possibly a corresponding one to the south transept, the former with an
altar dedicated to St. Godric and the latter to the Blessed Virgin, but
these chapels were abandoned at the completion; the whole south transept
became the Lady Chapel, and it has been suggested that the shrine of St.
Godric was removed to the extreme east end of the choir, from which it
was cut off by the new reredos, in which case another piscina which has
disappeared must have been made for the service of the high-altar. The
ancient sedilia of which there were three were cut into and reduced to
two when the large traceried window was inserted in the south wall of
the choir, and our illustration (see p. 137) shows not only this
alteration but what is supposed to have been the base of the reredos.
[Illustration: THE CHURCH FROM THE NORTH-WEST.]
[Illustration: PLAN OF THE RUINS OF FINCHALE PRIORY.]
The arches, which had been left open on the eastern face of the
transepts, were filled in in the same manner as the nave arcades but
with two-light windows in the walling except in the case of the south
transept where there is a five-light window, with the heads uncusped,
beneath which was the altar of the Blessed Virgin. In 1469 sixty
shillings was paid for glazing this window. The west walls of the
transepts contain the only original windows left complete, the south
transept having a short lancet which looked over the cloister roof, and
the north transept has two narrow and lofty lancets. The lancets at the
north end of the transept were doubtless removed for a traceried window
as in the choir; but the triplets of the west front were left
undisturbed, and their remains and the beautifully simple west front,
together with the lancets of the transepts, are shown in our
illustration (see p. 139).
[Illustration: FRONT OF THE CHAPTER HOUSE.]
[Illustration: CRYPT UNDER REFECTORY.]
The conventual buildings were all placed on the south side of the church
and their arrangement, so far as they exist at the present time, is
shown on the general plan (see p. 140). They were to a great extent
erected at the same time as the church, that is during the thirteenth
century, but were far from completed, and the account rolls show that
they were not finished before the latter half
[Illustration: THE PRIOR’S LODGING.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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