42 ABBOTSBURY ABBEY. 



bays of the eastern part of the wall of the north nave aisle. We 

 see the cheeks of five windows, with dropped sills for benches, 

 and bases of vaulting, or, at least, roof shafts. These appear to be 

 1 5th century, third pointed work. The tile pavement, too, remains 

 in part, at least, under some inches of earth. What I have seen 

 appears to be of plain tiles. Then there is the base of the 

 corresponding part of the western portion of the nave visible. 

 There are bases only of smaller, subordinate vaulting shafts, of 

 the 1 3th or i4th century. 



Now, how far can we trace the rest of the plan of the chinch? 

 Little enough as far as the look of the ground is concerned in 

 midday light at least. I greatly regret that I have not been able 

 to study the spot in a low but strong light. Then is the time to 

 see the slight inequalities which sometimes enable us to trace old 

 foundations. But a careful inspection in even a high light has 

 helped a little, and not a little assistance has been derived 

 from the late vicar's notes, most kindly lent to me by~ Mrs. 

 Penny. These notes record the results of excavations made 

 in 1870, before the visit of the Archaeological Association. It 

 appears that the nave was 19 2ft. long and 54ft. wide, and that the 

 choir was 2 /ft. wide, length unknown. There is no sign of transepts. 

 There seems to have been a chapel, perhaps the Strangways 

 chantry, opening from the N.E. part of the nave. We may 

 conjecture that the is^ft. narrowing of the chancel on each side, 

 as compared with the total width of the nave, represents the 

 width of the north and south aisles of the latter. Mr. Penny 

 shows foundations of two buttresses of pretty bold projection 

 perhaps enough to allow us to imagine them to have carried flying 

 buttresses and therefore a vaulted roof.* But this is mere 

 speculation. I think that what I have said tells us all we actually 

 know about the Abbey Church, except that signs of a south door 

 towards the east end of the nave have been detected. 



* On the north wall of the churchyard is a base of a respond of several 

 shafts of first pointed date, which certainly implies a groined roof ; and, of 

 course, can belong only to the Abbey Church. 



