Fig. 365.—From Romsey Church, Hampshire.
At Jedburgh the lower story has the round arch and vaulting ribs supported on corbels ([Fig. 366]), projected from the round face of the piers.
Fig. 366.—Jedburgh Abbey. South Aisle of Choir, looking West.
A similar plan is adopted at Romsey and also at Oxford Cathedral. The upper or triforium arch at Jedburgh is round and moulded, and contains a well wrought chevron ornament. It rests on large caps of the divided cushion pattern. The main arch is formed into two openings by a central round shaft and two half round responds, with massive cushion caps carrying plain arches.
The clerestory is of Transition work, having one lofty stilted and pointed arch and two smaller pointed arches in each bay. These spring from clustered shafts, consisting of four smaller shafts grouped into one. They have plain bell caps and foliaged caps alternately, all with square abaci. The arches have bold mouldings and a label.
At the time when the transitional clerestory was erected, the eastern part of the choir appears to have been built, as the remains of two lofty pointed windows are preserved to the east of the cylindrical piers ([Fig. 367]). These lofty arches have sprung from shafts with Transition caps at the level of the triforium floor, and a pointed arcade beneath seems to have been continued round the east end of the choir and presbytery.
The same Norman style of architecture as in the choir is continued in the south and north transepts, and appears to have originally also extended into the nave. This is apparent from the mode in which the string course over the triforium runs along on the north side from the choir to the nave, where it is broken off. That the Norman nave has probably extended westwards from the crossing is further evidenced by the existence of the west end wall, with its great doorway and windows and the south doorway to the cloister, which portions are all of characteristic Norman design.