Excavations on the Site of Leeds Priory - Part II

EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY P ART II - THE CLAUSTRAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER REMAINS P. J. TESTER, F.S.A. This second part of the report on the excavations carried out by the Kent Archaeological Society in 1973-6 continues from the description of the monastic church contained in Part I (Arch. Cant., xciii (1977)) and deals with the remains of the claustral buildings, with notes on the house built on the site of the Priory, and appendices on the finds. Reference to the plan in Part I is essential in following the descriptions in the second part. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In addition to those named in the first report, I wish to express thanks to Mr. John Beckwith, F.B.A., F. S.A., of the V ictoria and Albert Museum, for his notes on the ivory carving; Mr. C. R. Councer, F.S.A., for reporting on the glass and providing Appendix VI; Mr. M. Horton, B.A., for reporting on the floor-tiles; and Professor G. Zarnecki, C.B.E., F.B.A., F.S.A., of the Courtauld Institute, for information concerning the twelfth-century carvings from the chapter house. The drawings in Figs. l , 2 and 3 are by the skilled hand of Mr. A. C. Hart. THE CLAUSTRAL BUILDINGS The Chapter House This was clearly contemporary with the twelfth-century church as its north wall was of one construction with the south transept. Originally, the east end was apsidal but this had been destroyed in course of later conversion. Traces of the apse could be discerned, however, in a slight surviving curve on the inside of the foundation of the north wall, and 75 P. J. TESTER Fig. l. Twelfth-Century Carvings from the Chapter House (¼). (Drawn by A. C. Hart.) 76 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. on the south the outer radius was seen in a very distinct butt-joint where a later wall had been built against it. All foundations of the rest of the apse had been entirely removed. Some walls to the east provided evidence of the adaptation of this part of the monastic buildings to secular purposes in a period of occupation following the Dissolution, except for the easternmost wall, running north-south which is probably medieval although of unknown significance. At two opposite points on the inner face of the side walls were remains of ashlar-faced pilasters, their positions on the springing-line of the apse indicating that they probably served as a responds for an arch, or arches, spanning the building between the main body and the apse. Remains of the entrance from the east walk of the cloister showed it to have been of a very richly decorative nature, as was often the case with Norman chapter house entrances. There remained on the south side two decorated bases of jamb shafts and part of a central shaft carved with spiral and bead ornament. 'Spurs' occupied the spaces between the base and the angles of the plinth, in the form of stylized 0 3 Ft, 0 0-S Fig. 2. Base of South Side of Chapter House Entrance. (Drawn by A. C. Hart.) 77 P. J. TESTER foliage bursting through eliptically framed openings - the whole beautifully executed in Caen stone and of a very high quality (Plate IA and Fig. 2). The north side of the entrance was of the same form but the detail was less clearly preserved. Among the destruction debris in the immediate vicinity of the entrance were numerous carved stones once comprising its arch and other features. Voussoirs with zig-zag, billet, embattled and other types of Norman decoration were found in considerable quantity (Fig. 3, nos. 1-5) and enable a concept to be formed of the original nature of the arch. A battered capital - most probably from the head of one of the jamb-shafts - has two representations of Samson rending the lion. Another particularly interesting fragment is a 'beak-head' type decoration carved at the end of a section of the label or outer member of the arch. It must have been situated level with the springing-line, on the right side when viewed from the cloister, and Professor Zarnecki -􀀃/ / ' - 4 6 INCH ES I r 1 , , 1 I , • , r , t r I · ... · i . ... I < ,,.􀀚,:. 􀀛- . \,. . 􀀜§ . L,. J. 3 Fig. 3. 1-6, Voussoirs and Abacus from Chapter House Entrance; 7, Part of TwelfthCentury Capital, re-used in Wall of South Aisle; 8, re-used Twelfth-Century Voussoir of Pyramid Form. (Drawn by A. C. Harr.) 78 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. states that it is the only known example of such a 'beak-head' in Kent (Fig. 1). Professor Zarnecki has examined photographs of the chapter house carvings and in his expert opinion they date from c. 1160. He makes comparison with the chapter house at Rochester (c. 1150-60), but whereas the spurs on the bases there are pointed, those at Leeds are foliated and of greater interest. The trefoiled scrolls with binding ties on an abacus (Fig. 3, no. 6) are matched by work on the lavatory tower in the monastic buildings of Canterbury Cathedral, ascribed to Prior Wibert between 1153 and 1167. The walls on either side of the entrance survived to a height of 2 ft. 6 in. and if the doorway had been flanked by the two openings usually found in that position, their cills could not have been less than that height above the cloister floor. Only a small part of the interior was fully excavated, mainly in the area of the destroyed apse. No burials were encountered but a small patch of tiles slightly below the estimated floor level could have formed the floor of a grave of the type found by Mr. A. C. Harrison in the medieval St. Mary's Hospital at Strood (Arch. Cant., lxxxiv, 1969, 146). There were signs of later disturbance and pieces of coal covered a late floor level, from which it is concluded that the chapter house was used for the storage of that material in post-Dissolution times. No evidence survived of a bench against the inside of the walls as frequently occurred in chapter houses. Consideration has been given to the possibility that the chapter house was extended eastwards in the later Middle Ages and provided with a square end in place of the apse, as might be inferred from the plan. Constructional evidence and the stratification - particularly the high level of the base of the extended north wall - does not, however, accord with such an interpretation. The East Range The side walls of the dormitory range were traced at several points but the interior of the building could not be uncovered due to the presence of a plantation of poplar trees in the area. At this point the ground rises steeply on the side of the valley towards the east and drops away southward beyond the limit of the range shown on the plan where the foundations vanished completely so that we were unable to discover the original length of the range nor the situation of the reredorter which should have been sited in that direction. The east wall of the range was seen to butt against a wall lying east-west, in line with the south side of the chapter house although of separate construction. 79 P. J. TESTER At the north end was a narrow apartment entered from the cloister and having a tiled threshold similar to that relating to the doorway between the cloister and the church (Part I, Plate IIIB). This was clearly not a through passage and was probably the site of the day-stair to the dormitory. Its entrance was represented only by the lowest part of its north jamb - a featureless block of ragstone devoid of mouldings to indicate its age. Undoubtedly, the dormitory occupied the upper storey of the range, while the ground floor may have served as the warming house or been used for some other purpose. The South Range It is probable that the refectory was above ground level in this range, in which case the walls shown on the plan·may, in fact, have been those of an undercroft. The entrance from the cloister was towards the west and was approached by a flight of stone steps. These had been robbed leaving only a rubble ramp with impressions of the steps remaining (Plate IIA). The top step, forming the cill of the entrance, was 2 ft. 6 in. above the cloister floor and the ascent is assumed to have continued inside the building, supported on internal walls at this point as indicated on the plan. Both jambs of the entrance could be traced, the opening being 5 ft. 3 in. wide, while the approaching steps were I O ft. wide and Projected 4 ft. into the cloister. Beside the entrance was a deep recess for the laver, or washing place, with part of a chamfered marble plinth at its base, suggesting that the lower part of the laver itself had been faced in this material. At a convenient level within the recess would have been a trough into which water flowed for the canons' ablutions. In the debris near this point part of a marble trough was found (Fig. 8, no. 6) and this may have come from the destroyed )aver. No doubt the recess was arched and possibly vaulted, a Decorated capital found in debris probably forming part of this arrangement at the head of a triplet of slender shafts (Fig. 4, no. 4). Midway along the inside of the outer wall of the south range was a fireplace, represented by a rectangular hearth edged by a half-round stone kerb, projecting l ft. 5 in. into the room and originally about 6 ft. 6 in. wide (Plate IIIB). At its back, a brick oven had been formed in the thickness of the chimney projection, this almost certainly representing a post-Dissolution adaptation. The presence of this medieval fireplace at approximately the original ground level implies that the space below the refectory may have served as the warming house. Although this was often sited under the donnitory, exceptions occur in houses of various orders where the warming house was located in the same range as the 80 5 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. 1 2 L. 7 12 \ I.. I I 3 C 8 Fig. 4. Mouldings and Details of Door Jambs (h). 81 I 4 .__,, PJT P. J. TESTER refectory, opposite and parallel to the church, e.g. Boxley (Cistercian), Egglestone (Praemonstratensian), Lilleshall (Augustinian) and Monk Bretton (Cluniac). A through passage or 'dark entry' occurred at the east end of the south range, giving access from the cloister to the area south of the refectory range. At its north end the moulded jamb of the west side of its entrance survived and was of Decorated character (Plate 1B and Fig. 4, no. 12). The opening at the south end had a cill rebated for a door 4 ft. wide and opening inwards, and adjoining was the chamfered north jamb of a doorway giving access to the area beneath the refectory, this being separated from the passage by a thin wall. The Kitchen Disturbance in this locality had confused stratification and rendered interpretation difficult. On the east were indications of a wide fireplace with evidence of repair and renewal extending into the postDissolution period (Plate IIIA). Scattered pottery from this area ranged in date from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries. A doorway in the north-east corner apparently communicated with the room under the refectory, and at the north end was the lower part of a stone stair, turning to the right, and no doubt originally leading up to the refectory. On removing part of the clay hearth, the lower part of a pottery vessel was found, standing upright without discernible contents, and with the rim above the shoulder missing. What remained was of hard buff ware suggesting a late-medieval or post-Dissolution date, and one is reminded of the custom of burying Bellarmine jugs and other vessels in hearths, containing charms against witches, though whether this is the explanation in this instance is far from certain. The West Range In order to trace the west side of this range, which was overlain by ruins of modern stone and brick farm buildings, a wide trench was cut by means of a mechanical excavator and the remains revealed defined by hand digging (Plate IIB). This showed the lower part of a wall with outer buttresses coinciding with internal responds. In the north-east corner, adjoining the church, there was a corbel, and another occurred in the south-east angle (Plate V), the top of the latter being only 2 ft. 2 in. above floor level, and clearly indicating that the lower storey of the range had been vaulted. In debris covering the south end, part of a plain chamfered vaulting rib was found to confirm this conclusion. Most probably the vault of this undercroft was supported by a central 82 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. row of short pillars, the bases of which might have been revealed if opportunity had occurred to examine the interior of the building. At the south end of the west wall were the chamfered jambs of a wide doorway, the lower hinge-pins remaining on each side, indicating that double doors filled the opening 5 ft. 10 in. in width. Just north was another opening, blocked at an undetennined date, and on either side were traces of thin parallel walls of a narrow building lying at rightangles to the range. Further excavation in a westward direction was prevented by the farm road skirting this side of the site. At the east end of the south wall there was another doorway, its outward splays indicating that it is unlikely to have been an external entrance and must have communicated with a building on the west side of the kitchen (Plate IVB). Towards the north end of the east wall the well-preserved lower part of a doorway from the cloister remained, the jambs hollow-chamfered with the bases and lower portions of both nook-shafts in position (Plate IVa). Normally, a doorway in this position led into a crosspassage serving as the outer parlour and a communication with the outer court. Occasionally, however, the outer parlour took the form of a large room projecting westwards, e.g., at Selby and Bridlington. At Leeds there was a wing at right-angles to the north end of the west range to fit this arrangement and its south side may have been defined across the interior of the main building by a timber partition, as there was no stone foundation on this alignment. The wing cannot have extended much further than shown on the plan on account of the stream running south - north on the west side of the fann road. The use to which the upper floor of the west range was put varied in different monasteries. Often, it contained the lodgings of the president - in this case the prior - and also accommodation for guests In the vaulted undercroft the cellarer stored the provisions for the house which were in his charge. The Cloister Cuttings on the four sides of the enclosure determined the positions of the foundations of the cloister arcades. In these excavations several pieces of marble shafts were found and may be assumed to have come from the cloister arcades. From the slight character of the footings it seems unlikely that the cloister was ever vaulted. THE POST-DISSOLUTION HOUSE In Harris's History of Kent there appears an engraving by Badslade of Leeds Abby, the house which occupied the site of the medieval Priory 83 P. J. TESTER until its demolition towards the end of the eighteenth century. The view is taken from the north, and on the right can be clearly recognized the Tudor pigeon house still remaining - though sadly now in ruins - a};,ly described by the late John E. L. Caiger in Arch. Cant., lxxxix (1974), 36-41. Surrounding the house are shown gardens and plantations within walled enclosures, the whole being a very complete bird's-eye view of the establishment when occupied by the Meredith family in the early eighteenth century. One would expect to observe some recognizable features of the main building to coincide with the medieval layout as revealed by the recent excavations, but after careful study I am forced to conclude that this cannot be done with any certainty. The fa􀂔ade of the house faced north and was very similar in style to Charlton Court, East Sutton, dated -1612 and illustrated in The Buildings of England -West Kent and the Weald (1969). Behind it appears a series of buildings with pitched dormered roofs, apparently ranged round a small court. This suggests continuity with the . claustral plan, but details of the buildings themselves show no obvious medieval characteristics and the enclosed area is much less than that of the monastic cloister garth. In the foreground, projecting west from the main structure, appears a building with buttresses on its north side, and this might possibly be a survival of the wing shown by excavation to have been attached to the north end of the medieval west range. If this identification is correct, the Jacobean front would have stood just south of the destroyed nave. Excavation revealed evidence of post-Dissolution alteration in the area of the south transept, where a concentration of domestic rubbish was uncovered, including pottery of c. 1700. The chapter house showed clear·evidence of having been used as a coal store and walls to its east were of a constructional character quite dissimilar to the adjoining medieval work. A rectangular compartment in this area (the smaller of the two shown on the plan covering the site of the eastern limit of the destroyed apse) was lined with brickwork, the inner face of the walls having internal projections one brick thick, forming small stalls, about I 0 in. wide, each with a pottery bowl mortared into the floor. Their purpose is a mystery, although it has been suggested that they were nesting places for poultry, and the pottery, with patchy green glaze on the interior, suggests a sixteenth- or seventeenth-century date. In the south range, the brick oven inserted in the back of the medieval fireplace is evidence of continued use of this part of the Priory after the Dissolution and, as previously stated, both constructional evidence and associated pottery leads to a similar conclusion regarding the kitchen. A short distance south of the Priory site there stands a detached rectangular building shown on the O.S. Sheet at TQ 82345295. Most 84 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. probably it was associated with the post-monastic occupation though its use is open to speculation. The walls are of ragstone rubble, no doubt re-used from the Priory, and it is covered with a red-brick barrel vault. In constructional character it has much in common with the pigeon house. A photograph of the west side of this building appears in The Invicta Magazine, ii, no. 4, (1912), 250, where it is noted that at that time it was known locally as 'The Abbey'. APPENDIX I ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS Fig. 1. (Above) Remains of capital relating to chapter house entrance, with two representations of Samson rending the lion (Judges, XIV). This was a popular subject with twelfth-century sculptors, a well known example being in the tympanum at Stretton Sugwash, Herefordshire, dated 1140-50. It is derived in style from churches in or near the department of Charente Maritime in France. 1 (Below) 'Beak-head' type termination of label of chapter house entrance. It would have been matched by another on the north (left) side of the arch. At present this 'beak-head' from Leeds is believed to be unique in Kent. Fig. 2. Details of the base of the south side of the chapter house entrance (Plate IA). Decoration on the bases is closely matched in the chapter house entrance at Rochester where a piece of shaft lying detached near by, and probably found in the nineteenth-century excavation, has the same spiral decoration seen in the central shaft at Leeds. Fig. 3. 1-5. Voussoirs from the collapsed arch of the chapter house entrance. The beaded ribbon of no. 2, associated here with embattled ornament, occurs on the west doorway of Rochester Cathedral. The furrowed decoration of no. 5 is unusual. 6. Abacus with trefoils, scrolls and . binding ties as in the midtwelfth- century lavatory tower at Canterbury Cathedral. This was also found in the debris of the chapter house entrance. 7. Part of a twelfth-century capital found re-used in the fourteenthcentury south aisle of the nave. 1 L. Stone, Sculpture in Britain (1972), Plate 47 and pp. 67, 69-70. 85 P. J. TESTER 8. Re-used stone from the area of the nave, bearing twelfth--century carving. The face shown is cut into pyramid form with a roll in each arris. At Climping, Sussex, this occurs in the jambs and round the arch of a doorway dated in The Buildings of England (1965) c. 1170 'at the earliest'. Fig. 4. I. Capital, found in debris in area of south transept. Early fourteenthcentury. 2. Marble capital for quadruple clustered shafts and probably derived from the mural arcade in the north walk of the cloister. See, Part I, Plate VB, where it is shown reconstructed with the split-cusp arch. The sunk chamfer shown in this profile is typical of Decorated work of the early fourteenth century. 3. Purbeck marble capital from debris at north end of west range. The profile suggests a late-thirteenth- or early-fourteenth-century date. 4. Capital for triplet of attached shafts, found in debris at west end of south range, and possibly related to the laver. Y-shaped channel on the underside for lead key onto top of shafts. 5. Base of jamb shaft of doorway between west walk of cloister and west range (Plate IVA). Fourteenth century. 6. Base from debris of south aisle of nave. Early-fourteenth century. 7. Base of jamb shaft from rubble at north end of west range. The necking is carried across as a lower bar-stop to the adjoining vertical chamfer, as can be seen in the early-fourteenth-century work in the chapter house of Canterbury Cathedral where a late survivor of the devolved 'water-holding' base is present as in the Leeds example. 8. String course from debris on south side of nave. Cf. the moulding on the doorway of 1327 at Rochester Cathedral, figured in Arch. Cant., xxiii (I 898), 275. 9. String course, found in debris near refectory entrance. Latethirteenth or early-fourteenth century. 10. Arch moulding from west walk of cloister. Probably c. 1300. 11. Decorated corbel cut from re-used Norman plinth. On the side opposite to that illustrated occurs the twelfth-century moulding shown in profile on the right. Found in debris of south aisle of nave. 12. West side of the entrance at the north end of the 'dark entry' passage between the south and east ranges (Plate IB). 13. West side of doorway in south aisle communicating with west end of north walk of cloister (Part I, Plate IVB). Plate VIA. Example of 'split cusp' from the mural arcade of the north walk of the cloister. 86 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. Plate VIB. Part of a pinnacle found in association with grave in the north aisle of the nave. It may have come from a tomb originally covering the grave and bears remains of red paint and gilding. APPENDIX II MEDIEVAL FLOOR-TILES (Figs. 5 and 6) MARK HORTON, B.A. Only in four areas of the excavation was tile flooring found in situ. Six tiles of design l figured here were found across the entrance to the apse of the south transept, arranged diagonally and partly covered by a blocking wall of uncertain date. Plain tiles of group VIII were found in situ on the threshold of the doorway between the cloister and the church in the central bay of the south aisle. Others were similarly situated at the entrance of the narrow apartment immediately south of the chapter house. Tile mosaic, of group VII, was found in isolated areas in front of the step into the apsidal chapel. It also occurred, not in situ, in a position and at a depth indicating that it covered the floor of the presbytery before the late-medieval rebuilding. All the remaining tiles were found in destruction levels. On the basis of fabric, technique of manufacture and design, the tiles can be divided into eight groups: Group I. 1-7. Fragments of decorated tiles, 5 in. square and I in. to l ·2 in. thick, of orange-red fabric with gritty temper and occasional gravel inclusions. Each has slightly bevelled sides with no keying, and they have been shaped by cutting. White slip decoration, -h in. thick, has been applied over impression, 2 and has been incompletely wiped off, the design being much smudged. They have a pale greenish glaze, and have been badly fired with many cracks. The core and upper surface is grey. No. 6 has evidence of kiln-stacking, the tile having been laid flat and face down in the kiln. No. 4 has been scored before firing and broken diagonally after. There are no good parallels for this group; local manufacture seems likely, of possibly late-thirteenth-century date. Group II. 8 and 9. Two fragments of tiles with streaks of yellow in the fabric and a fine grit temper; steeply bevelled sides with no keying; shaped by 2P. J. Drury and G. D. Pratt, 'A late thirteenth and early fourteenth Century Tile Factory at Danbury, Essex', Med. Arch., xix (1975), 92-165. 87 .,, 7 􀀃-- 10 INCHES F1. g• 5 • F loor-Tiles (¼). 88 􀀂 􀀁 􀀂I 14 _ PJT . .. EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. 66 15 □ [:] [] 20 21 .,I CJ 22 18 □ 23 25 26 27 Fig. 6. Tile Mosaic (¼). 0 24 INCHES cutting, 1 in. to 1 · l in. thick. The white slip decoration has been applied over impression and is A in. thick. glaze is orange-yellow and details of the design are carefully handled. Well fired with a grey core. Both fragments are part of a sixteen-tile design. Similar examples have been recorded at Frittenden3 and also at New Romney, Appledore and probably at Maidstone (All Saints)4 and Higham Priory. 5 It is likely that this group dates from c. 1360-90 and the distribution pattern suggests more than one centre of production. Group III. 10. One fragment of tile, 0·7 in. thick, of a dull-red fabric with coarse grit temper and some large stone inclusions; steeply bevelled sides and no keying, the tile having been shaped by cutting and scored diagonally before firing to enable it to be broken into a triangular shape after. White slip has been applied over impression and is n in. thick. Glaze is bright orange-yellow, and the fragment is well fired with a grey core. This tile is difficult to parallel except for an identical example in Brookland church. Possibly it is an import from the Low Countries, 6 3 Arch. Cant., ix (1874), 203. 4 J. Cave-Browne, A History of Maidstone (1890). 5 Arch. Cant., lxxxii (1967), 143. 6 J. B. Ward Perkins, 'Late Medieval Flemish inlaid Tiles in England', Antiq. Journ., xvii (1937), 442. 89 P. J. TESTER the glaze and fabric being similar to such tiles. We can suggest a fourteenth-century date. Group IV. 11 and 12. Five fragments and one complete tile, 0·8 in. thick and 4· l to 4·2 in. square, of bright orange-red fabric with fine sandy temper, grey core and no keys. White slip decoration is less than }2 in. thick. No. 12 has slip over impression, whereas I I has been decorated by stamp on slip. The glaze is pale yellow. These form part of a widespread group in west Kent, the designs following closely those of the Chiltern tileries, 7 but with variation. Slight differences in the decoration have already been noted, and it is likely that they come from more than one source. Although the typology of these 'Chiltern derivatives' has not yet been worked out, it is likely that they were made to the east of London. 8 Their occurrence in Cobham church, probably as part of the refurbishing carried out by Sir John de Cobham in the I360s, suggests a late-fourteenth-century date. Group V. 13. One fragment of bright red fabric, grit temper and grey core; 0·75 in. thick and 4·3 in. square; very slight bevel and no keying. White slip decoration -b in. thick, probably applied as slip over impression, although the tile is very worn. The glaze is greenish-yellow. Fabric and design suggest Tyler Hill, near Canterbury, as the place of manufacture, and the tile probably belongs to the early fourteenth century. Group VI. 14. One fragment, 0·8 in. thick, of bright red fabric with grit temper and inclusions of partially-fired clay; oxidized throughout. No keys, and sides slightly bevelled. Slip decoration, fg in. thick, is applied over impression; the glaze is yellow-brown and the design is badly handled. This is probably part of a group attributed to the 'Westminster tiler' and occurs elsewhere in Kent, e.g. Temple Manor, Strood.9 Group VII. Tile mosaic (Fig. 6). Thirteen tiles of dull buff to red fabric with coarse angular sandy temper, oxidized throughout, with no keys and a medium bevel. The mosaic is of two thicknesses: l · 1 in. and 0·9 in., which suggests that they came from two different pavements. 7 C. Hohler, 'Medieval Pavingtiles in Buckinghamshire', Record of Bucks, xiv (1942). 8 S. B. Rigold, in B. J. Philp, Excavations at Faversham 1965 (1968). 9 S. E. Rigold, 'Two Kentish Carmelite Houses-Aylesford and Sandwich', Arch. Cant., Jxxx (1965), 1-28. 90 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. 15. Equilateral triangle, sides 3 in., and 1 · l in. in thickness. One side broken after firing; thick white slip and pale greenish glaze. 16. Triangular, sides 2· 5 in. and I ·9 in., 0·9 in. thick, cut before firing on two sides, the short side being broken after firing. No slip and dark-green glaze. 17. Triangular, sides 4·5 in. and 2·5 in., 0·9 in. thick. Slip and traces of yellowish glaze. 18. Lozenge-shaped, sides 2·5 in., 0·9 in. thick, with slip and glaze as for 15. 19. Lozenge-shaped, sides 2·5 in., I· I in. thick. Slip and glaze as 15. 20. Square, sides 3 in., I· I in. thick, with all sides cut before firing. Slip and glaze as 15. 21. Square, sides 2·9 in., 0·9 in. thick, cut on all four sides before firing. Deeply inlaid decoration of octafoil, and pale greenish-yellow glaze. 22. Square, sides 1 ·9 in., 0·9 in. thick, cut before firing on all four sides. Glaze and slip as 15. 23. Small square tile, sides 1 ·5 in., I· I in. thick, with two sides cut before firing and two broken after. Very worn, with slip and glaze as 15. 24. Hexagonal, with sides l ·5 in., I· I in. thick with all sides cut before firing. Slip and glaze as 15. 25. Rectangular, 4·3 by l ·5 in., 1 · 1 in. thick with the ends cut before firing and the sides broken after. No slip and dark-green glaze. 26. Rectangular, 2·8 in. by l ·5 in., l · l in. thick; three sides cut before firing and one long side after. No slip and dark-green glaze. 27. Rectangular, 2·9 by 0·9 in., 0·7 in. thick. Dark-green glaze. These form part of a very distinctive local group of rectilinear mosaic tiles. Apart from the examples found at Leeds Priory in the 1846 excavations, 10 similar mosaic tiles are known from Boxley Abbey11 and Rochester Cathedral where a pavement is intact in the north quire transept. This mosaic is different from the curvilinear type found in the Corona of Canterbury Cathedral 12 or in the Cistercian abbeys of the north of England. Group VIII. Not figured, but see Plate IIIB in the first report. Large plain tiles, with white slip and yellow and dark-green glazes, 9·5 in. square and 1 ·2 in. thick, laid chequer-wise. Similar tiles have been recorded in medieval 10 J.B.A.A., ii (1847). 11 Arch. Cant., lxxxviii (1973), 129. 12 E. S. Eames, 'Medieval Pseudo Mosaic Tiles', J.B.A.A., xxxviii (1975), 81. 91 P. J. TESTER contexts in Kent, at Cobham College, 1 3 Higham Priory 14 and St. Mary's Hospital, Strood. 15 Conclusions Unfortunately, excavation was not intensive enough to give archaeological contexts for in_ situ tiling or to provide an adequate sample to draw conclusions about the tile flooring of the Priory church or other monastic buildings. The occurrence here of tile mosaic is a significant addition to our knowledge of the tile industry in Kent. These were almost certainly the earliest tiles in Leeds Priory, and it is by no means unlikely that they date from soon after the completion of the first church. The Priory seems to have obtained tiles from a wide range of sources fairly continuously at least until the early fifteenth century. These purchases probably represent both the patching ·of existing pavements and the laying of extensive areas of new flooring. The large range of tiles recovered from the excavation suggests that the Priory church, at least, was profusely decorated by tile flooring. APPENDIX III WINDOW GLASS (Fig. 7) C. R. COUNCER, F.S.A. Of 157 fragments of glass submitted for examination 16 seven are potmetal yellow, seven blue, two ruby, and the remainder originally white, many with scanty traces of painting. All are heavily corroded and some laminated, a well-known condition consistent with long burial in the earth. Translucency is almost totally impaired in nearly all the pieces. In a few specimens it is possible to distinguish between corrosion on one side of the glass caused by exposure to the elements while still in the windows and the general deterioration arising from chemical action in the earth. As the glass had presumably been in the windows for about 200 years before the Dissolution this might be expected, but it is an interesting point to note. Enough traces of painting remain to suggest a date in the second quarter of the fourteenth century. The twelve specimens illustrated are 13 Arch. Cant., Jxxix (1964), 109. 14 Arch. Cant., lxxxii (1967), 143. 15 A. C. Harrison, 'Excavations on the Site of St. Mary's Hospital, Strood', Arch. Cant., lxxxiv (1969), 139. 16 These fragments came mainly from the south side of the nave (P.J.T.). 92 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. N ., 93 P. 1. TESTER the only ones with significant remains of the original designs. The lombardic letters 'V S' and 'S' are yellow-stained, and though I can find no indication of the stain on any of the other pieces this does not, in view of the generally poor condition of the glass, rule out the possibility that some of them were treated in this way. APPENDIX IV OBJECTS OF METAL AND STONE (Fig. 8) l. Copper strip in two pieces. The surface, including the decoration, is gilded and the background recessed and filled with green enamel. Found at the west end of the nave. 2. Lombardic letter S, cut from latten plate ½ in. thick. One side is smooth and the other rough, and it is most probable that it came from the marginal inscription of a monumental brass like that to Lady Joan de Cobham (c. 1310-20) in the chancel of Cobham church. Its occurrence in the area of the chapter house where burials- of early priors could be expected to have been made is of obvious significance. 3. Part of the brass candlestick, found near the chapter house. 4. Section of one of the two water pipes found passing under the south wall of the nave (marked P-P on the plan) as described in Part I. From their situation they cannot be later than early fourteenth century. 5. Moulded lead disc with relief cross and raised rim. Found at the west end of the nave. 6. End of a marble trough found near the !aver and probably derived from its destruction, the underside is irregular and bears traces of mortar indicating that it was permanently bedded and not portable. 7. Part of the lower half of a Mayen lava rotary pot-quern, found in the medieval stratum of the kitchen floor. Such lava querns were widely used in the period c. 1100-1500, although precise dating of individual examples is difficult - as in the present case. This type, when complete, had an upper stone fitting into the lower, rotating on a vertical spindle secured in a hole in the base. Careful adjustment was needed to bring the faces of the two stones into correct functional relationship. In the Leeds example the interior of the base is markedly convex with dressing grooves radiating from the centre and also clear indications of the rotary motion of the upper stone. Corn would have been poured in through a hole in the centre of the upper stone and the meal emerged through an aperture where there projected a short flatbottomed chute with vertical sides. A note on lava querns of medieval age by the late Dr. G. C. Dunning occurred in Antiquaries Journal, xiv (1965), 62-3. 94 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. 􀀂. -@- l/"77"Zz z2 Z 2::z:Z> 5 -lJ ;:iJ_ I I I I 􀀃A· 0 , , , , I , , I I I I I I I I I 3 ... ------ .... ----- ... ' , , Fig. 8. Objects of Metal and Stone. (Scales: 1-5, ½; 6 and 7, ½) 1 4 ' ' A fragment of another apparently similar Java quern was found near the junction of the south and west ranges. It consists of part of the base, and the diameter is estimated at approximately a foot with sides one inch thick. 95 P. J. TESTER APPENDIX V IVORY C ARVING (Plates VII and VIII) JOHN G. BECKWITH, F.B.A., F.S.A. This small walrus ivory carving was found about 2 ft. below ground near the south-west comer of the south transept. It is 7· 16 cm. in height, 6· 3 5 cm. wide and 3 ·49 cm. in depth; 1 7 According to Miss Anne Moncrieff, Department of Conservation, Victoria and Albert Museum, there is still organic material present in it but also a lot of calcium carbonate and silica. Some of these minerals would have been present in the original ivory, but it is probably partially mineralized - that is organic materials (silica and carbonates) have been deposited in the porous ivory structure from water soaking into it in the soil. The presence of these minerals accounts for the weight of the object which is greater than unaltered ivory and may also explain the feel and texture which is not like that of old ivory. There is iron present which may be the cause of the red-brown colour but this could also be due to decayed organic material in the soil. It is not possible to tell from the degree of mineralization how long the object has been buried but some considerable length of time would seem likely. The carving must originally have represented the Virgin and Child enthroned, the upper side figures presumably represented angels, and the standing figures saints. The patron saints of Leeds Priory are not fully known but St. Nicholas was one of them. The three seated figures on the back of the throne are probably the three cardinal virtues. The closest comparable object would appear to be an ivory carving of the Adoration of the Magi, now in the British Museum, dating from the second decade of the thirteenth century but it has no figures carved on the back.18 In the same museum a chess-piece carved with a representation of a bishop, David as a musician and two ecclesiastics, dating from the early thirteenth century, has however a similar grouping on the back. 19 The carving found at Leeds Priory is in such a state that precise stylistic assessment is well-nigh impossible but a date in the late thirteenth century seems reasonable. There appears to be no doubt of its English origin. 17 I have discussed the carving with Mr. Richard Camber, Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities, British Museum, who agrees with me on my finding. 18 0. M. Dalton, Catalogue of the Ivory Carvings ... in the British Museum, London, 1909, no. 248; M. H. Longhurst, English Ivory Carvings, London, 1926, no. xiv; New York, The Metropolitan Museum, The Year .1200, Catalogue 1970, no. 66. 19 Dalton, Catalogue no. 245. I have been reminded of this reference by Mr. Dean A. Porter, Curator of the Art Gallery, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, who is working on a thesis on English Gothic Ivory Carvings. 96 EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF LEEDS PRIORY, II. APPENDIX VI DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE POSSIBLY RELATING TO BUILDING PHASES II AND III C. R. COUNCER, F.S.A. Direct documentary evidence of the successive phases of building at Leed􀁼 Priory revealed in the recent excavations has not so far been found, but it seems worth while to draw attention to certain records which may have a bearing on th.e subject. In 1320, Walter (Reynolds), Archbishop of Canterbury, appropriated the church of Chart Sutton to the Priory because at his recent visitation the canons were faithfully observing the religious life but the buildings were in need of repair and the church was in ruins. The King's confirmation followed in the same year. 20 'In ruins' need not be taken too literally: it was an expression often used in the Middle Ages in ·a similar context; but it does indicate a considerable degree of dilapidation, and is certainly not the language which would be used if the nave were then being rebuilt. It is suggested that the rebuilding, for which abundant archaeological evidence has now been found, was taken in hand in or soon after 1320. In 1487, Dr. James Goldwell (of the Great Chart family), Bishop of Norwich, founded a chantry of one priest at the altar of the B.V.M. in the south part of the nave of the priory church, and made other benefactions so great that the convent 'acknowledged him in some measure as the founder of their house.'21 This in itself does not tell us very much, but it does suggest that with their increased resources the cations may have been encouraged to embark upon the building of the great new presbytery which could not be dated precisely from the archaeological evidence. In 1536, Arthur St. Leger, who had been Prior of Leeds since 1528,22 resigned on a pensibn of £16. 23 His successor, Thomas Day, writing to Cromwell on 8th April, 1537, says that £951 19s. 8¾d. is owing to the King, and £447 18s. 4½d. to the late Prior's brothers, brother-in-law, and others. 'Please stop his pension until his debts are cleared,' says the harrassed Prior. 'I cannot come to London for fear of being arrested for debt. '24 20Pat. 13 Ed. 2. m. 12. 21 Hasted (8vo.) 22 , v. 493. Calendar of Letters and Papers, Hen. Vil!, (L.P.), iv, 4557. 23 Arch. Caht., ii (1859), 57. 24 L.P., xii, Pt. 1, 867. 97 P. J. TESTER It has hitherto been difficult to imagine how, even with the worst possible administration, a debt of this magnitude - roughly four times the total annual income of the Priory- could have been incurred. Now, in the light of the archaeological evidence, may we not conjecture with some plausibility that -it represents money borrowed to pay for the building work, which had proved beyond the ordinary resources of the house? 98 PLATE I A. Base of South Side of Chapter House Entrance. B. West Side or Entrance at Nonb End of Passage between East and South Ranges. A. Steps of the Refectory, viewed from the East. Plinth of Laver in Background. PLATE II B. Wes! Wall of West Range, viewed from the North. PLATE III A. East Side of Kitchen with Remains of Fireplace and Hearth. B. Fireplace and Oven in South Wall of South Range. PLATElV B. Doorway in South Wall of West Range, viewed from the South. .. ':. : ·􀀊.:..-i􀀋 ....􀀅 􀀆 • 4 Corbel in Sou1h-ca,1 Corner of We-I Range. Top of Corbel" 2 f1. 2 ,n. abO\C Floor Le\'el. PLATE V A. Split Cusp from Mural Arcade in North Walk of Cloister. PLATE VI B. Fragment of Pinnacle found in Association with Grave in North Aisle of Nave. PLATE VII Ivory Carving. Fronl (left) and Rear (righl) Views. Height 2·8 in. PLATE VIII Side Views of Ivory Carving.