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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
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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
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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
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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
