By Harold Br ak spear, F.S.A. 



201 



The Precinct. 



There is an interesting map on vellum in the possession of Mr. 

 Talbot, of the date 1714, " made for the Honble. John Talbot, 

 Esq." (who succeeded to the property that year), previously to the 

 sweeping alterations he effected on the west side of the claustral 

 buildings and in the arrangement of the grounds. The accom- 

 panying plan, Fig. 1, is reduced from a tracing of this map, and 

 shows a portion of the abbey precinct, which occupied the almost 

 level ground between the village and the river. The map shows 

 many features now swept away which formed part of the monastic 

 arrangements. The precinct itself seems to have been an irregular 

 oblong, containing about 18 acres ; it was bounded on the south by 

 the old road from London to Bath, on the east by the river Avon, 

 on the north by fields, and on the west by two irregular areas. Of 

 these the northern forms the churchyard, and contains the parish 

 church, and the southern the yard of the home farm of the abbey. 



The principal buildings were, of course, those surrounding the 

 cloister situated towards the eastern end of the precinct and after- 

 wards incorporated in part in the present house. The infirmary 

 occupied the space between this block and the river. The mill was 

 to the north-east of the claustral block, a position necessitated by 

 the course of the quick-flowing stream that then joined the river at 

 a point eastward of the abbey. The mill was destroyed and the 

 stream diverted shortly after the map was made, as it doubtless 

 interfered with certain ornamental grounds then laid out. The 

 " Mill "Way " on the map was probably not the original approach, 

 as it would interfere with the quiet and seclusion necessary for the 

 infirmary. Eastward of the mill were the fishponds, which are 

 shown in probably their unaltered state, and were supplied by the 

 same stream that drove the mill. 



The outer court of the abbey was westward of the main block, 

 and the buildings in connection with it have been entirely destroyed. 

 Among other buildings it would contain the following, which are 

 included in the suppression inventory of the sister house of Grace 

 Dieu, in Leicestershire, namely : — " The Brew House, Yele House, 

 Laundrye, Saulte House, Bake House, Kyle House, and Smythes 



p 2 



