Fig. 445.—St. Andrews Cathedral.
Window inserted in East End.
In the foundations of the east wall there can be seen fragments of ancient sculptured stones, and it has been proposed that these should be removed; but fortunately, for the preservation of the structure, that idea has been abandoned.
The presbytery had a groined vault springing from lofty angle shafts. The ribs are crossed by a curious horizontal band, at the level where the vaulting becomes of arched construction. This groining may possibly have been renewed at the time the alterations were made on the east wall. The angle buttresses may have been built at the same time, although, strangely, at the points where they were least required.
Fig. 446.—St. Andrews Cathedral. Section of Piers.
The central aisle of the choir and nave is of the same width as the presbytery. Several of the piers of the choir still remain to a considerable height above the base. Their section, and also those of the nave piers, are shown in Fig. 446. The side aisles were vaulted, as is indicated by the bases of the vaulting shafts.
The presbytery floor is two steps up from the choir; the steps still exist between the two eastmost pillars. To the eastward of these there are foundations as if of a wall across the church. Adjoining this there is a large stone slab, measuring about 11 feet 4 inches by 7 feet 8 inches, with slight square depressions carefully wrought on its surface, as shown on the Plan. This large slab may have been the covering of a grave, and the depressions on the surface may have contained brasses. There is a similar slab in the choir, measuring 10 feet by 5 feet 5½ inches (see Plan).
The west wall of the south transept ([Fig. 447]) has an intersecting arcade in the lower story, with three round arched windows above, and graceful arcading between, resting on corbels having square abaci. Similar windows are continued along the south wall of the nave for four bays. Westwards of this the nave windows are pointed, and have very simple tracery ([Fig. 448]); otherwise there is very little difference in the design of the south wall of the nave throughout its whole length. The lower part seems to have been built as far west as the third bay from the west end during the Transition period. The plan of the wall shows the same flat buttresses with round angle shafts throughout its whole length, which are indications of early work. [Fig. 449] shows the cap of the angle shafts of the buttresses, and one of the corbels of the cornice. The springers of the groining of the south aisle still remain (see [Fig. 447]). The groining appears to have been late, and of rather coarse work. The ribs are struck from centres below the level of their springing. All the bays have wall ribs, except the two east bays, which rather indicates that the latter bays were not meant at first to be vaulted. The vaulting