202 Lacock Abbey. 
Forge,”’! and would be entered on the west side igi the main 
gate-house. 
The great drain of the abbey apparently commenced at the 
brook north of the parish church and continued in a direct line to 
the rere-dorter and thence under part of the infirmary to the river. 
A portion of the water of the brook was intercepted and ran con- 
tinuously though the drain to keep it clean. Where the drain is 
supposed to commence at the brook was a stone bridge, to convey 
a pack-road over the stream. The southern arch remains, of late 
thirteenth century date, and has a double chamfered outer arch 
with cross ribs in the soffit, under the roadway. Parts of the drain 
nearer the abbey have been found from time to time, and consisted 
of walled sides with paved bottom and covered with wide flag-stones 
on the top. 
The abbey buildings, judging from those still remaining, were 
constructed with rubble walls of hard stone and dressings of free- 
stone. The hard stone is quarried in various places in the proximity; 
it is a forest marble, found near the surface of the ground in 
thin beds, and is very tough, durable, and impossible to work. 
The free-stone is of a good quality of Bath oolite. The earlier 
buildings were doubtless supplied from the quarry that “ Henricus 
Crok dedit eisdem inter terram domini Sampsonis de la Boxe et 
Walteri Campedene, cum libero ingressu et egressu quamdiu ipsa 
durare poterit,” ? which was until 1241, when “ Robertus Abbas de 
Stanlega in Wiltesire et conventus ejusdem loci dederunt eisdem 
Monialibus unam partem quarrariz sue de Haselbyria, habentem 
in longitudine sexaginta et sexdecim,pedes, et in latitudine quicquid 
eorum fuit, ad capiendam petram quantam inde capere poterant, 
in escambium illius quarrarize quam Moniales emerunt de Henrico 
1 Most of these buildings were required in the new 16th century manor- 
house, but as their monastic arrangement was doubtless inconvenient in 
situation, they were all re-built and still exist round a large new court on the 
north side of the claustral buildings, forming one of the most interesting 
series of Tudor offices now extant. 
2 Lacock Cartulary, fol. 30, b :— Translated. Henry Crok gives to the same 
[convent] the quarry, between the lands of Sampson lord of the manor of | 
Boxe and Walter Campedene with the liberty of ingress and egress so long as 
it lasts. 
