A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



the east and probably the west walks the arcades 

 were replaced bybuttressedwalls having traceried 

 windows in each bay. Work on these windows 

 was apparently being carried out in 1495-6, at 

 which date the roofs seem to have been covered 

 with slates." 



The chapter house is a rectangular building 

 (21 ft. by 23 ft.) of the latter part of the 13th 

 century, and immediately adjoins the south 

 transept. It is now in a ruinous condition. 

 In the west wall is a plain doorway from the 



was occupied by the monastic dorter, some 

 80 ft. long. In the south gable was a window, 

 and in the west wall a blocked doorway leading 

 to the day stair, which, as already stated, was 

 abandoned. A doorway to the south of the 

 east wall led to the rerc dorter (30 ft. by 18 ft.), 

 which lay to the south-east of the dorter. 

 It apparently had no system of flushing. 



The frater range, rebuilt about 1320, occu- 

 pies the south side of the cloister, with a narrow 

 passage on its east side between it and the 



FiNCHALE Priory : Chapter House 



cloister, of two moulded orders with foliated 

 capitals. On either side of the doorway is a 

 window of two chamfered orders, much decayed. 

 There were originally three lancet windows 

 in the east wall, but in the 15th century the 

 middle light behind the prior's seat was blocked 

 and two-light windows substituted for the 

 others. The stone seats remain against the 

 north, south and east walls, and the prior's seat 

 in the middle of the east wall has stone arms on 

 each side. 



The dorter range, which occupies the re- 

 mainder of the eastern side of the cloister, 

 consists on the ground floor of three barrel- 

 vaulted apartments, with a passage to the in- 

 firmary or prior's lodging. The upper story 



*' Priory oj FinchaU (Surt. Soc), p. ccciciv. 



dorter range. The undercroft, which was prob- 

 ably used as a cellar, is entered from the north- 

 east, and is lighted from the south. Its vault 

 is divided into twelve quadripartite compart- 

 ments, supported in the middle by a row of 

 five octagonal pillars with plain chamfered 

 bases, but no capitals. The frater (40 ft. 

 by 23 ft.) is approached by a flight of steps 

 from the cloister, to which entrance is obtained 

 through a pointed doorway with richly moulded 

 jambs and head, at the west end of the north 

 wall. It was originally lighted by five lancets 

 each in the north and south walls, those on the 

 north side being placed high in order to clear 

 the cloister roof. In the 14th century the north- 

 west lancet was replaced by a trefoiled light 

 with flowing tracery. Down the middle of the 

 frater was a line of wooden posts supporting 



152 



