I874-75-] I21 



The ground plans of Inch Abbey, but more particularly Grey 

 Abbey, as it is more complete, are eminently Cistercian, and give 

 us the key to the non-existent buildings or foundations yet under 

 the sod . The church in each case, in strict accordance with their 

 rule, was and is in its ground plan in the form of a Latin cross. 



In my first visit to Inch Abbey I was greatly puzzled by the ab- 

 sence ol the western arm or the nave of the church, which appa- 

 rently had never been in existence. On applying to the proprietor 

 (R. P. Maxwell, Esq., D.L., J. P.) for permission to make some 

 excavations, he promptly placed at my disposal workmen, and they 

 have satisfactorily shown the church at Inch Abbey to have been 

 170 feet long. It was hitherto considered to have been aisleless, 

 but the excavations have revealed the foundations and some of the 

 walls of these aisles, which were comparatively narrow, about 13 

 feet wide, and somewhat like those in Dunbrody Abbey. As far as 

 excavations have gone, I am inclined to consider that the clerestory, 

 or triforium, as the case may have been, was borne by massive 

 main arches, springing from piers, and on examination of the 

 corners of the cross wall at the height from which the arches would 

 have started, we find the capitals completely torn away, but up to 

 that height is fair and uninjured. The western end of the nave 

 most probably had a doorway, and from the formation of the 

 ground I suspect had a narrow porch or narthex ; the extreme 

 north-west angle of the church now visibly shows itself by a block 

 of masonry, very much ragged away, but still bearing a fair corner. 

 The nave of Grey Abbey has one peculiarity not usual in Cistercian 

 churches : it is aisleless. 



The eastern end of Inch and Grey Abbey churches is square ; 

 in Inch, pierced by three very long lancet windows, with one smaller 

 similar window over the centre. In Grey Abbey it has a double 

 tier of triplet windows, with smaller similar windows over. 



The eastern arm of the churches (variously termed the choir by 

 some, the presbytery and sanctuary by others, but in churchwardens' 

 vocabulary "the chancel"), was lighted north and south by large 

 windows; at Inch by double lancet windows at each side; at Grey 



