Little Cloister

GLOUCESTER

SO8318NW CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS 844-1/8/55 Little Cloister 23/01/52 (Formerly Listed as: CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS Remains of Abbey Wall, Abbot's Palace; Little Cloisters & Monastic Remains on n)

GV I

Remains of the Infirmary Cloister (Little Cloister) of the former Benedictine Abbey of St Peter; item includes the west alley of the cloister below the east side of Litte Cloister House (qv). Early C15, except for the garth walls the east and west alleys demolished c1650, the remains restored in C20. Ashlar, lean-to possibly lead covered roof above the south alley. PLAN: an approximately square garth, originally on each side an alley of five bays between the corner bays; the south alley abutting part of the north wall of the former monastic refectory, above the west alley the east side of the timber-framed upper floors of Little Cloister House (qv), on the north and east the surviving garth walls. EXTERIOR: each bay of the garth walls on the north, east and south sides are defined by offset buttresses and on the west side by strip buttresses, a substantial ashlar buttress in the south-east corner; in each bay a full-width window panel of three-lights with the mullions intersecting with a moulded cornice over the panel, in the head of each panel tracery comprising an arch cut by the mullions and with trefoiled heads to each light and with a quatrefoil in the head of the arch, above the arch a pair of foiled lights in each spandrel; in the south bay of the west alley a segmental-arched doorway incorporated into the tracery of the panel. INTERIOR: in the garth walls the window panels framed by single shafts rising to a continuous rollmoulding with moulded cornice above, in the south alley exposed roof framing. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (Welander D: The History, Art and Architecture of Gloucester Cathedral: Stroud, Gloucestershire: 1991-; BOE: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean: London: 1976-: 222).

Listing NGR: SO8312918860