( 89 ) APPENDIX. I. (PART I., §1.) THE description in the Annales of the removal from the 'vetus monasterium 'the old church' of Winchester-to the new, sufficiently proves that they were on different sites. "Anno mxciij. In præsentia omnium fere episcoporum atque abbatum Angliæ cum maxima exultatione et gloria, de veteri monasterio Wintoniensi ad novum venerunt monachi VI. Idus Aprilis. Ad festum vero S. Swithuni facta processione de novo monasterio ad vetus, tulerunt inde feretrum S. Swithuni et in novo honorifice collocaverunt. Sequenti die vero Domini Walkelini episcopi cœperunt homines primum vetus frangere monasterium; et fractum est totum in illo anno, excepto porticu uno, et magno altari."-Annales Ecclesia Wintoniensis, ap. Wharton, 'Anglia Sacra,' i. p. 295. It is clear from this passage that the old church remained entire after the completion of Walkelin's 'novum monasterium,' so far at least as to enable the monks to take possession of it. We know that the choir of the new church was built first, and, as shown by the crypt, occupied the same space as the Decorated presbytery which now exists. The high altar of the old church was therefore on a different site from that of Walkelin's building. The old tomb of S. Swithun is described in Wolstan's poem, which records the dedication of the old church by Athelwold, as on the west side of the church. Rudborne, in the Historia Major,' says that it was to be seen at the north door, that is, at the north door of Walkelin's church. Its position with reference to the two churches was therefore not the same. The exact site of the vetus monasterium' cannot now be determined. Professor Willis was inclined "to place the Saxon cathedral across the present north transept, which would thus require it to be pulled down to complete the latter." It need hardly be said that the monks may have occupied their new church after the completion of the choir only. The building of the transepts may have followed afterwards. II. PART I., § 2. "It appears from recent investigations" (this was written in 1845) "that the west front of the Norman cathedral extended about forty feet in advance of the present one. Some raised ground in front of the western doors, and remains of walls in an adjacent garden, had long given rise to an opinion that this might be the case; but Mr. Owen Carter has lately excavated the ground and traced the foundations . . . These show a wall of 128 fect from north to south, and 12 feet thick, with returns at each end, of the same thickness, 60 feet in length. At their eastern ends the walls again turn at right angles, and meet the present side aisles at 17 feet from each corner. Within the parallelogram thus partially traced two other walls run from east to west, at a distance of 36 feet from each other. At the north-east angle, the excavation uncovered a plinth consisting of two plain faces with chamfers, and corresponding exactly in profile and in level with the Norman plinth of the south transept. "In a garden adjoining the west end of the cathedral, part of the south-west angle of the walls still remains to a considerable height above the ground. But this is a mere mass of rubble stripped of ashlar."— Willis, 'Archit. Hist. of Winchester,' p. 65. |