OLD CGLEEVE ABBEY. 87 
mains an ancient door, having a curious shallow porch, the 
covering of which, with traces of its side walls, still re- 
mains, though in a very dilapidated condition. The 
ancient mill-stream runs across this enclosure, finding an 
exit to the brook on the left side of the gate-house. Be- 
yond this again stand the modern farm-house and the 
venerable Abbey itself, almost hidden by the foliage of 
walnut and sycamore trees of gigantic size, under whose 
shade the monks may probably have sat, so venerable do 
they appear—-so truly monastic is the effect of the gloom 
they cast on the grey walls of the cloister near which they 
stand. Entering by a door near the farm-house, we find 
ourselves in a cloister of considerable size, surrounded by 
monastic buildings in, a state of preservation far superior 
to almost any I have met with. The cloister, a structure 
of the 15th century, still exists on the western side of the 
quadrangle ; it is now divided into sheds for cattle; on 
the other three sides it has disappeared, and a modern shed 
has been erected against the northern wall, where, however, 
may still be seen a recess of Early English character, pro- 
bably marking the situation of one of those seats which 
are occasionally found in cloister walls. The Perpendicular 
cloister apparently was not vaulted, though the strong ribs 
of ashler work which supported the floor of an upper story 
still exist, as well as the sills of some of the windows 
which gave light to the upper rooms. This building pro- 
bably contained the library, museum, lecture-room, singing 
school, and other rooms which were usually attached to mo- 
nastic establishments, and extended to the chapel, which 
(now destroyed) stood at the north end of the eastern side 
of the quadrangle. There is some difhiculty in the plan of 
the chapel, but though it has almost entirely disappeared, 
some vestiges reınain, which may in some degree enable us 
