By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 205 
 eut away, as it would have projected awkwardly into the southern 
room of the range. The. western buttress still remains to its full 
height, divided into three stages by series of sets-off. As late as 
1732 ' the surmounting pinnacle remained complete, but its upper 
- courses have since been removed. A small piece of the west wall 
_ of the church has been incorporated into a buttress at the 
suppression. The string-course, externally, under the sills of the 
side windows rises some 18in. before crossing the west end, probably 
to escape the head of a western entrance. The plinth at this end 
; had an additional member, consisting of a bold roll over the 
: chamfers. 
In the fourth bay from the east is the eastern procession doorway 
to the cloister. The arch is slightly poimted and formed of two 
members, with a label over which was cut away when the present 
cloister was built. The outer member is moulded and rests on 
jamb shafts with moulded caps and bases, the inner is hollow- 
chamfered and continued down the jambs. The rere-arch towards 
the church is segmental with a plain chamfer and the string-course 
under the windows was returned over the top to formalabel. The 
door was of two leaves, and fastened by a draw bolt, the slot for 
which is in the west jamb. 
Immediately to the east of the door is a small square-headed 
doorway, leadin g by a passage through the wall to the foot of the 
dorter stairs,? apparently inserted in the fifteenth century, and 
formed on the skew so as to escape the vaulting shaft in the church.® 
This alteration would enable the canonesses, when attending the 
night offices, to proceed direct from the dorter to the church 
without passing through the cloister. 
In the sixth bay from the east was the western procession 
1S. and N. Buck’s engravings, 1732. 
? This passage had to be built up solid a few years ago to prevent any further 
settlement in this corner of the building, which showed signs of failure. 
*The door was fastened with a draw bar on the dorter side—the slot-hole 
for which is lined with wood. 
4 At the sister house of Burnham, in Bucks, where the dorter stairs were 
‘anged in a similar position, there was never a night door to the church. 
