DALE ABBEY REPORT. 107 



different, and appears to have been designed to correspond with 

 the N.E. one, which is of Early English date, the others being 

 Decorated. In the angle behind this last base, are several of 

 the steps of an ample spiral staircase leading to the rood loft 

 and belfry. The latter held six bells, which weighed 47 cwt. 

 There is a tradition that one or more of these bells were carried 

 off to Lincoln Cathedral, but there is no foundation whatever 

 for this and similar tales relating to the Dale bells. The in- 

 ventory states that they remained unsold, and there the record 

 of them ends. Several of the ribs of the groined ceiling of the 

 tower, and many pieces of the chamfered shafts of the piers, 

 were found in the rubbish. Beneath the N.E. base is a large 

 square chamfered one of earlier date ; and from the care with 

 which these two bases have been left, while the other three have 

 been rebuilt, may we not assume that these are the foundation 

 stones of the two churches erected ? When cutting a drain 

 across the tower area, many interments were met with, in each 

 case without a coffin. 



Of the nave, the only parts opened out are the bases of two 

 of the clustered piers, of bold Early English character. On 

 the north side of the second one, lies a most interesting coffin 

 lid, with its foot to the west. It bears a very fine incised 

 cross on steps, and by the side of the stem on the dexter side 

 is an unusually short pastoral staff. From the design of the 

 slab, and its association with Early English work, this is most 

 probably the gravestone of Walter de Toteneye, the first Abbot 

 of Dale, who died 1226. Incised slabs charged with a pastoral 

 staff are of very rare occurrence. 



The whole of the western wall of the North Transept has 

 been removed, but the masonry remains on the north and east 

 to a height of several feet. Beyond a few portions of window 

 tracery and odd mouldings, the only interesting discoveries 

 were some portions of the effigy of one of the Canons of the 

 Abbey, of early thirteenth century work, but the fragments are 

 too incomplete to admit of anything more being made out. 

 On the east side of this transept is a large square chapel, 

 which originally had a vaulted roof, but, from the way in which 



