214 Lacock Abbey. 
monks the alley of the cloister next the church usually contained 
the carells, which were little screened enclosures in which the 
religious studied “every one in his carell, all the afternoone unto 
evensong tyme.” ' No such arrangement could have existed at 
Lacock, there being no holes or notches in the stonework such as 
would occur if the wooden partitions had ever existed. Over this 
alley was a low apartment, which will be described later. 
The re-building of the east walk of the cloister was proceeded 
with after the completion of the south walk,? and in the same design, | 
but being only one story in height it has externally a bold cornice 
and parapet just above the window openings. The new work is 
carried across the arches of entrance to the chapter-house in a very | 
remarkable way, that can be best understood by reference to the | 
ground-plan and the view, Plates 1 and 6. Across the end of the 
alley in line with the outer wall of the north walk is a wide panelled — 
arch, and in the jambs are niches for figures with richly carved 
canopies. The cause of this arrangement in design is evidently to 
throw the vaulting shafts as far southward as possible, so as not to | 
interfere with the chapter-house arches more than necessary. The 
original tracery of the northernmost window has been destroyed, © 
apparently to form a cartway into the cloister, when the new hall 
was built in 1754, and has been replaced by tracery of that date 
copied from the original. | 
The north wall is of similar design, and the first five bays were | 
set out of equal width to those of the east walk. At this point a | 
difficulty seems to have arisen when it was found that the western | 
clear bay would have been 2 feet wider than the rest. This was 
apparently intended to be overcome at first by having a wide pier | 
and arch opposite the lavatory, similar to that at the north end of 
the east walk, * but a considerable change of design was made. In 
1 Rites of Durham, xci., p. 70 
2 At this point there seems to have been a slight pause in the work, or 
possibly a change of masons, as no masons’ marks occur on either this or the 
north alley. 3 
8 This is shown by the half octagonal projection to carry the base of the 
vaulting shaft that remains under the seat. 
