SELBY ABBEY AND ITS BUILDERS. 
45 
completed, and perhaps the master mason at Selby was fortunate 
enough in securing the services of the skilful workmen who had 
been employed in York. But we must not forget our own beautiful 
Abbey of St. Mary, and I would like to draw your attention for 
one moment to the striking similarity of design between the Nave 
of St. Mary’s and the Choir of Selby. (See illustration.) Fig. 3. 
Plate II. 
The Abbey of Selby had existed for nearly 500 years when the 
great Dissolution of the Monasteries was ordained by Henry 
VIII., and in 1540 Selby and York became prey to the King’s 
avaricious craving for money, Selby Abbey yielding ^818 19s. o 4 d. 
Turning to the features of the Abbey Church, which is the only 
existing portion of the Monastery, there is every reason in assum¬ 
ing the foundations of the whole Church were laid down by Hugh, 
the 2nd Abbot, and that the general conception of the Nave, 
Transepts, and original Choir were due to his architect. The 
Church consisted of a Nave of eight bays with aisles, a West Front 
with two engaged towers, a North Porch, North and South 
Transepts without aisles but with apsidal chapels, a Choir of 
apparently three bays with aisles terminating with an apse. The 
whole Church was undoubtedly intended to have stone vaults. 
The internal length of the Norman Church was 220 ft. ; length of 
Transepts, hi ft. ; full width across Nave and Aisles, 59 ft.; and 
the height from floor of Nave to top of wall, 51 ft. 
The first two bays of Nave, South wall of Nave, Choir, Apses, 
Transepts, are the work of Abbot Hugh. Two additions at two 
periods were made by his successor. The last four bays are 
Transitional period, as well as the North Porch. 
Of the upper part of Nave of Church, the Triforium on north 
side is of 12th century work ; the six bays of the Triforium on 
south side and whole of the Clerestory are of Early English 
work. 
The Nave presents a very interesting picture of the growth of 
architecture from the Norman to the Decorated styles. Plate III. 
The Choir (or more properly the Presbytery) as we now see it, 
was built in the 14th century, and the building of it extended over 
a considerable period. It is divided into seven bays, with aisles 
on each side and a Sacristy on the south side. The 14th century 
builders, in order to avoid disturbing the Norman Presbytery 
before it was absolutely necessary, appear to have commenced 
with the first four pillars from the present east end, and then 
