In the church is preserved a very curious chair of the thirteenth or fourteenth century, closely resembling those often represented in early sculpture and painting. It is formed in great measure of little turned balusters; and may be compared with a chair figured by M. Viollet-le-Duc[41] from sculpture at Auxerre. The Hereford chair (which at first sight looks like work of the seventeenth century, but is undoubtedly early, and a most valuable remnant of antiquity) may perhaps have served as the bishop’s throne, before the construction, in the fourteenth century, of that now in use;--or it may have been the bishop’s chair at the altar. XXIV. A door at the eastern end of the south nave-aisle opens to the _cloisters_, of which only two walks, the east and south, remain. The west walk was pulled down in the reign of Edward VI. to make room for the [Illustration: THE CLOISTERS, WITH THE LADIES’ ARBOUR. PLATE XII. ] Grammar School, (taken down in 1836,) and a north walk never existed. (Hereford Cathedral, it should be remembered, had no monastic establishment attached to it; and this cloister, [Plate XII.] unlike that at Gloucester, was little more than an ornamental walk, connected with the Bishop’s Palace). The cloister is of Perpendicular date, with window-openings which deserve notice. The south walk is more richly groined than the east. At the south-east corner is a square turreted tower, called the “Ladies’,” or “Ladye Arbour,” the original purpose of which is not clear; nor has it been possible to trace the origin of the name, which apparently has some reference to the Virgin. Some good old iron-work on a door between the cloister and the chapter-yard should be noticed. In the cloister are placed monuments for--Dr. MATTHEWS, (with sculptured figures); Bishop HUNTINGFORD, (died 1832); and Bishop GREY, (died 1837). Between the cloister and the Bishop’s Palace, a remarkable chapel, which seems to have been early Norman, existed until it was pulled down by Bishop EGERTON, (1724-1746). It had an upper and a lower story, in which were altars dedicated respectively to St. Mary Magdalene and to St. Catherine. One wall alone remains, and deserves notice. From the east walk of the cloister a door opened to the vestibule of the _chapter-house_. This was ruined by the Parliamentarian troops; and much of its stone-work was used by Bishop BISSE, (died 1721,) and by his successors until recently, for the repairs of the episcopal palace. The foundations and fragments which remain shew that it was rich Decorated, in shape a decagon, with a projecting buttress at each angle. At the south-west angle of the lesser transept is an entrance to the Vicars’ Cloister; (see § XXVII.)