356 Agreement for Building a Chapel at Lacoek. 



old south wall of the church was still standing. In this wall it is 

 probable that there was a single lancet window in each bay, whose 

 point reached close up to the vaulting. Provision is made for the 

 removal of this wall, as high as the points of the windows, and as 

 low as the string-course below their sills, for the purpose of intro- 

 ducing two arches, as wide as possible between the buttresses j and, 

 apparently to gain greater height in the jambs, they meant to cut 

 part of the old vaulting. I think from this that they were dealing 

 with the low vault of an aisle, and not the main vault of the church. 

 If it had been the latter they surely would have been content with 

 the height available without interfering with the vaulting. The 

 roof was to be of timber, covered with lead, and ceiled and painted 

 internally. Although the chapel was longer than two bays of the 

 abbey church, it was evidently open to the latter for the space of 

 two bays only, about forty feet. The whole chapel was to be finished 

 in twelve years' time, two-thirds of it in the first eight, and the 

 remaining thii-d in the four following years. 



The date of the erection of this chapel shows that its character 

 must have been what we call Decorated, of which period it 

 happens that there is very little work remaining among the abbey 

 buildings. It must have been demolished together with the abbey 

 church, and this was probably done by Sir William Sherington, on 

 his commencing the conversion of the former monastery into a manor 

 house. I have not found any documentary evidence of the fact; 

 but the erection of the tower by him is in itself evidence enough, 

 for the eastern part of the church must first have been removed. 

 Probably its stones were re-used for his new work throughout the 

 house. 



Text of the Agreement. 

 "Ceo est le covenaunt feat entre Dame Johanne de mounfort abbesse de lacoke 

 e oovent de mesme le lyu dune part E monsire sire Johan Blaet seigneur de 

 lacbam dautrepart Ceo est asavoir qe les avauntdites abbesse e covent o lour 

 successeres frount feare e parfeare une chapele de nostre Dame en lour abbeye 

 de lacoke Quale chapele se joynt a lour haut Eglise de mesme labbeye E si serra 

 La chapele de la longure de cynkaunte e neof pez e de la largesce de vynt e 

 cynke e demi E serront en lavauntdite chapele quatre fenestres Ceo est asavoir 

 en chescun gable une fenestre si large com la une est feate e ohevie e lautro 

 com elle eat comencee serra bleu feat e finie e ea Le forein costee de lavauntdite 



i 



