By C. H. Talbot. 17 
Close to this doorway, and at the east end of the south walk of 
the cloister, we found a large Early English doorway, which formed 
the entrance to the staircase! to the dormitory. It opens into a 
little groined vestibule, from which the stairs started. The greater 
part of the staircase was built up solid in the sixteenth century, but, 
as that filling has since been disturbed,’ some of the steps may be 
seen, and one of the original steps under the doorway remains, worn 
down by the feet of the nuns. It would appear that, originally, there 
was no direct communication from the dormitory staircase to the 
Church. It was necessary to pass through the cloister, but, at a 
later date, probably in the fifteenth century, a passage was made 
through from the vestibule of the staircase to the Church. That 
alteration appears to have been the cause of a settlement, which has 
got worse of late years, and we have therefore built the passage up 
solid, for security. It had no architectural character, and was not 
of exceptional interest. 
We have found a two-light window, which lit the staircase from 
the cloister, originally Early English and shafted internally, but, 
on account of its rising too high for the second cloister, converted 
into Perpendicular externally. 
The great arch of the Early English lavatory, in the north walk 
of the cloister, I discovered, many years ago, being led to examine 
that part of the wall on account of the occurrence there of a corbel 
instead of a vaulting shaft. I then supposed that the builders of 
the Perpendicular cloister had entirely walled up the recessed 
lavatory, and substituted a projecting one. It was, however, 
suggested to me, lately, that such would not be the case, but that 
there would still be a recessed lavatory in the fifteenth century. A 
partial unblocking of the work last year (1894) confirmed that 
_ yview. The lavatory was re-modelled in the fifteenth century, and 
1T anticipated (Wilts Arch. Mazq., vol. xii., p. 224) that the staircase would 
be found in that situation. 
_ 2 Probably in 1828, when access was obtained by a square-headed doorway, of 
_ which a small portion is still visible, from the site of the Abbey Church. The 
_ doorway has a rebate on that side, but there was a door on the other side with 
a bar to it, and the socket for receiving the bar was sheathed with wood. 
VOL. XXIX.—NO. LXXXVI. Cc 
