The Great Cloisters,Including St Faiths Chapel,The Chapter House,The Parlour,Numbers 1 And 2 The Cloisters,The Dark Cloisters And Dormitory With The Chapel Of St Dunstan (School And Busby Library)

The Great Cloisters, including St Faith's Chapel, the Chapter House, the Parlour, Numbers 1 and 2 The Cloisters, the Dark Cloister and Dormitory with the Chapel of St Dunstan (School and Busby Library)

A complex of abbey precinct buildings, partly in school use, forming part of the Westminster Abbey estate. The buildings date from the 11th and 12th centuries with substantial remains, a major rebuild by Henry III in the mid-13th century, 14th and 16th century work, and 17th to 19th century alterations and restorations for the Collegiate Church and School, including repairs and rebuilding following war damage. Construction is principally in stone, with Reigate stone and Purbeck marble employed for the 13th and 14th century work, and brick for some of the 17th and later alterations. Roofing is of slate, tile and lead.

The Cloister was begun around 1245-50 in the north-east corner, contemporary with the church itself, and was completed in 1366 with the construction of the south and west walls. It has been restored by Blore and Scott. The final phase features quadripartite vaults, blind arcading to the walls, and traceried windows to the garth positioned between buttresses.

St Faith's Chapel abuts the south transept and dates to around 1250. It comprises two bays to the west and one to the east, and displays very fine blank arcading and rib-vaults with head-corbels. A gallery on a tunnel vault at the west end formerly linked with the Dormitory over the Chapter House vestibule and the night stair in the south transept.

The Chapter House, built around 1245-53 and restored by Scott, opens off the east Cloister walk via inner and outer vestibules. It is a very pure example of Geometrical Gothic, built on an octagonal plan over a crypt, with a central cluster-shaft pier carrying a rib-vault, rebuilt by Scott. The building is notable for its innovatory large four-light windows crowned with quatrefoils and foiled circles, comparable to the nave at Amiens and the virtually contemporary Sainte-Chapelle. Flying buttresses were added in the 14th century. The roof is a leaded tent-lantern on an iron frame by Scott. The mid-13th century tiled pavement remains, along with blank Purbeck-shafted arcading and remains of mid-14th century paintings. The windows contain Clayton and Bell glass.

Numbers 1 and 2 The Cloisters occupy the south side of the south Cloister walk running west through to Dean's Yard. From east to west they incorporate remains of the 11th century Abbey Refectory, the Abbey Song School of around 1192, and the north end of the 14th century Cellarer's Building. Sections of the north and east walls of the Refectory backing the south Cloister walk are exposed south to the garden of Ashburnham House. The lower part of the Refectory wall is of 11th century stonemasonry with arcading, while the upper part is early 14th century with tall, blocked, transomed Y-traceried windows.

To the west, Numbers 1 and 2 The Cloisters flank the south side of the Parlour, now a passage continuing the south Cloister walk into Dean's Yard. The Parlour dates to the late 14th century and is built in two parts, each of two bays with tierceron vaults. Above is what was probably the Abbot's Camera. The eastern half has rubble walls, stone-dressed, with a gable-end tiled roof and partly original windows, two to the north and one in the east gable end. The western half was largely rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries in its upper parts and has a front to Dean's Yard with a three-storey crenellated tower over the Parlour entrance, extending south with a lower three-storey range three windows wide. This section incorporates the northern part of the Cellarer's Building. It features a large shafted two-centred arched doorway with an 18th century gate to the Parlour, a large two-light Y-tracery window above, and two and three-light mullioned windows to the right.

The Dormitory range, terminating in remains of the Reredorter, lies south of the Chapter House, flanked initially by part of the east Cloister walk continued by the Dark Cloister. The Dormitory retains its later 11th century vaulted undercroft with the Pyx Chapel at the north end; the remainder is used as a museum. At the north end of the range, the 13th century Day-stairs give access off the south-east corner of the Cloister to the Chapter Library. This library was fitted out around 1620 in the manner of a college library with presses featuring some strapwork cresting, and a heavy, plain hammerbeam roof, probably of the 14th century.

The rest of the dormitory range at first-floor level is now occupied by the "School" of Westminster School. It was refaced in brick by Benjamin Wyatt in 1814 and largely rebuilt after war damage. It nevertheless incorporates 11th century features including a Norman doorway in the west wall and window remains in the east wall. At the south end, partly incorporating remains of the Reredorter, is the Busby Library, dating to around 1655-60 and rebuilt after war damage. On the east side of the Dormitory projects the early 16th century Chapel of St Dunstan, above which is a chamber with square-headed Perpendicular windows and an 18th century Venetian window. The outer east wall of the Dormitory is partially exposed inside the adjoining school gymnasium, showing blocked medieval windows of different shapes and dates.

The Dark Cloister is the vaulted passage between the surviving walls of the Refectory and the Dormitory, 11th century in origin but contiguous with a late 14th century wall on the west side featuring a long timber window of twenty mullioned lights, opening into Little Dean's Yard.