harles I. The western doorway has been a beautiful
specimen of first pointed work, and the W. side of the N.W. tower is
ornamented with two tiers of arcades. "The lower arcade contains
five pointed arches, with a trefoiled arch within each. These rest
on triple shafts, with carved caps and rounded abaci. Over each
shaft and between the arches there is a circle containing a boldly
carved Norman head. The feature is unique and its effect is fine.
The upper arcade consists of three larger arches, each containing
two smaller arches, and all resting on shafts with carved and
rounded caps. The shields in the larger arches are pierced with bold
quatrefoils. Two circles occur in the spandrils over the arches, but
they do not now contain heads."[319] The same design is continued
round the S. side of the tower, and along the W. wall of the nave as
far as the main doorway, but the N. and E. sides of the tower are
plain. Above the two arcades the tower contains a large two-light
window on the N.E. and W. sides. Each window is divided into two
openings by a single central shaft, having a carved cap and broad
square abacus, on which rest the two plain pointed arches of the
inner openings. The shield above is pierced with a bold quatre-foil.
The two western piers of the crossing are still standing, and within
the arch there has been erected in modern times a large traceried
window. The spaces below the window and across the side aisles have
been built up with fragments of the demolished structure, and a
window is thus formed at the east end of each aisle.

The church has evidently undergone a thorough repair during the
fifteenth century, probably during the period when Crawford was
abbot (1460-1483). "The work executed at this time consisted of the
addition of seven buttresses on the north side and several
buttresses on the south side of the aisles. Those on the north side
are large, and may either enclose the old buttresses or have been
substituted for them. They have a set-off near the centre, above
which each contains an elaborately ornamented and canopied niche.
Beneath and above the niche there are carved panels, which have
contained angels and shields, with coats of arms. The arms of Abbot
Crawford are said to have been carved on the panels, but they are
now too much decayed to be distingui