DUNSTER PRIORY CHURCH. 7 
with a lantern tower, of considerably greater massiveness 
than the present one. Now, from the ordinary arrange- 
ments of Norman eonventual churches, we should expect to 
find the ritual choir, containing the stalls of the monks, 
under this central tower, the eastern limb—then probably 
of short extent—forming the presbytery. And I think 
we have some evidence that the stalls continued to occupy 
this position down to the award of 1499. In that sentence 
the Vicar and parishioners are directed to attach their new 
choir to the altar of St. James, on the south side of the 
door into the monks’ choir. But, as we can hardly doubt 
that the present altar occupies nearly the same position (as 
far as east and west are concerned) which those arbitrators 
intended, it seems to follow that the roodscreen was, up to 
that time, placed across the western arch of the lantern, 
and that the monks’ choir was under the central tower. 
The ceastern limb contains some vestiges of Early English 
work, in a string at the east end, continued along part of 
the south side. It is also clear from the masonry that the 
Perpendicular arches on each side have been cut through 
an earlier and more massive wall. Hence it appears that 
the original presbytery or castern limb was without aisles, 
strietly so called. Yet the Transitional arch leading from 
the south transept into one of the present aisles shows that 
something was attached to the east of this transept, perhaps 
an apse, perhaps a square chapel not opening at all into the 
presbytery, as at Ewenny, or opening only by a low arch, as 
at Brecon. Whatever it was, it was swallowed up by the 
Perpendicular aisle. This Transitional arch should be 
noticed, on account of the extraordinary shape of its shafts, 
which curve inwards below the capitals, so as to give the 
whole an approach to the trefoil form. The arch is pointed, 
with Early English mouldings, but the abaei are square. 
