north aisle, which might ead to the cemetery, and also allow the aged monks in 

 the infirmary to get access to the chantry chapels without interfering with the 

 privacy of the cloister. Another door was then added in the south transept to 

 allow the laity to attend these services in the chapels, keeping clear of the choir of 

 the monks. 



The nave has been so nearly destroyed that we can only judge from the slight 

 remains of the eastern arches that they must have been of the same date as the 

 choir. The conventual buildings first built are also destroyed, but their junction 

 with the north transept can still be seen. Similar marks of the loftier buildings 

 that succeeded them in the 13th century also exist. 



Before the middle of the 13th century large grants of land and of church 

 livings had been made to the monastery, so that they had become possessed of 

 extensive estates. In the fourteenth year of King Stephen, — two years after the 

 foundation of the monastery, — Walter de Scudamore gave a parcel of land called 

 Fulkes mead ; Alan de Plokenet lord of Kilpeck, the Alans of Alansmore, the 

 Cliffords, and others gave benefactions that can still be partially identified. In 

 1216, the last year of the reign of King John, he gave them "All the land between 

 the river Dore and the rivulet called Trivelbrook," a tract of 500 acres, extending 

 to Whitfield. 



It is not surprising that we find them about the middle of the 13th century 

 executing considerable works. In 1260, Peter de Aquablanca, Bishop of Hereford, 

 issued a letter granting 20 days abatement or release of penance to such as contri- 

 buted to the building of "the sumptuous church of Dore." This probably refers 

 to the completion of the nave, which was of very great length. His successor, 

 Thomas de Cantilupe, called St. Thomas of Hereford, consecrated the church at 

 the risk of his life, owing to the armed opposition of the Welsh partizans of the 

 Bishop of Menevia, who claimed part of the diocese. The church would be blessed 

 only in its early stages, the fact of its consecration shews that it was considered 

 complete. About the same time, that is, towards the middle of the 13th century, 

 very extensive buildings were being erected on the east side of the cloister garth. 



When our Club visited Abbeydore on 25th May, 1882, I formed the opinion 

 that the chapter house had been not of the usual square form but polygonal, 

 although no Cistercian abbey in Britain, except Margam, in the county of Gla- 

 morgan, was then known to have had a polygonal chapter house. By careful 

 search and excavations we have since ascertained that the chapter house was a 

 twelve-sided, or perhaps a six-sided building, of beautiful design, having a clus- 

 tered column in the centre, the base of which was found by me in the rectory 

 garden ; from it the vaulted ribs sprung to the angles of the building. I think 

 also that we have found parts of the small arcade that ran round the interior, 

 forming stalls for the monks, and a base stone that stood in one of the angles of 

 the building was found by me in the belfry. There is indeed evidence to show 

 that the chapter house at Dore abbey was no unworthy precursor of those of West- 

 minster, Salisbury, Wells, and Hereford. The chapter house at Margam abbey 

 measured about 50 feet (internal diameter), which size I have adopted in the 

 rough plan of Dore which accompanies this pajjer. 



