Bell's Cathedrals: A Short Account of Romsey Abbey A Description of the Fabric and Notes on the History of the Convent of SS. Mary & Ethelfleda   By: Thomas Perkins (1842-1907)

A Description of the Fabric and Notes on the History of the Convent of Ss. Mary & Ethelfleda

by

THE REV. T. PERKINS Rector of Turnworth, Dorset Author of "Amiens," "Rouen," "Wimborne and Christchurch," Etc.

With XXXII Illustrations

[Illustration: ROMSEY ABBEY FROM THE EAST]

[Illustration: Abbess's Seal]

London George Bell and Sons 1907

Chiswick Press: Charles Whittingham and Co. Tooks Court, Chancery Lane, London.

PREFACE

The architectural and descriptive part of this book is the result of careful personal examination of the fabric, made when the author has visited the abbey at various times during the last twenty years. The illustrations are reproduced from photographs taken by him on the occasions of these visits.

The historical information has been derived from many sources. Among these may especially be mentioned "An Essay descriptive of the Abbey Church of Romsey," by C. Spence, the first edition of which was published in 1851; the small official guide sold in the church, and "Records of Romsey Abbey, compiled from manuscript and printed records," by the Rev. Henry G. D. Liveing, M.A., Vicar of Hyde, Winchester, 1906. This last named work contains all that is at present known, or that is likely to be known, of the history of the abbey from its foundation early in the ninth century up to the year 1558. To this book the reader who desires fuller information and minuter details than could be given in the following pages is referred.

The thanks of the writer are due to the late and present Vicars for kind permission to examine the building, and to take photographs of it from any point of view he desired.

TURNWORTH RECTORY, BLANDFORD, DORSET. March, 1907.

CONTENTS

PAGE CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF THE BUILDING 15 II. THE EXTERIOR 27 III. THE INTERIOR 39 IV. THE ABBESSES OF ROMSEY 67 VICARS OF ROMSEY 79 INDEX 81 DIMENSIONS OF THE ABBEY CHURCH 82

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

ROMSEY ABBEY FROM THE EAST Frontispiece

ABBESS'S SEAL Title page

APSIDAL CHAPEL, SOUTH TRANSEPT 14

THE NAVE, LOOKING WEST 19

JUNCTION OF NORMAN AND EARLY ENGLISH WORK 21

VIEW FROM THE NORTH WEST 23

THE ABBESS'S DOOR 26

THE WEST END AND SOUTH TRANSEPT 29

THE SOUTH TRANSEPT FROM THE WEST 31

THE SAXON ROOD 33

THE CHOIR, SOUTH SIDE 35

THE NAVE, NORTH SIDE 38

CYLINDRICAL PIER: NORTH NAVE ARCADE 40

THE CLERESTORY OF NAVE 41

EARLY ENGLISH BAYS OF THE NAVE 43

THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHOIR 44

TRIFORIUM ARCH IN THE NORTH TRANSEPT 45

THE INTERIOR FROM THE WEST 46

BASE OF A PIER IN THE NAVE 47

ARCADING IN THE TOWER 48

IN THE RINGERS' CHAMBER 49

THE WEST WALL OF NORTH TRANSEPT 50

THE NORTH CHOIR AISLE 51

THE AMBULATORY 52

THE SOUTH CHOIR AISLE 55

SAXON CARVING, SOUTH AISLE 56

THE NORTH EAST ANGLE OF THE CROSSING 57

TOMB AND EFFIGY IN THE SOUTH TRANSEPT 61

THE NORTH AISLE OF THE NAVE 63

THE SOUTH TRANSEPT 66

PIER IN THE NORTH NAVE ARCADE 73

PLAN End

[Illustration: APSIDAL CHAPEL, SOUTH TRANSEPT]

ROMSEY ABBEY

CHAPTER I

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING