By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 



237 



superseded by the present one in the 18th century. It was then 

 entered at its north end through a porch, on the ground level, 

 and steps, and had in the west wall three tall windows. The north 

 end would he partitioned off by a screen, and was connected by a 

 doorway with the kitchen, through which the food was served. 



A large piece of richly crested cornice of 15th century work, 

 now used up over the present front door, presumably came from 

 the old fireplace. 



The southern division was of two stories in height above the 

 subvault and divided into rooms for the private use of the abbess, 

 but all internal arrangements were swept away when the present 

 dining-room was built. The east and part of the south walls still 

 remain to their full height. The former retains the weathering of 

 the pentice cloister roof, just above which is a square window with 

 moulded jambs but plain splayed head and sill of late 13th century 

 work ; and over the raised south walk of the cloister is a square 

 window, now blocked, but apparently of two lights and 15th 

 century in date. The latter retains the sills of two windows of the 

 top story. 



Over the two western bays of the south alley of the cloister, as 

 before mentioned, is an apartment that formed the private chapel 

 of the abbess. It had in each bay towards the court a square- 

 headed window divided into two lights with tracery in the head. 

 , The tracery and mullions were destroyed and the windows walled 

 up in the last century, but the western one was unblocked two years 

 ago when fragments of the tracery were found sufficient to show 

 the original design. So late as 1684 one of these windows retained 

 its original stained glass, thus described by Dingley 1 : — 



" In the Passage leading out of the Great Dineing Eoome towards the 

 matted and Stone Galleries, painted in the glass you find the figure in the 

 highest place of an Angell holding a flying scroll with abe gra plena under w ch 

 the Eemaines of a Saynt Christoph r who carrieth a Christ upon his shoulders 

 holding in his left hand a Globe of the world. Adjoining to this in y e next part 

 of the window is some saynt who had been a Bishop with a Glory about his 

 head and miter not much unlike this, 2 hold up his Eight hand and two fingers 



1 History from Marble (Camden Society, 1864), ii., cccccv. 

 2 Dingley here gives a sketch of the figure. 



