By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 477 



The vaulting springs from carved capitals in line with the string- 

 course over the triforium, and consists of cross, diagonal, and apex 

 ribs, with Hemes from the apex of the cross ribs taken part way 

 down the diagonals and up again to the apex of the wall ribs, all 

 having large leaf work bosses at the intersections. 



To support the vault externally bold flying buttresses were added 

 across the aisles springing from piers built upon the aisle walls. 

 These piers have gabletted fronts and leaf work terminals, of which 

 the third on the north is the only original one left, surmounted by 

 tall square pinnacles with battlemented tops and tall plain spirelets. 1 

 All the flyers are alike except the easternmost pair. This is of 

 thinner and poorer design, and appears to have been put up later 

 to balance the others (fig. 16). The builders of the vault in the 

 first place seem to have trusted to the original walls to take its 

 thrust, and quite rightly, for it was found when these flyers were 

 repaired that none was taking any pressure. 



The clearstory wall, on the south side, is finished by an openwork 

 trefoiled parapet of running pattern carried on a projecting moulded 

 cornice, in which is a stone spout over each flier. The tops of the 

 fliers, on the south side only, are hollowed to take the water from 

 the spouts, a function they still perform, though now the spouts 

 are fitted with down pipes which are carried in half pipes down 

 the hollows. On the north side is a similar cornice and spouts, but 

 the parapet is quite plain, and the present weathering is modern. 



The south aisle is finished like the clearstory with an openwork 

 parapet and projecting cornice, and has spouts for water over each 

 buttress. The first buttress was renewed when the parapet was 

 added, and has the shaft of a small pinnacle set diagonally running 

 up from it through the parapet. Probably it was intended to treat 

 the buttresses at each bay in this manner, but the scheme was 

 abandoned. 



The second and third bays, in order to give extra light to 

 the retro-quire, have had a large window inserted in each. The 

 original wall arcade was removed inside and out, as the sills 



1 The terminals of these had all gone, save the easternmost on the south 

 side, but new ones were added in 1900. 



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