Remains Of Outer Wall Around Cloister And Foundations Of Abbey Church

The remains of the outer wall surrounding the cloister and the foundations of the abbey church date to the late 13th century and were restored between 1900 and 1910 by Sir H Brakespear. The walls are constructed of dressed, coursed Caen and Binstead stone with a rubble stone core. The cloister's approximate plan is a square, measuring 42 metres. The north side incorporates the south aisle wall of the abbey church, with foundations for the remainder of the church exposed during the 1900-10 restoration. The east side includes a wall section of the south transept, featuring night stairs, a doorway into the vestry, a triple arched opening to the Chapter House, and a doorway likely leading to a passage. The south wall has, from east to west, stairs leading to the dorter, remains of the lavatorium, the north wall of the Frater (now the parish church of the Blessed Virgin and Child), and a doorway into the kitchen. The west wall originally formed one side of a lane for lay brothers leading to the abbey church. A central section of this wall was taken down, with doors located near each end. The north wall of the cloister is the south aisle wall of the abbey church, with doorways leading into the cloister. This wall features two or three orders of shafts and arches with multiple mouldings, along with stiffly leafed capitals. The remaining wall incorporates pointed niches with chamfered jambs and seating underneath. On the east side, a small pointed niche is located beside steps leading to the aisle door, and towards the end of the wall, a large vaulted recess is visible. A tall, pointed opening leads to the vestry. Further west, three pointed arches create an entrance to the Chapter House, with a central doorway and low walls on either side. A segmental doorway is located at the south end. The south wall exhibits dorter stairs at its eastern end, alongside remnants of an arch leading to a warming room. The lavatorium retains projecting arches, a plinth, and moulded capitals of the basins. The Frater, currently the parish church, is listed separately. The west wall has a blocked segmental doorway that once led to the kitchen, as well as two segmental archways. To the north lie the foundations of the abbey church, which reveal a plan outlining chapels around the ambulatory of the apsidal east end, north and south transepts with an east chapel, and a nave with aisles. These remains are situated within the Abbey ruins, a Scheduled Ancient Monument.