By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 219 



moulded caps and bases, and the inner continued down the jambs. 

 It originally had a label which has been chopped away. The 

 inner arch is segmental, and retains portions of its 13th century 

 "mason" decoration of yellow and white stones alternating, with 

 a dark joint line between. 



In the south wall towards the west end is a double square- 

 headed locker, rebated for doors, which were hinged to the centre 

 division. 



The vaulting throughout the apartment has semi-octagonal ribs, 

 and rests on richly carved corbels against the walls. The centre 

 pier of the western portion of the apartment is octagonal with 

 moulded cap and base. It is considerably later in date than the 

 side walls and shows that the vaulting, although provided for from 

 the first, was not completed till some time after. The junction 

 between the earlier springers and the rest of the ribs is marked in 

 places by a slight difference in section. 1 As this centre pier is in 

 the middle of the range and in line with the vaulting piers of the 

 chapter-house and warming-house, the extra thickness of the west 

 wall of this apartment has caused the two western severies to be 

 narrower, from east to west, than the eastern ones. • 



The floor westward of the cross arches has been lowered some 

 6 inches below its original level; but at what date is uncertain. 

 As there is a rough step in front of the locker in the south wall it 

 was probably done in monastic times. 



Some years ago a patch of 13th century tiles, which had been 

 apparently re-laid at this lower level, was discovered, and afterwards 

 taken up and placed in a wooden frame for their better preservation. 



The Chapter-House. 



The next apartment northward is the chapter-house, of nearly the 

 same size as the sacristy, and has centre columns arranged in a 

 similar manner. It is vaulted throughout with richly moulded ribs, 

 and the cross arches carrying the dorter wall are also moulded. 



1 I have to thank Mr. W. H. St. John Hope for pointing this cut to me. 



