Fig. 471.—Arbroath Abbey. Plan of Gallery over West Doorway.
The south wall of the transept (see [Fig. 464]) is comparatively plain on the outside, merely the upper part being visible above the dormitory roof. The façade presents two plain lancet windows, one very much shorter than the other to admit of the before-mentioned roof, and above the lancets a large wheel window occupies the gable. The interior of the transept ([Fig. 473]) is a very grand design in the early pointed style. The lancets are splayed to a great width in the interior with banded nook shafts on the sconsions, and arched above in the simplest manner without any mouldings. Beneath the lancets there is a round arched open arcade having a passage behind it, and beneath this two tiers of wall arcades with pointed arches, the central arcade being very acutely pointed, and the lower one not so decidedly pointed, and with trefoil cusps in the arches. A staircase in the south-east angle of the transept gave access to the dormitory by the door which is seen built up on the outside (see [Fig. 464]). This staircase also leads to the various passages in the thickness of the walls shown in Fig. 473. The doorway leading from the church to this stair ([Fig. 474]) ranges with the lower pointed arcade, and is round arched. The west return wall of the transept is very bold and grand, as seen from the interior (see [Fig. 473]). The lower arcade of the south end is continued along the west wall, and above this two
Fig. 472.—Arbroath Abbey. Interior of West End.
(From a Sketch by Mr. T. S. Robertson, Dundee.)
windows widely splayed, and having nook shafts on the sconsions, rise to a great height and are finished with moulded circular arches in the interior and pointed lancets in the exterior. All the lofty windows in the south transept have passages on two floors. The upper passage running along this wall must have been connected with some kind of bridge thrown across the windows. There are indications of rests for beams doubtless connected with this arrangement, which would probably
