bably for ventilation. At the north end a
flight of four steps, lighted doubtless from the square niche in the
west wall, ascends eastwards to the passage behind the 'needle.' Of
these steps the lowest occupies the whole width of the chamber, while
the second, on being cleaned at the time of the excavation
above-mentioned, was found to have its upper and western surfaces sunk
in the middle and traversed at one end by two parallel raised bands, and
to show traces of that yellow enamel-like substance with which, indeed,
the whole crypt seems to have been originally overlaid. In roof, width
and height the passage at the top of these steps resembles that by which
the crypt was approached, but it is spanned at the entrance by a round
arch, and gradually ascends, terminating in a staircase now blocked at
the fourth step (or perhaps the fifth, since one seems to have been
removed at the bottom), while in the roof may be traced the shape of the
long opening (rounded at the western end) through which these stairs
once led up into the church. From the point at which they are blocked
the distance to the arch that spans the passage is about 18 feet. It
will be noticed that the floor of this passage is level with the
'needle,' which on this side, moreover, has been broken through so as to
open out like a funnel.

[Illustration: THE SAXON CRYPT, EAST END OF THE CENTRAL CHAMBER.
(St. Wilfrid's needle on the left.)]

There is little doubt that this crypt is the work of Wilfrid. It
strongly resembles another at Hexham in Northumberland, which is almost
certainly his since it agrees with a description given by his
contemporary Eddius, and (more fully) by Richard, Prior of Hexham in the
twelfth century. As, therefore, Wilfrid is known to have built a church
in either of these places, and as the crypts remaining resemble each
other, and as that at Hexham is almost certainly his, it is natural to
conclude that this at Ripon is his also.[62] And the subject has had
fresh light thrown upon it as archaeology has progressed. It is thought
that the Romanizing party which prevailed at the Synod of Whitby
affected for its churches the Italian type,[63] one of the
characteristics of which was the _Confessio_, an underground chamber for
relics[64] situated under the high altar, and surrounded, except toward
the church, by a passage reached by steps from the body of the building,
whence, moreover, there were generally steps leading up to the fl