A HISTORY OF SURREY 



The monks' dorter (dormitorium) extended from 

 the south side of this chamber 204 feet and, in- 

 credible as it may seem owing to the site being 

 subject to frequent floods, was only a few feet above 

 the ground level. It was built at three times. 

 The northern part, of the first work, was extended 

 southward in the middle of the twelfth century, 

 and had a wing to the west connected by a wide 

 opening. It was again enlarged to the south in 

 the thirteenth century, and this addition remains 

 to its original height, having three lancet windows 

 in the south end and two lancets in each side wall. 



The reredorter (dormitorii tucessaria) was part 

 of the first work, and projected from the east side 

 of the dorter. It was vddened when the dorter 

 was enlarged the second time, and then had a 

 double rank of seats, back to back, over the drain 

 that passed beneath. About 1340 the old north 

 wall was pulled down and a new wall built on the 

 north side of the drain, again reducing the accom- 

 modation to its original size, but further south. 



The warming house (calefactorium) was on the 

 south side of the cloister next the dorter, and had 

 a wide fireplace in its south wall. The east end 

 was cut off to form a passage from the cloister to 

 a yard on the south. On the south side of this 

 yard adjoining the west viring of the dorter was a 

 chamber, apparently for fuel, connected by a 

 pentice against the dorter wall with the passage 

 through the warming house. 



The frater {refectorium), one of the earliest re- 

 built buildings of the monastery, was placed north 

 and south, and had a dais for the high table at the 

 south end, with seats for the convent along the 

 side walls. On the west side was a projection for 

 the pulpit for the use of the reader at table, and 

 in the north-west corner was found the base of a 

 washing-sink. 



The kitchen (coquina), westward from the 

 frater, was a small chamber having the fireplace in 

 its east wall, which had been reduced in size at a 

 late, if not post-suppression, date. It had to the 

 south a serving lobby with a hatch to the frater, 

 and a door at the west end into the cellarium. 

 There was a yard to the south in which, against 

 the pulpit projection, was a small added building. 



The cellarer's building (cellarium) originally 

 extended from the old church for at least 170 feet 

 to the south, but the northern part was taken down 

 after 1 23 1 to enlarge the area of the cloister, at 

 which time the southern part was rebuilt. This 

 was of two stories in height, of which the lower 

 was vaulted into nine bays, had marble columns 

 down the middle, and each bay was lighted by a 

 coupled lancet window. The upper floor was 

 the dorter of the lay brothers and approached by a 

 staircase on the west side. Of this building the 

 four southern bays remain tolerably perfect. 

 Projecting from the west wall was originally the 

 reredorter of the lay brothers which was altered 

 more than once, and after about 1 150 was connected 

 with the dorter by a bridge. 



The monks' infirmary (infirmiturium) was a dis- 

 tinct group of buildings to the cast of those lur- 

 rounding the cloister and was connected therewith 

 by a passage against the south side of the chapter 

 house. It consisted of a great hall, placed north 

 and south, having the misericord with two added 

 rooms on the west, and a small cloister on the east. 

 On the north side of the cloister was the chapel, 

 on the east a distinct house, probably for the use 

 of the visiting abbot or very distinguished guests, 

 and on the south the kitchen with a passage to the 

 hall. The infirmary hall consisted of a nave with 

 an eastern aisle originally divided therefrom by 

 wooden posts, but these in a short time were cased 

 up in stone pillars carried up to the roof without 

 arches. There was a room over the drain at the 

 south end of the hall, that was at first intended for a 

 reredorter, either in connection with the infirmary 

 or as an enlargement of that of the monks but put 

 to different uses in later years. After 1339 the 

 northern end of the hall was divided off and three 

 rooms with fireplaces put along the north wall. 

 Each bay of the aisle was also divided into rooms, 

 but at a later period. 



The meat frater,'' or misericord {misericoriia), 

 built about 1340, was placed east and west and 

 entered from the hall by a small doorway. After 

 the aisle of the hall was made into rooms another 

 doorway was formed in the south-east angle with 

 a skew passage into the room at the end of the 

 hall, which then became a serving passage from 

 the kitchen, the food being taken before through 

 a doorway at the end of the aisle and across the 

 hall. Of the same date as the misericord are two 

 chambers on the west side of the hall, the one has a 

 scat against its east and north walls, and the other 

 an inserted fireplace and tiled floor. 



The infirmary cloister, entered from the hall by 

 a doorway in the second bay from the north, was 

 originally surrounded by alleys on all sides, but 

 that on the west was quickly removed. Immedi- 

 ately outside the door from the hall was the base 

 of a conduit, to which the water was taken before 

 being dispersed to the various offices, probably 

 erected in 1 21 5 when the new water supply was 

 brought to the abbey.'' Slightly to the south was 

 a small room, with an oven, built against the hall 

 wall. The infirmary chapel, entered directly 

 from the hall as well as by a doorway from the 

 cloister, was hallowed in 1201.2" it became 

 ruinous and unfit for burial in 1339,*' but was 

 doubtless repaired shortly after, to which repairs 

 may be ascribed most of the alterations of the in- 

 firmary. On the north side was a locker that had 

 been made into a doorway to a small room, with a 

 fireplace, on the north. 



The visiting abbot's lodging was a distinct 

 house of two stories on the west side of the cloister. 

 It was much ruined but showed indications of later 

 alterations. There was a small square room and 

 an added gardrobe at the south end. Eastward 

 was a large walled garden. 



" Called at Claii-vaux '/j rcfftcloir 

 gru,' for that the religious might eat 



meat there on Sundays, Tuesdays and 

 Thursdays, 



''■• Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 184. 



622 



» Ibid. 2^3. 



" Register of Adam de Orlton, 

 Bishop of Winton, i. 71, 



