ows
of the south aisle have not been altered and re-altered as have been those
of the north aisle. Their sills are set sufficiently high to allow the
cloister arcades to be placed below them, but the cloister alleys have all
disappeared. There is a fine late thirteenth-century door in the second
bay from the western end of the south aisle, and another very beautiful
one known as the Abbess's door at the extreme east end of the wall of the
south nave aisle, in Norman style (see p. 26). The mouldings round the
head are richly ornamented, and two twisted columns stand on each side of
the door. Unfortunately a slanting groove has been cut through the upper
mouldings of it. It is said that at one time a stonemason's shed stood
here, probably the mason employed after the purchase of the church by the
town, to keep the building in repair. We may regret the mutilation of the
doorway, yet at the same time not condemn the existence of this shed as an
unmixed evil, for it covered and protected a most interesting relic on the
west wall of the transept from destruction by wind and sun and rain--the
celebrated #Romsey Rood#, which, as far as England is concerned, is
absolutely unique. The illustration reproduced from a negative taken about
twenty years ago will give a better idea of the character and position of
the rood than verbal description. Since the photograph was taken, a
projecting pent house has been very wisely erected over the crucifix to
protect it from the weather, but at the same time the addition does not
exhibit it to advantage; hence the photograph which shows its previous
condition has become valuable. Various opinions as to the date of this
crucifix have been held. The first hasty opinion likely to be formed is
that it is not older than the wall in which it appears, and therefore must
be of Norman date, but careful examination of the stone work will show
that it is older than the wall, and has been inserted in its present
position, probably at the time when the existing Norman transept was
built. Mr. Edward S. Prior, in his "History of Gothic Art in England,"
says that it is the best work of its date, in high relief of any size to
be found in England, and adds that it is by some considered to be of Saxon
date. This seems very probable. It is Byzantine in character. The limbs
are clothed in a short tunic; the figure does not hang drooping from the
nails, the arms are stretched out horizontally, the head is erect, and t