Vol. 93 1977 page 037

high quality, and the nook-shaft is similar to examples on the twelfth-century west. front of Rochester Cathedral. From this buttress eastward, the existing wall of the south aisle had obviously been built on the line of its Norman predecessor and incorporated a considerable amount of re-used Caen stone. At its junction with the south transept there were indications of ashlar bonding where the earlier wall had been attached. The west wall of this transept was mainly Norman work, with evidence of alteration at later periods, and its contemporary south wall formed the north side of the chapter house. Projecting from the east side of the transept was a chapel of stilted-apsidal plan. The south side of its entrance was well preserved (Plate IIIA and Fig. 2, no. 2) but its northern counterpart was mutilated. On the south, the ashlar facing of the opening had a plain chamfered plinth and there was a nook-shaft at the north-west angle. On the outside of the apse were two shallow buttresses (Plate IIB) while adjoining the opening was the lower part of a newel stair turning to the right in its ascent (Plate IIA). At one time the end of the apse had been squared off internally and a wall built to block its entrance. This blocking rested directly on a pavement of glazed floor-tiles bearing fleur-de-lis decoration and covering the step up from the transept to the chapel. On the floor of the transept in front of the step were traces of a tile mosaic pavement, a few of the pieces being in situ with others scattered over the area.		Immediately north were remains of the lower part of the opening into an aisle flanking the south side of the Norman presbytery. Only part of the north-east corner remained (Plate IB) and this showed that it differed in plan from the corresponding feature of the adjoining chapel although ashlar and plinth were identical. Corresponding features to those just described must have occurred in the north transept - with the possible exception of the stair - and are assumed to have been destroyed in later reconstruction. At the northwest corner of the transept could be traced remains of shallow ashlar-faced buttresses similar to those on the south transept chapel. Both the north-west and the north-east piers of the Norman crossing were excavated, the original floor-level at this point being 6 ft. from the present ground surface. They had been ashlar-faced with plinths like those in the south transept, most of the facing having been robbed revealing the rubble core. There was no evidence of attached shafts on the faces and the work was of a very plain character. On the west face of the north-west pier, however, there were remains at the lowest level of the eastern respond of the north arcade of the Norman nave. A small fragment of the base moulding survived, similar in profile to that at the entrance of the south transept chapel, and its form suggested that the respond had been half-cylindrical.
Page 37 (This page prepared for the Website by Ted Connell)

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