CITY OF DURHAM 



but in the second and third bays the height from 

 the springing to the key of the ribs increases ; 

 from this point, tlie width of the bays being 

 greater and the height of the ribs the same, 

 their curve is a Httle less than a semicircle. 

 In consequence of this the keys of the diagonal 

 ribs are higher than the crowns of the trans- 

 verse arches, and the crowns of the cells rise 

 from the latter to the former. 



The ribs are moulded with a roll between 

 two rows of cheverons, and, like the transverses, 

 are constructed of thin stones. With one excep- 

 tion all the keys are lozenge-shaped. The cells 

 are built of coursed rubble, plastered on the 

 underside ; where tested their thickness varies 

 from 12 in. to 20 in. throughout the vault; 

 except in the two western compartments, the 

 diagonal ribs spring from corbels, set in pairs in 

 the middle of each double bay and singly next 

 the capitals of the great triple shafts. The 

 corbels are carved with grotesque masks and 

 each pair has a common abacus. The piers of 

 the transverse arch between the western towers 

 have an extra shaft on either side which receive 

 the ribs. 



Westward of the first double bay the arches 

 of the main arcade differ in detail from the 

 earlier work. In the inner order the soffit 

 roll is flanked on each side by a single hollow 

 instead of a roll and hollow, while the second 

 orders are decorated with cheverons worked 

 round a convex profile. On the side facing 

 the nave there is an outer order of slight pro- 

 jection decorated with a series of sunk squares 

 above a small angle roU. The arches spring 

 from triple-shafted responds with cushion 

 capitals set against the great piers and from minor 

 cylindrical columns, the cushion capitals of which 

 have each an eight-sided abacus. The western- 

 most pier on each side is oblong in general plan, 

 being thus strengthened to carry the towers. 

 The respond shafts have plain moulded bases 

 standing on the pedestals of the great piers, 

 which carry also the bases of the vaulting shafts, 

 and are cruciform in plan, consisting of a course 

 of plain stones capped by a double quirk- 

 chamfered moulding, or projecting band, like 

 that of the piers on the east side of the cross- 

 ing and in the transepts. The pedestals of the 

 cylindrical columns are similar, but square on 

 plan. 



All the cylinders have incised decoration, 

 but of a more advanced character than that of 

 the columns in the quire. The two which belong 

 to the first work have a lozengy pattern with two 

 narrow V-shaped grooves, leaving blank squares 

 at the intersections ; the next pair are covered 

 with cheverons worked with a sunk bead between 

 two fillets and hollows, and have a narrow band 

 of star ornament immediately below the necks 

 of the capitals j while the pair in the third 



double bay have vertical flutes and large beads 

 separated by fillets.*** The wall face above the 

 arches is quite plain throughout. 



The triforium is of eight bays. The eastern- 

 most opening has already been described ; 

 the next and all the remaining openings west- 

 ward are similar in design, but the containing 

 arch is decorated with the cheveron, on the 

 south side on both orders, but on the north on 

 the inner order only,** the outer having an angle 

 roll with plain cheverons sunk in the flat face 

 above. The tympanum is solid in every case, 

 and the triforium string has a plain chamfered 

 face throughout. The triforium gallery is lighted 

 from the outside by round-headed windows with 

 external shafted jambs; on the south side small 

 pointed windows were inserted, one on each side 

 of the original opening, at a later date, but 

 have since been blocked up.*^ 



The clearstory arcade has been described. 

 The wall-passage runs from end to end and 

 the windows are semicircular arched, with 

 external shafted jambs and arches of two orders, 

 the inner ornamented with cheverons. 



The aisles are covered throughout with 

 quadripartite vaults divided by semicircular 

 transverses, and are lighted by large round- 

 headed windows, one to each bay, all of which, 

 like most of those of the triforium and clear- 

 story, have been 'restored.'*' Below the windows 

 the wall arcade is continued along the whole 

 length of the aisles and across the west end of the 

 nave, interrupted only by the several doorways. 

 The vaulting of the two eastern bays of each 

 aisle is in every way similar to that in the quire 

 aisles, the ribs being plainly moulded with a 

 roll between two hollows. In the later bays west- 

 ward the ribs have cheverons on each side of the 

 roll, similar in type to those in the arcade arches.** 

 The half-round piers, or responds, on the outer 

 walls, have cushion capitals and pedestalled 

 bases similar to those of the nave columns 

 and piers. The westernmost bay on each side 

 (beneath the towers) is of greater width than 

 the others, as the towers project considerably 



*" The decoration in all cases was worked on the 

 stones before they were set. Bilson, op. cit. 112. 



*i The cheverons of the inner orders start with 

 a roll on each side, but those on the outer order of the 

 south side have a single roll between the fillets. All 

 are modelled on a convex profile. 



*2 In 1849; they c.in still be seen from the in- 

 terior. 



** The mullions and tracery inserted in these win- 

 dows in the 15th century were removed in 1S48 in 

 order to restore them to their ' Norm.in simplicity.' 

 Externally the heads and jambs are entirely new. The 

 clearstory windows on the south were restored in 

 1849, and those on the north in 1850, the inserted 

 tracery being then removed. 



** Except in the westernmost bays below the towers, 

 where they are simply moulded. 



IIS 



