214 



Lacock Abbey. 



monks the alley of the cloister next the church usually contained 

 the carells, which were little screened enclosures in which the 

 religious studied " every one in his carell, all the afternoone unto 

 evensong tyme."" 1 No such arrangement could have existed at 

 Lacock, there being no holes or notches in the stonework such as 

 would occur if the wooden partitions had ever existed. Over this 

 alley was a low apartment, which will be described later. 



The re-building of the east walk of the cloister was proceeded 

 with after the completion of the south walk, 2 and in the same design, 

 but being only one story in height it has externally a bold cornice 

 and parapet just above the window openings. The new work is 

 carried across the arches of entrance to the chapter-house in a very 

 remarkable way, that can be best understood by reference to the 

 ground-plan and the view, Plates 1 and 6. Across the end of the 

 alley in line with the outer wall of the north walk is a wide panelled 

 arch, and in the jambs are niches for figures with richly carved 

 canopies. The cause of this arrangement in design is evidently to 

 throw the vaulting shafts as far southward as possible, so as not to 

 interfere with the chapter-house arches more than necessary. The 

 original tracery of the northernmost window has been destroyed > 

 apparently to form a cartway into the cloister, when the new hall 

 was built in 1754, and has been replaced by tracery of that date 

 copied from the original. 



The north wall is of similar design, and the first five bays were 

 set out of equal width to those of the east walk. At this point a 

 difficulty seems to have arisen when it was found that the western 

 clear bay would have been 2 feet wider than the rest. This was 

 apparently intended to be overcome at first by having a wide pier 

 and arch opposite the lavatory, similar to that at the north end of 

 the east walk, 3 but a considerable change of design was made. In 



1 Rites of Durham, xci., p. 70 



2 At this point there seems to have been a slight pause in the work, or 

 possibly a change of masons, as no masons' marks occur on either this or the 

 north alley. 



3 This is shown by the half octagonal projection to carry the base of the 

 vaulting shaft that remains under the seat. 



