ABBOTSBURY ABBEY. 41 



from the somewhat aguish suspicions of Bindon. Other natural 

 contrasts might be named, but I am just now thinking of different 

 ones. The misplaced diligence of the neighbours of Bindon has 

 almost reduced it to the doom of ancient Jerusalem not one 

 stone on another. Here at Abbotsbury, on the contrary, we by 

 no means have to call wholly on our theoretical knowledge of 

 mediaeval architecture, and on our creative fancy, for a presentment 

 of the Abbey. Here we have at least fragments, upstanding 

 to the eye, to help our fancy. No man can look at Abbotsbury 

 barn without a vision, if dim yet grand, of Abbotsbury Abbey 

 Church and Abbotsbury cloister, and chapter-house and refectory, 

 and all the rest of it. Yes, we can recall into momentary 

 existence Abbotsbury Monastery ever so much better than Bindon. 



But there is another contrast just the other way. Bindon walls 

 are gone. Abbotsbury walls in part are standing. But Bindon 

 foundations can be almost completely traced. Now, at Abbotsbury 

 it is quite impossible to decide by actual, existing, visible founda- 

 tions anything like a complete plan. 



The buildings remaining are the great barn, a portion of an 

 important edifice a little north of its west extremity, the east wall 

 of the farmhouse-garden, and a stable attached to it. All these 

 are on a lower level than the sort of plateau on which the Abbey 

 Church and its surroundings stood, and my impression is I don't 

 in the least insist on it my impression that like the barn these 

 two other masses of building were for purposes of less dignity 

 than those on the plateau. These latter this upper group in 

 position and dignity are " the old Pynion end," so-called locally, 

 a building south-east of the parish church and now a workshop and 

 stable, an isolated archway, remnants of the gatehouse arch, and 

 last and chiefest some recovered bases of the Abbey Church north 

 wall. Let us consider this upper group first. 



I believe that it is to a request or suggestion of the late vicar, 

 the Rev. G. H. Penny, that we are indebted for the partial 

 uncovering of the base of that wall, on which is built the south wall 

 of the parish churchyard. We can see the lower courses of five 



