367 



grouped, and open side by side into what originally was a wide 

 aisleless nave, having west towers projecting N. and S., as at 

 Wells. It was only at the end of the 15th century (almost 

 contemporary with the rebuilding of the Abbey here) that the 

 present side aisles wore added. The only instance at all similar 

 is the 9th century nave of Beauvais Cathedral (La basse ceuvre), 

 which has three west doorways closely grouped, and opening into 

 the centre aisle. It is possible that, as Archbishop Eoger, the 

 builder of the nave of Ripon (though the actual west front was 

 carried out by his successor Archbishop Walter Gray), came 

 from Pont I'Eveque, this arrangement may have been a tra- 

 ditional one in the Seine valley and neighbourhood in early days. 

 At Beverley, and a few others, there is a central and one side 

 doorway, but the rule is to have only one west doorway. 



In class III. (Benedictine Abbeys) in early Norman days there 

 was no west doorway at all, e.g. Worcester (where the west front is 

 entirely modern) and Eomsey ; though we iind one iit Eochester, 

 but of so decidedly a French type that it looks as if it had been 

 imported bodily from Burgundy — so far is it from following the 

 usual English treatment. In all other extant Norman west 

 fronts there is but one central doorway to be found. 



The only exceptions in class III., in later times, are Peter- 

 borough, early 13th century (where the whole west front is 

 unique) ; Winchester, 15th century (where the Norman nave was 

 shortened by nearly two bays) ; St. Albans (an unfinished 13th 

 century design, which has survived only to be murdered by Lord 

 Grimthorpe in the 19th), and Bath, a 16th century rebuilding. 



Durham seems to be an exception in having three west door- 

 ways ; but the side ones were only pierced by Bishop Langley 

 in the 15th century to give access to the Galilee (Lady) Chapel; 

 at which time the central doorway (the former entrance) was 

 closed by screen-work and an altar, until the present century. 



In class IV. (Cistercian Abbeys) a single west doorway was, I 

 believe, the invariable rule. 



