rm crossed a transept,
remarkable for its narrowness. In the angle between it and the south
wall of the choir, rose, as an integral part of the building, a smaller
tower balancing the earlier great one of Gundulf, which had been allowed
to remain in an almost similar, but independent, position on the other
side. It has been conjectured that the lower portions of these two
towers formed the transepts of Gundulf's church. This would have greatly
reduced the length of its choir, while adding, to the same amount, to
that of its nave. Such a theory is, however, quite untenable now, as the
real lines of the transept have been traced. In 1872, when the south end
of the present transept was underpinned, parts of the foundations of its
predecessor's east and south walls were uncovered, and the footings of
the clasping pilaster buttress of its south-west angle exposed. These
showed that the transept occupied the position which we have assigned to
it, and that its entire length was 120 feet, while it was only 14 feet
wide. This width being so small, it is probable that the arcading of the
nave was continued right up to the choir arch. There was no tower over
the crossing. Of a south tower, as has been mentioned, the foundations
have been found, but the only signs of it now left above ground seem to
be some tufa quoins in the wall by the cloister door. Even if these
traces did not remain there would be ample documentary evidence to prove
that it had once existed.

The nave and its aisles were intended to be at least nine bays long. In
the underpinning of the side aisles in 1875-76, the bases of Gundulf's
buttresses were discovered, his foundations being easily distinguishable
from later ones, and the curious fact was then made manifest that he did
not finish the nave westwards. On the south side his work stops half a
bay from the present west front, and on the north it only extends three
bays to the west of the present transept. It is interesting to note that
it is just from this point that it was, in the seventeenth century,
found necessary to start the rebuilding of a portion of the north aisle
wall. Taking it for granted that the nave arcades were, after the old
English traditional manner, continued to the choir arch, we conclude
that Gundulf completed nine arches on the south and five on the north
side. The bishop probably finished the south aisle that he might build
the cloister and monastic buildings against it in their usual