|
KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY -- RESEARCH Studying and sharing Kent's past Homepage |
|
Archaeologia Cantiana -
Vol. 88 1973 page 136 |
|
with a roll moulding on the internal edge of each jamb. As this opening
was too narrow to have formed the original chapter house entrance, it is
assumed to have been a late-possibly post-Dissolution-insertion. In the north-west corner were indications of footings interpreted as traces of a stone bench which would be expected to continue round the inside of the building, although evidence of it was lacking in our excavation at the east end. A few floor tiles were found in situ and several pieces of chalk mouldings occurred in the destruction debris. Some of these are sections of vaulting ribs of twelfth-century character (Fig. 4, no. 2). THE SACRISTY The narrow space between the chapter house and the transept would normally have formed the sacristy. Frequently, it was divided so that the western half provided a library entered from the cloister, while the eastern part was used as a sacristy entered through a doorway in the end of the transept. Whether these arrangements obtained at Boxley cannot at present be determined. THE PARLOUR Remains of the lower part of the parlour entrance were found to be well preserved, the unmoulded jambs being of |
chalk, with a stone cill set in the floor immediately inside the opening.
Probably there was also a doorway in the east end. A short length of the
return wall on the south side was observed, sufficient to indicate the width
of the apartment. PASSAGE OR DAY STAIR Next to the parlour was what appears to have been a narrow passage with indications of a door at its west end. A through passage in this position was a feature of many Cistercian plans, giving access from the cloister to the infirmary and other buildings to the east. Alternatively, it may originally have contained the day stair by which the monks ascended from the cloister to the dormitory. THE DORMITORY UNDERCROFT Trenches across the line of the east and west walls established the internal width of this part of the range as 26 ft. 3 in. No attempt was made to explore the interior apart from a small excavation towards the south end which located a square pier-probably one of a line on the central axis of the undercroft and serving to support the floor of the dormitory above. The entrance may have been in the north end or on the site of the modern steps in the south-east corner of the cloister. In |
|
|
Page 136 (This page prepared for the Website by Ted Connell) |
||
Previous page Back to Page listings Next page
Back the Contents page Back to Arch. Cant. List Back to Publications On-line Back to Research Page Back to Homepage
|
This site is hosted
by nVeracity
Kent Archaeological Society is a registered
charity number 223382 |
This website is constructed by
enthusiastic amateurs. Any errors noticed by other researchers will be to
gratefully received so
that we can amend our pages to give an accurate record as possible. Please
send details too research@kentarchaeology.org.uk