Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/465

 n > 4 mn = o ic uw nm ASNOH SWIV SONI , aLy9 3937709 May 31, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. Bt o 44 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 13 has been my good fortune to light on the Inventory of the Conventual Buildings of Westminster Abbey at the time of the Dis- solution. As it may be agreeable to your readers to have a succinct account of the in- formation thus gained, in combination with that given in the early Chapter Books, to which the Dean kindly gave me _ access, and the ‘ Custumal” of Ware, which was summarised by me in the ‘Ecclesiastic” of 1866, I will, with your permission, attempt to reproduce the appearance of the Precinct at that time. Entering by a double gate- house, which faced on the west Tothill-street, and on the sovth the court known as the Elms (mow forming part of Great Dean’s- yard), we enter between two walls into the court ; on the north are the buildings forming the Kitchen and Butteries of the Abbot’s Lodge, still existing ; before us is the Porter's Gate, and on our right the Malthouse. Pro- ceeding eastward, we find the latter strike off southward with a large gate-house, and a watvsnua sa.vuy AZNAHD Ausling) 4 = ' m cd mle! Bini ai, “iB ar pe n Zl = ata Tbh an x 5 fig © fe Ea sates oda, DB. a meal es > v| aa: !  ° a wu oat a e m = 2 aT a granary over cellarage (afterwards used as the scholars’ Dormitory), facing the long line of building still in situ, which was called the Calbege, from the large keel or cooling-tub used in the vaulted cellarage, and at a later date known as the Long House, or sometimes as the ‘‘ House with the Tub init ;” which ter- minates in the Tower at the entrance of Little Dean’s-yard, then known as the Blackstole Tower, and broken by a low doorway which led into the kitchen court. The upper range of rooms was occupied by the bailiff, cellarer, and other officers of the Convent. It was built by Litlington. Passing under the gate on our right is the Porter’s Lodge, on the left an opening into the Abbot's Lodge, built round a court, with his hall (now the Scholars’ Hall) on the west ; the Gallery [a large deambulatory opening in bed-chambers on the east], with a Chapel extending eastward to the Cloisters; and on the north the Jericho Parlour, reached by steps, and connected by an Entry [or inter- vening room] with the Jerusalem Parlour, so AYUATIVI called, perhaps, from hangings of tapestry representing the siege of the Holy City. Returning to our former position, opposite the Porter’s Lodge, and again turning east- ward, we enter the Forensic (or outer) Parlour, where merchants exhibited their wares, and visitors to the monks were received. At the south side a staircase, lighted by loops and a window opening into the Refectory, is pierced in the wall, and was probably used by the person who rang the cymbal or cloister bell. The Butteries stood, southward of this Parlour. We now enter the Cloister; in the south alley is the great door of the Refectory, and eastward of it the Lavatory, with four niches for towels used by the community before hall, and a detached niche, which held the towel reserved for guests, as we learnfrom Ware’s “ Custumal.” On passing into the site of the Refectory, the north wall is seen retaining its line of Decorated windows, and a fragment of the south wall ismarked by a Norman arcade, and NAVE ABBOTS CHAPEL HLYUVD YALSIO19 AuOLIWHOG OL Sulvis OUTER PARLOUR USvuUuIVaSTIVM AuZLing >suvda SSS MISERICOR N3HOLIy uaLsio19 the “ frater” hole or hutch, consisting of two square-headed openings, for the passage of food from the kitchen. ‘The modern west wall is built up with fragments of tile and battlements. Parallel with the Refectory was the Misericord, or Long Chamber, used for eating flesh meat, and under the Sub- Dean’s house considerable remains of this room exist. In the Eastern Cloister the doorstep of the original Dormitory remains; the present library formed the northern portion of this room, and communicated by stairs and a bridge over the Revestry [which contained S. Faith’s altar] with the transept. A long line of cellarage under the Dormitory flanks the east side of the Dark Cloister. ‘The two first bays compose the Chapel of the Pyx, formerly the Treasury of the Abbey in times of danger. The next two compartments, now used as the scholar’s gymnasium, formed the Regular Parlour, where conversation was allowed, and open eastward into §. Dunstan’s Chapel, which was subsequently, in the thirteenth SZWW1HzS. century, used for the entertainment of guests after hall: it still exhibits mural colouring, and canopied niche for the image over a water drain divided by a ledge. The other bays held the dry goods and stores of the Convent. At the end of this cloister is a large stone with a ring, corresponding with another in the south-west angle of the little cloister, marking the terminations of the Common Jakes or Rere Dorter, which ran at right angles to the great Dormitory. Little Dean’s-yard contained the Inner Guest House ; the Hostry Garden was on the south side of College-street. adjoining the Bowling Green, now indicated by the name of Bowling Alley. We enter a large arch, running eastward from the Dark Cloister; on the south is Litlington’s Tower, used as a belfry at the beginning of the last century; and on the north a room inaptly called 8. Anne’s Chapel, but only remarkable now from a round-sided orifice which slightly resembles a stoup. Entering the Little Cloisters, standing in the 2 Uvliv NILVW + LOIASNVEHL A > REVESTRY aaLy By VESTIBULE asnorn dslLd Vo oe me) Sj ke she mes 7m a Fs aa ecoee Ba, ae 4 rec ee =e o =o aa o Se, = _— x oy =x aa 2 ° a= a no nz az ro . a3DvuVvITe9 JadvH9 4a1s1019 naguvy SINIYVHILVY iS SANTUVHLVH " yaaWwvHd SN3W MOIS “Ja As site of an earlier building, and retaining some Medizval doors, and forming originally S$. Katherine’s or the Infirmary Garden, we proceed up the southern alley, passing an original loop in the west wall, and the earlier doorways. On our right, at the upper end, is a slype which led into the gardens of the obedientiaries, and towards the stables, out- houses, and mill. In front of us is a door opening into the Infirmary Hall, which in its north wall exhibits a Norman door ; on the outside, are traces of a fireplace and indi- cations of a room over the south aisle of S. Katherine’s Chapel. ‘The latter is entered through a central door in the east alley, and in 1866 I contributed an account of its appearance to the pages of Once a Week. Against the west wall are two half pilasters. A portion of the original tiled floor remains on the south side, with two pillars of the nave arcade. On the north side we see the bases of other pillars, two of which are hexagonal, and apparently of later date than the Transitional Norman piers opposite
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