“As we enter at the west door we see at a glance the entire length and the whole beauty of the admirable proportion of the several parts. While many may wish that the great arches of the tower which can be seen from the west end had never been altered from the round form of the Norman builders, few will regret that the Decorated arches which took their place were retained when the tower was rebuilt, instead of having new arches in the Norman style substituted. The want of colour which is so marked a defect in many English cathedrals is not so conspicuous here, because of the painted ceiling.”--(W. D. S.) There is no Norman work at the west wall. The great doorway has a round arch, but the arcade at the base consists of pointed arches. The mouldings here are Early English; and it is inside an Early English arch that the =West Window= of Perpendicular tracery is set. We may note that the glass is modern and a memorial to officers and soldiers who were killed in the South African War. The =West Transept= extends beyond the aisles. The enormous pointed arches have Norman mouldings. In the south end is a =Font= of the Thirteenth Century; the north end is a vestry. “As we enter we notice the distinctive character of the Norman work of which this Cathedral is a notable and excellent example. In the extreme west there is a blending of the two styles of Norman and Early English, but the monks of Peterborough clung tenaciously to their old ideas and to Norman and Romanesque models, and right up to the end of the Twelfth Century built in this style, not from any desire to imitate the work of their predecessors (as some writers assert), but from an obstinate adherence to conservative tradition. Even when the glorious tide of English Gothic was rising, and they could no longer resist the flood, they clung to the old zigzag mouldings. It is evident from the construction of the third column that they intended to end their church there; but happily the Thirteenth Century brethren decided to rear the noble twin-towered front and the perfect portico. Some of the later columns show Transition work; on one side we see a Norman base or capital, on the other an Early English. “There is a grand uninterrupted view of the whole length of the Cathedral from west to east. It will be observed that the lower arch is Decorated, and this adds to the beauty of this view. Before leaving the west we notice some dog-tooth carved in wood, which is somewhat rare.”--(P. H. D.) The =Nave= consists of ten bays, with Norman arches. The triforium arches are Norman; the clerestory windows are Perpendicular. The ceiling is very peculiar and very interesting, and is, moreover, original Norman.