The Vicars' Cloisters.—The entrance to the college of Vicars Choral is from the south side of the Lady Chapel. Leading from the south-east transept of the cathedral to the quadrangle of the college is a long cloister walk.
In the morning, when the sun shines upon the cloister, its richly carved roof may be best seen. The western wall, with the exception of a few mortuary tablets, is quite plain. The eastern wall is pierced with eight three-light windows, between which are the remains of small niches.
Many old vicars are buried within this cloister. The roof is of oak, the wall-plates, purlins, and rafters are richly moulded and the tie-beams and principals are richly carved on both sides with various patterns and devices.
The Rev. F. Havergal says:—"The late William Cooke acquired an immense amount of information relating to the college and the vicars in olden time. His biographical notices of them are most curious and amusing, giving a complete insight into the manners, traditions, and customs of the place." He goes on to quote from the Lansdowne Manuscript in the British Museum, 213, p. 333.
"Relation of a survey of twenty-six counties in 1634, by a captain, a lieutenant, and an ancient, all three of the military company in Norwich.
"Next came wee into a brave and ancient priviledg'd Place, through the Lady Arbour Cloyster, close by the Chapter-house, called the Vicars Chorall or Colledge Cloyster, where twelve of the singing men, all in orders, most of them Masters in Arts, of a Gentile garbe, have their convenient several dwellings, and a fayre Hall, with richly painted windows, colledge like, wherein they constantly dyet together, and have their cooke, butler, and other officers, with a fayre library to themselves, consisting all of English books, wherein (after we had freely tasted of their chorall cordiall liquor) we spent our time till the Bell toll'd us away to Cathedral prayers. There we heard a most sweet Organ, and voyces of all parts, Tenor, Counter-Tenor, Treble, and Base; and amongst that orderly shewy crew of Queristers our landlord guide did act his part in a deep and sweet Diapason."
The North-East Transept.—This transept shows ample evidence of the original Norman plan, although its present character is Early Decorated.
Of the triple apse in which the Norman Cathedral probably terminated—an arrangement similar to the eastern apses of Gloucester and Norwich Cathedrals—portions remain in the walls of the vestibule to the Lady Chapel, and in this, the north-east transept, still remain parts of the apses which opened from the choir aisles. These are somewhat later than the nave and belong to the Transition period.
After the completion of the great north transept for the reception of the shrine of St. Thomas Cantilupe, the terminal apses of the choir aisles were almost entirely removed, and the present north-east transept erected.
In the centre of this transept rises an octagonal pier which helps to carry the quadripartite vaulting. Some Norman arches in the west wall doubtless formed part of the original apse. The windows belong to the Early Decorated period. Sir G. G. Scott was responsible for the restoration of the transept.