Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/389

Rh At the east-end of the present building the point a appeared to him nearly the center of the clay taken from north to south, of which there was about fourteen yards on each side, viz. from a to m and m.

From a eastward to b he supposed twenty-four yards, and from thence the rubbish and foundations extended some yards farther. About d and d, there were two paths of clay nearly six feet wide, one ending to the north in a spot in which the clay was laid in a squarish shape, as in s, and about which there were also ruins of foundations. This, I conceive, may have been the sacristy; the other path to the south, at the termination of which much rubbish is to be seen (c), probably led to the cloisters and apartments of the monks, which in all monasteries were, I believe, uniformly to the south of the church.

About a was also found a stone coffin cased with lead both within and without, and containing some bones and remains of garments. The lead in its decayed state sold for two guineas; the bones were thrown about, and the stone coffin broken into pieces. There were two other coffins, and no more, found in this part, which were also for the sake of the garden, in which they lay, broken and buried as low as the spring. At h there were remains of a solid basis of masonry, and fragments of several small columns of Purbeck marble. Part of one of these I have obtained. It is ornamented in a spiral direction, with two animals coupled together on one side, and rudely carved flowers on the other. (See Pl. XXII. D) May not this have been part of the high altar, or of the tomb of Alfred near it? Possibly the two other coffins contained the remains of Edward and of queen Alswitha.

Farther west, as in g g, many stone coffins were found, and the clay extended to o o, which is about three yards from the door of the center building of the gaol; the situation and number of coffins 7