicate an intention to vault the north walk of the cloister. Whether this was ever carried out is doubtful as no sections of vaulting ribs occurred in the destruction debris. Details of the mural arcade provide important dating evidence for the reconstruction of the nave itself. There can be little doubt that it was an integral part of the rebuilt south wall and was provided to enhance the dignity of the cloister bench on which the canons sat at times of study and meditation. Remains of the marble bench survived bedded into the wall along its entire length, and it is probable that the bases of the intermediate shafts of the arcade rested upon it. Examination of the voussoirs of the arches revealed clear evidence of their having formed a blind arcade, and they were certainly not related to the arcade of the cloister opening towards the garth. Their most striking feature is the occurrence of 'split cusps' - a motif employed in window tracery and elsewhere in the late-thirteenth and earlyfourteenth centuries. A close parallel to the Leeds cusps occurs in the chancel windows of Chartham church, seventeen miles to the east, which is known on documentary evidence to have been in course of construction in 1294, and the fashion does not appear to have extended much beyond the first quarter of the fourteenth century. Two aumbries were situated in the south face of the aisle wall open towards the cloister; one close to the transept (Plate VA) and the other in the central bay, both no doubt intended to contain books for the use of the canons. Internally, they bore traces of plaster and their ciUs were of marble, rebated for the door. In the two eastern bays, at the foot of the aisle wall and below the cloister bench, were four shallow recesses, one of which is shown in Plate VA, containing human bones. No complete ·skeleton was represented, and the remains included part of the thin skull of a very young infant. Probably these bones came from burials disturbed in rebuilding and were carefully re-interred in specially prepared recesses at the base of the wall. 3 I am indebted to our Member, Mr. A. Daniels, for this reconstruction. 41 P. J. TESTER Two parallel lead pipes were found running under the wall beneath the position of the eastern aumbry. Their projected line would cross the cloister garth in the direction of the !aver beside the refectory entrance - a fact of obvious significance. Features of the west end of the nave were well preserved in spite of having been covered by not more than a few inches of soil. The north side of the main west entrance remained with the four marble bases of its jamb-shafts (Plate VIIIB). The threshold had a long marble cill with a square recess in the stone paving immediately inside, this probably relating to a vertical draw-bar for fastening the double doors (Plate VIIIA). To the north was a smaller doorway with a similar cill and marble bases for single jamb-shafts on each side (Plate IXA). There were indications to suggest the occurrence of a blind arch on the south side of the main doorway to balance the appearance of the minor door to the north. The central part of the west front was covered by a narrow porch or narthex with three arches forming its west side, supported by two pillars on quatrefoil bases (Plate XA) with trefoil-based responds at each end of the arcade (Plate XB). In the corners of the porch were marble bases for thin trefoil shafts suggesting strongly that the porch was vaulted. A similar vaulted porch occurs at the west end of the fine fourteenth-century church at Snettisham, Norfolk, where it forms a Jean-to structure like the narthex of a typical Cistercian church. At Leeds, beyond each end of the porch was a chamber, covering the ends of the aisles and of unknown use. Their walls appear to have been too slight to have supported western towers. Projecting into the southern of these two chambers was a rectangular footing, which might have formed the base for a newel stair to a room over the porch. A chamfered plinth ran along the base of the west front and was continued round the two buttresses. The north transept was enlarged presumably at the 􀁿ame time as the rebuilding of the nave. All traces of its north-east comer had vanished, but against the north face of the Norman presbytery there was the short stub of a wall cut through by the foundation of the later presbytery. This stub is interpreted as remains of the east wall of the enlarged transept,4 the Norman north presbytery aisle and the adjoining transept chapel having been eliminated in the reconstruction. The Late-Medieval Presbytery The third major period of construction involved the replacement of the Norman presbytery by a long, square-ended and aisled eastern limb. 4 An examination of mortar samples tends to conflnn this identification. I am grateful to our Member, Mr. D. G. Thompson, for making the analyses of the mortars. 42 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY This was a very usual development in medieval monastic churches from the thirteenth century onwards and almost always preceded any reconstruction of the nave. At Leeds, however, as shown by evidence described below, the reverse was the case. A possible explanation is that the sharply rising ground to the east presented an obstacle until such time as means were available to overcome the practical difficulties involved in an extension in that direction. All that our trenching could discover were massive ragstone foundations lacking all architectural detail to indicate their date. Admittedly, the opportunity for excavation was extremely limited in this thickly wooded area, and we could attempt little more than to determine the main outlines. We traced four parallel footings, the inner two being 7 ft.-wide and at least 6 ft.-deep, the upper part being not more than a foot below the present surface. These latter would have formed the sleepers on which the pier arcade was based, while the outer pair, flanked by buttresses, belonged to the aisles, the buttresses indicating that the presbytery comprised five bays east of the transepts. Important evidence as to relative dating was provided at the junction of the northern inner footing with the west side of the transept. The footing was observed to pass without a break across the transept and met its west wall at the position of the doorway previously described as having been made earlier to allow communication between the north aisle of the rebuilt nave and the transept. Part of the presbytery footing butted against the plastered face of the blocked Norman opening between aisle and transept, and its north side passed through the doorway, effectively blocking it and encasing its south jamb to a height of 2 ft. (Plate VII). From this evidence it appears that when the nave and its north aisle were widened there was no intention of rebuilding the presbytery on the lines eventually carried out. To overcome the problem of uneven ground levels, the floor of the new presbytery had to be raised well above that of the nave. From measurements taken, it is estimated that the floor at the extreme east end may have been as much as 6 ft. above the level of the cill of the west doorway. Part of a flight of steps ascending from the nave to the area of the crossing was observed (Plate VIIA) and these no doubt originally continued across the nave in line with the west side of the transepts. No indications of crossing piers contemporary with the rebuilt presbytery could be discovered. A deep excavation in search of the south-west pier encountered only debris, while the anticipated position of the north-east pier was occupied by the unbroken course of the presbytery footing without any trace of internal projection which might be expected to occur in line with the east side of the transept. 43 P. J. TESTER Burials In addition to the human remains found in the recesses beneath the cloister bench, previously described, indications of three other burials occurred in the church and north walk of the cloister. I. In the eastern bay of the north aisle of the nave part of a robbed stone-lined grave occurred as indicated by the letter G on the plan. Associated with it was a fragment of a crocheted pinnacle bearing traces of red painted decoration and gilding. Most probably this came from a late-medieval tomb and its siting in the centre of the aisle immediately in front of the position normally occupied by an altar suggests that this was the burial place of someone of considerable importance. 2. Inside the sleeper wall of the north arcade of the late-medieval presbytery were disturbed bones of an adult with no other associations (marked G on plan). 3. At the east end of the north walk of the cloister, in front of the doorway into the south transept, was a marble gravestone, the upper (western) part missing, covering the remains of an adult skeleton. The stone was 2 ft. 1 in.-wide at its foot and its incomplete length was 3 ft. 9 in., its original length being estimated at not less than 6 ft. The broken upper edge was 2 ft. 7 in.-wide so that the sides of the slab tapered towards the foot. There was no trace of any inscription or the indent of a brass on-the upper surface. APPENDIX The Excavation of 1846 As mentioned in the introduction, a partial excavation of the Priory was made in 1846 and a note on its results was published in J.B.A.A. for the year following. This has provided the basis for the few published references which have appeared subsequently, and in the light of the latest evidence is seen to call for some qualification. Information about the circumstances of the investigation is contained in Sir Charles lgglesden's A Saunter Through Kent With Pen and Pencil, viii (I 908), 53-4. He obtained his facts from a retired policeman named Henry Gibbons who was born at Leeds in 1834 and lived there as a boy. His uncle, David Gibbons, a local builder, was employed to carry out the digging paid for by the owner of Leeds Castle, Charles Wykeham-Martin, the initiative being provided by the farmer, John Sweetlove, who was interested in antiquarian matters. Apparently, 44 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY Wykeham-Martin withdrew his support before the work was finished and the excavations were back-filled. The account in J.B.A.A. was written by one of the early members of the K.A.S., Alfred Pryer of Hollingbourne, and he stated that a crypt was found with the apse of the church, the latter consisting of three masses of masonry of square form, apparently piers, faced with Caen stone with very thin mortar joints and clear tool-marks on the faces. At an angle, there was the lower part of a small pillar thought to be Norman. All this fits very well with the apsidal chapel in the south transept revealed by our recent digging, so that I am inclined to identify it with what Pryer described as 'the apse of the church'. His three Caen stone 'piers' would be the two ashlar buttresses on the exterior of the apse together with the south jamb of the entrance with its nook-shaft aptly described as a small Norman pillar, while the description he gives of the close jointing and tool-marks agrees exactly. Moreover, he includes a clear description of tile mosaic, matching that found by us on an adjoining part of the transept floor. His reference to a crypt may be a misapprehension due to the low floor-level of the Norman church in relation to later work. Certainly nothing found in our excavations suggested the existence of a crypt, and the present absence of any trace of the east end of the Norman presbytery makes it unlikely that the apse referred to by Pryer occupied that position. The account also mentions two Bethersden marble bases for clustered shafts, found where the aisles and nave would have been, and this agrees with the evidence for the form of the pier arcade provided by the remains of the north-east respond. In the garden of the farmhouse there are a number of carved stones almost certainly brought there from the Priory in or soon after 1846, and in the garden wall, facing the main road (B 2163), there is embedded a moulded capital exactly similar to that found in 1975 on the Priory site and illustrated here in Fig. 3, no. I. Apart, therefore, from the disputed existence of the crypt, the account of 1847 in no way seriously conflicts with our recent findings, nor can it be said to add materially to the information obtained by the latest investigation. 45 Plate I A. North side of Norman bunrcss at south-wesl corner of nave. Rubble walling 10 left is related to later rebuilding of west front. B. South side of opening from south transept into aisle flanking south side of Norman presbytery, viewed from the east. Note diagonal tooling on Caen stone ashlar. and chamfered plinth. Plate II A. Lower part of twelfth-century newel stair on east side of south transept. B. Base of shallow twelfth-century buttress on north-east side of apse in south transept. Rubble walling on left and in foreground represents remains of south aisle of latemedieval presbytery. A. South side of entrance into apsidal chapel in south transept, viewed from north. Nook-shaft with simple base. and plain chamfered plinth like the external buttresses. Plalc 111 B. Outer wall of south aisle of nave with cill, step and tiled threshold of entrance from cloister. with large projecting base in background. Fragment of collapsed mural arcade lying on cloister Hoor-level appears in bottom •ight comer. Plate IV A. Base shown in Plate 11IB, auached to wall of aisle and projecting into cloiscer. Plinth of marble with mouldings and base of shafts in ragstone. To the left (west), part of one of the four recesses in which human bones were found. B. Base of west jamb of fourteenth-century doorway in the western bay of the outer wall of south aisle communicating with cloister, viewed from the east. Material is Upper Greensand. Plate V A. Aumbry in outer wall of south aisle close to transept and open towards cloister. Plastered internally with marble cill rebated for door. To the right, remains of marble bench below which is recess found to contain human bones. B. Reconstruction of one arch of mural arcade in north walk of cloister. Mutilated remains of the ·split cusps' are visible. The marble capital was found in association and has a groove in its upper surface for a metal tie to secure it to the wall. Plate YI A. Junction of the outer wall of the fourteenth-century north aisle with the north transept, viewed from the west. Re-used Caen stone facing on left and semicircular marble base projecting from inner face of aisle wall. B. Re-used Caen stone facing of fourteenth-century outer wall of north aisle of nave. Plinth with wide chamfer. All trace of twelfth-century tooling removed by later reworking on eKposed faces. Scale rests on original ground-level. Plate VII A. Marble plinth of respond at east end of north pier arcade of fourteenth-century nave, viewed from west. In front and to right is marble bench. On extreme right, remains of lower part of flight of steps ascending from nave floor to area of crossing. At top.just left of centre, can be seen the end of the moulded south jamb of the doorway cut in Period II to connect the fourteenth-<:entury aisle with the twelfth-century transept. This is seen here encased in the mortared rubble of the north arcade sleeper wall of the late presbytery. B. South side of same doorway shown partly visible in A, after removal of later rubble blocking. Central hollow for missingjamb-shaft flanked by two hollows bordered by vertical rolls. The base for the missing shaft remains. Masonry on right is plinth on which base of respond shown in A is seated. Plate VIIJ A. Eroded marble cill or west doorway or nave with internal paving stone containing hole related to fastening or doors. B. Marble bases of external ja mb-shafts on north side of west door of nave. Note slight covering of turf over remains at this e n d of church. Plate IX A. Internal view or minor doorway north of main entrance in west end of nave. Marble cill and rebated jambs. B. Rectangular plinth of western respond of south pier arcade of nave. au ached to inner face of west wall. Remains of pavement of plain glazed tiles. Plate X A. One of a pair of identical bases formerly supporting the two pillars on the west side of porch. B. Respond base at south end of triple arcade forming the open (west) side of porch. To the left, in the south-west comer of the porch, can be seen the eroded marble base for triple shafts probably related to the vaulting of the porch.