The church was used by the canons for their regular devotions.
The original church was laid out on cross-shaped plan in the 13th century. The far end of the building, separated from the nave by a screen, was the presbytery. This housed the high altar and the choir stalls, where the canons gathered for eight formal services, called offices, each day.
During the 15th century the presbytery was lengthened and a tower begun over the crossing. The additional weight, however, caused structural problems so a tower was built at the west end of the building instead.
On each side of the nave, circles were inscribed on the 15th century floor. They marked the positions where the canons stood at the end of the Sunday procession, when they entered the church by the west doorway and stood in two files before the nave altar.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
