Page:Roman Manchester (1900) by Charles Roeder.djvu/156

 Continuing, Mr. John Owen records:—

Vol xxiii., September 30th, 1867, p. 131: "The workmen have been engaged for several days making an excavation under the east side of the chapter house. An old rubble wall is partially laid bare and going down to the gravel, whereas the foundations of the chapter house and the adjoining wall of the church do not go down so low by about 4 feet. It extends under the chapter house from east to west, and projects 4 feet southwards beyond the line of the church foundation. It is formed of large rubble stones and filled with (gravel) sand and small (boulder) stones."

January, 1872, p. 132: "Some excavations have been going on between the piers or stair turrets for laying a foundation to support the new organ; we found a rubble foundation extending about 6 feet from the base of the south turret on its northern side, directly under the chancel arch. Immediately below the plinth of the turret, in advance, abutting against it, was the remains of another plinth, seeming to have belonged to an earlier pier of the chancel, arch, although it may not have been so, as it would not in its position account for the extension of the rubble foundation. On excavating on the south side of the northern turret we found the rubble only extending at 3 to 4 inches beyond the plinth. This was also extended about 3 feet southward to form a solid foundation for the old rood screen and organ."

February 17th, 1866: "In the north aisle, close to the timber partition of the choir, and in the first bay of the staircase turret, we found the chamfered plinth of the ancient chancel, running east and west. It consisted of three courses of good ashlar masonry, the foundation below consisted entirely of rubble, containing no remains of old work."

They are now excavating a tunnel right under the west end of the choir, and have removed a portion of the rubble.