“Before entering, the visitor should remark the grand view of the interior obtained through the open central door. The length of Winchester (520 feet from this entrance to the extreme eastern buttresses) exceeds that of any other cathedral on this side of the Alps, with the exception of Ely (560 feet) and of Canterbury, which is about five feet longer than Winchester. A certain coldness, arising from want of colour, is perhaps felt at first; but the eye soon learns to dwell contentedly on the magnificent forest of piers, and on all the graceful details above and around them. The string-course of corbel-heads and the light balustrade of the triforium in the nave should here be noticed as remarkably aiding the general effect.”--(R. J. K.) The ground-plan shows a nave of eleven bays, a transept of three, a choir of five, a presbytery of three and a Lady-Chapel at the east end of three. All are furnished with side aisles. Winchester is the longest cathedral in England, and the =Nave= is one of the longest in the world. Fergusson says it is “perhaps the most beautiful nave in England or elsewhere.” The view is overwhelmingly grand and noble and the groining of the roof is striking in the extreme. The triforium was sacrificed and the old Norman piers, recased, were left to carry the lofty Perpendicular arches and exquisitely vaulted roof. The Perpendicular lining and panelling disguise the fact that the interior is really Norman. “The nave gains a special grandeur by the vaulting shafts rising from the very floor so that the eye follows them upwards tardily, as if they were more lofty than they actually are, to the capitals whence the groined roof springs. The aisle windows have a beauty worthy of careful notice. “A striking yet beautiful peculiarity is that Winchester nave, setting an example followed generally in Perpendicular churches, has no proper triforium--a balcony close above the nave arches taking its place. Owing to the thickness of the Norman masonry this arrangement was unavoidable. “The seven westerly piers on the south side retain the Norman stone-work faced with new mouldings. Norman arches remain behind the triforium wall; Norman shafts may be seen above the vaulting; and Norman flat buttresses are traceable outside between the southerly clerestory windows.”--(G. W. K.) The Nave of Winchester, therefore, presents one of the most curious examples of transformation from one style of architecture to another; for here we have a perfect specimen of the Fourteenth and [Illustration: WINCHESTER: NAVE, WEST] [Illustration: WINCHESTER: FONT]