206 



Lacock Abbey. 



doorway, which has been much mutilated, but was apparently 

 precisely similar to the eastern doorway. 



There was another original doorway in the second bay that com- 

 municated with the vestry. The southern face was removed in the 

 fifteenth century and a four- centred moulded arch inserted in its 

 place. 



The first window from the west was blocked up towards the end 

 of the fourteenth century by the erection of a building over the 

 cloister which will be described in its place. At the same time a 

 vice or spiral staircase was inserted in the thickness of the wall of 

 the north-west angle, with a small doorway to the church. 



Shortly after, the other three windows were blocked, in part, at 

 any rate, by the erection of a gallery over the rest of the south 

 walk of the cloister. Before the suppression they were entirely 

 blocked up and five curious stone shoots, in the form of down pipes, 

 were fixed to the upper part of the work, presumably to carry off 

 water from the roof ; but as the hole of outlet is barely lin. in 

 diameter they would not have been of much use. All except the 

 easternmost have been destroyed, but their positions are indicated 

 by the top stone of three others remaining. 



The first alteration to the original church was the addition in 

 the beginning of the fourteenth century of a large Lady chapel, 

 on the south side of the presbytery. The remains of the foundations 

 discovered by excavation were very scanty and consisted of part of 

 the east wall in line with the east wall of the church and part of 

 the south wall. At the south-east angle was a large mass of 

 foundations which may have been for a turret. The western part 

 of the south wall and the whole of the west wall were quite 

 obliterated, so that it would be impossible to determine the length 

 and character of the chapel, but for the very interesting building 

 agreement above referred to. The text and translation have already 

 been printed at length, 1 but the part refering to the building itself 

 is of such interest as to need no apology for repeating it : — 



" Ceo est le covenaunt feat entre Dame Johanne de mounfort abbesse de 

 lacoke e covent de mesme le lyu dune part E monsire sire Johan Bluet 



1 Wilts Arch. Mag., vol. xvi., p. 350. 



