kecent Excavations at Holy Island Priory. 235 



formed the defences of the iuner portion of the priory. The 

 church itself was battlemented, and the remains of the battle- 

 ments, built of whiter stone than the rest of the work, can be seen 

 on the top of the chancel walls. 



The Priory was only robbed once, so far as is recorded, by one 

 William de Prendergast in 1325, who seems to have confined 

 his depredations to the Bakehouse and Brewhouse ; whether it 

 was from its setni-insular position, or as Eaine surmises from 

 the fear of St. Cuthbert, whose name impressed awe upon them, 

 the Scots raiders left it alone : fortunately for the monks that 

 they did so, as neither the nature of the defences, the efficiency 

 of the armament,* or the strength of the garrison would have 

 had much effect against an attack even of a moderate force. 



Passing to the Outer Court, an irregular quadrangle about 155 

 feet long and 130 feet broad, on the east and south sides, are the 

 foundations of buildings, no doubt the granaries, barns, stables, 

 and other appurtenances referred to in the various inventories. 

 The first room on the east side, in which the flag paving still 

 remains, though much sunk and broken, may have been the 

 thrashing floor— the large rectangular room adjacent, a barn. 

 There is a remarkable small chamber at the S.E. corner, with 

 steps down to it, having a narrow loophole window looking to 

 the outside, just above tlie level of the ground. 



The buildings on the south side were of two stories, stables 

 below and granaries above, much modified no doubt and added 

 to during the civil occupation. At the south-western corner, 

 covered with about 18 inches of earth, were found adjacent to 

 each other, first a small limekiln of old construction, then a well 

 about 25 feet deep, in which there is now about seven feet of 

 water, and next to this an irregularly oval pit of about seven 

 feet in diameter, which may have been used as a place for 

 making mortar. We know that the moaks burnt their own 

 lime, as in the accounts for the year 1 344 there is a charge for 



* Inventory 1362. For defence of the Monastery, six " vombaces " 

 (covering for the belly), three lances, one helmet with a breast plate, one 

 pair of gloves of iron. 1401, three basciuets with aventails (light helmets 

 with coverings for the face) ; one breastplate, one haubergeon or coat of 

 mail, four old jacks (quilted jackets of leather), one old crossbow, four 

 guns, two lances,. In 1481 there were " two speris, 3 batell axez, 3 cross, 

 bowez, 8 gunnez, 1 longbow," 1 sheaf of arrows. There does not seem to 

 have been at any time armour sufficient for more than two men. 



