rth
side of the new church, took the place of a north aisle. This was
separated from the nave by a carved oak screen, part of which has been
utilized in the construction of the screen between the nave and choir of
the existing church. The building of this new parish church unfortunately
involved the destruction of the north porch of the abbey church. When,
after the dissolution of the nunnery, the people bought the abbey church
of the King, the nave and north aisle of the new parish church were no
longer needed, and were therefore demolished, the windows were inserted in
the arches that had been cut in the wall of the north aisle of the abbey
church, when these openings were again walled up. Two of these have,
however, been removed, and modern Norman windows constructed on the old
mouldings have taken their place. A doorway which had been cut in the
north wall of the transept when the new parish church was built was no
longer used after the church was pulled down, and a low side window near
it has been blocked up and converted into a cupboard. The two eastern
chapels were also demolished, and their east windows were inserted in
the masonry used to block up the entrances into the chapels from the
ambulatory. During the time that succeeded the Reformation many changes
were made in the fittings of the church, galleries were erected in the
transept and at the west end of the nave where the organ was placed. The
walls were covered with whitewash, and probably with a view to make it
easier to warm the church, walls were built behind the triforium arcading
all round the church. These walls are shown in some of the illustrations
made a few years ago; they have now been entirely removed. The internal
appearance of the church about the middle of the nineteenth century was
extremely distasteful to those affected by the Gothic revival, and
drastic changes were made. "Restoration" was begun at first under the
direction of Mr. Ferrey, who also restored Christchurch Priory. The inner
roof of the three western bays of the nave aisles which had not been, like
those of the other bays, vaulted in stone, were restored in wood and
plaster about 1850, when the Hon. Gerard Noel was vicar; the nave roof was
rebuilt a little later. Under the direction of Mr. Christian, architect to
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the chancel roof was restored, and the
roof of the north arm of the transept was taken in hand by Mr. Berthon.
Other work has been do