The great fire in 1292 caused great destruction to the priory buildings. They were put up again about 1350, and Prior Gondibur almost entirely rebuilt them towards the end of the fifteenth century.
There is no reason for doubting that the various buildings were handed over in good order at the dissolution of the priory. The destruction which has left standing only the fratry, the prior's lodging, and the gate tower (1528), was the act of the Parliamentary troops and their Scottish allies in 1645, when, in addition to pulling down part of the nave, they destroyed most of the monastic buildings, in order to use the materials for the erection of guard-houses, and to strengthen the fortifications.
Dr. Todd says: "The Abbey Cloisrs, part of ye Deanery, and Chapter-House.... they pulled down, and employed ye stone to build a maine guard, and a guard-house at every gate; to repair y^e walls, and other secular uses as they thought fit."
The Fratry still remains. It was built about the middle of the fourteenth century, and rebuilt by Prior Gondibour (1484-1511) towards the close of the fifteenth century. It contains the canons' dining-hall, a fine hall, 79 feet by 27. At the upper end is a beautiful little reader's pulpit, and in the north wall there are two handsome canopied niches. The Perpendicular windows on the south side are very fine specimens; the tracery, however, is modern, but that of the west windows is very old. The late Mr. Street very carefully restored the fratry in 1880, and it is now used as a chapter-house, library, and choir-school. Beneath the fratry is a very fine Decorated crypt, with a groined roof. The boss of one of the pillars bears the initials of Prior Gondibour.
Near the fratry, to the south-west, is the prior's lodging, which, having been enlarged, is now the Deanery. It has an embattled tower, and was a refuge for the abbey inmates when danger was near; in fact, to all intents and purposes it was a "peel tower." Formerly there was a covered passage leading from the first floor, over the cloisters, into the cathedral. There is a remarkable room in the deanery, the priors' dining-hall, with a very fine ceiling, put up by Prior Senhouse (1507-1520). It is of oak, richly carved and painted; and covered profusely with verses, armorial bearings, and devices. In every third compartment are two birds holding a scroll between them, on which, and on the cross beams, the following rude verses are written in old English characters:—
| Remember man ye gret pre-emynence, Geven unto ye by God omnipotente; Between ye and angels is lytill difference, And all thinge erthly to the obediente. By the byrde and beist under ye fyrmament, Say what excuse mayste thou lay or finde; Thus you are made by God so excellente But that you aughteste again to hy' be kinde, |
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Sonus sette yis Roofe and Scalope here, To the intent wythin thys place they shall have prayers every day in the yere. Lofe God and thy prynce and you neydis not dreid thy enimys. |
The abbey gateway is to the north-west of the nave. It is a plain, round-headed archway, built by Prior Christopher Slee, and bears the following inscription:—"Ora te pr anima Christofori Slee Prioris qui primus hoc opus fieri incipit A.D. MDXXVII." Formerly, it was provided with battlements, which have now been removed.
Near the south transept, two arches of the vestibule of the chapter-house are still visible.