the aisles on the north
and south respectively, not at the western ends of the aisles (a far
more common position), thus giving a much greater width and imposing
appearance to the west front.

The existence of western towers of Norman date has been doubted by some
antiquaries; some indeed imagine that John de Cella's thirteenth-century
west front was built several bays further to the west than the Norman
facade, and that the foundations of the unfinished towers were laid of
old material by him. It is impossible to be absolutely certain on this
point, but the argument sometimes brought forward that the nave was
inordinately long for one of Norman date may be answered by mention of
the fact that the Norman naves at Bury and Winchester were even longer,
and that generally the Norman builders delighted in long structural
naves, the eastern bays of which, however, were, together with the space
beneath the towers, used for the choir or seats for the monks, the
eastern part of the church beyond the crossing being generally occupied
by the presbytery and the sanctuary where the high altar stood. In after
times, however, considerable eastward extensions were made, as at
Canterbury, and the monks' seats were then in many cases moved eastward
into the part of the church beyond the tower, the rood-screen being
stretched across the church between the eastern piers that supported the
tower.[3]

[3] The chief argument against the belief that western towers
existed at St. Albans is that no documentary record of them is
found. On the other hand it may be said that, whether the towers
were built or not at the same time as the rest of the church, it
is far more likely that John de Cella and William of Trumpington
would have lengthened the church eastward than westward, when we
find so many instances of eastward extensions during the
thirteenth century, and of some before the twelfth century
closed. The plan given in the text, assuming the existence of
Norman towers, is that adopted by Sir Gilbert Scott, who had the
opportunity of examining the foundations when restoring the
church; his opinion was that the foundations were of Norman
date. Of one thing we may be certain, that if finished western
towers ever existed, they were of Norman date. For none were
carried to completion by William of Trumpington.

[Illustration: PLA