counting from the choir screen. Traces
recently discovered seem to prove that it had an apsidal termination.
Bishop Marshall, in completing Warelwast's work, added four bays and
destroyed the triple apse. It is also possible that, as the transition
period to Early English was in its birth, some of the vaulting was
pointed. Bytton converted the choir as left by Marshall into the
Decorated style, inspired to the work by the success which had attended
Quivil's efforts in the easternmost bay of the nave. The whole work--the
transformation of the choir with its aisles--took about fifteen years to
complete, the speed and skill with which it was accomplished being due
to the fact that the task was not entirely in the hands of one body of
labourers. It seems to have been divided into two portions, at which the
builders worked simultaneously. Admirable as Quivil's work in the nave
had been, that of Bytton in the choir is an improvement. Doubtless he
had learnt something from the difficulties his predecessor encountered,
and knew how to avoid them. At any rate, he pushed forward the work with
great vigour and boldness. He formed his pillars of horizontal sections
of Purbeck marble from nine to fifteen inches thick: five boutelles on
each side presenting "the appearance of twenty-five shafts bound in
one." In the pavement of the choir more than ten thousand tiles were
used. For the vaulting of the choir, also his work, though the honour
due to him has till lately been denied, he procured quantities of
Portland stone. Material for bases and capitals was imported also from
Portland: the entry in the Fabric Rolls runs: "For the purchase of 18
great blocks of stone at Portland for the keys or bosses, together with
60 bases and capitals, including carriage by sea L4 16 8." The colouring
of the keystones was due to Stapledon in the first year of his
episcopate.

[Illustration: THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST.
The Photochrom. Co. Photo.]

[Illustration: THE CHOIR BEFORE RESTORATION
(FROM AN ENGRAVING AFTER CHARLES WILD).]

Between 1870 and 1875 the choir underwent very extensive repairs. For
the most part they were successful, and if in particular instances
objection may be taken, it would be hyper-criticism to detract from
their value. Wherever possible, the stone was taken from the quarries
used by the first builders. The Purbeck marbles especially had severely
suffered, and the mouldings and bases ruthlessly