eredos containing much good
carving. Portions of this remain in the south-east chapel in the
triforium of the choir, having been brought back from the parish church
at Cheltenham, whither they had been removed in 1807.

Sir Robert Smirke in 1807 put up work which consisted chiefly of
panelling, which was affixed to the easternmost wall of the feretory.
This was removed in 1873.

When the present reredos was erected "the foundations of Abbot Horton's
reredos were discovered, and an accurate plan was taken of the remains
(_vide_ illustration, p. 51). Provision had evidently been made by him
for keeping relics or treasures here, and, in his time, the back
screen, as we now see it, and the reredos, were united together at the
top, and covered with heavy stone slabs, so as to make a perfectly
secure feretory. Great care was taken during the progress of the present
new work to preserve these remains, which can be still seen exactly as
they were when first discovered. The foundations of the Norman piers
removed by Horton were at the same time temporarily exposed to view."
(F. S. W.)

[Illustration: THE CHOIR IN 1806, FROM A DRAWING BY WILD.]

The original "#High Altar# occupied the same site as the present one,
and had behind its reredos a narrow space containing cupboards for the
principal jewels, and, beneath the altar, two large recesses for the
keeping of relics." (W. H. St. J. Hope.)

The #Stalls# (sixty in number), with all their graceful carving, and the
misereres, with their grotesque ornamentation underneath, have in part
had to be restored, while the sub-stalls are new, dating from Sir
Gilbert Scott's restoration, which was finished in 1873.

An engraving (reproduced from Wild) will show what the choir was like
formerly. The woodwork here shown has been utilised in making stalls and
seats in the east end of the nave for the services that are held there
on Sundays during a portion of the year.

In the #Presbytery#, or space between the reredos and the choir, there
are some very splendid old tiles; many of them fragments only, but
enough to indicate the original beauty of the pavement. From the
evidence of the tiles themselves, they were laid down by Thomas
Seabroke, R. Brygg (Brydges), J. Applebi, W. Farlei, Joh. Graft(on?).
Others dating back to the thirteenth century are also to be
found--_e.g._ those to Richard the King of the Romans, who died in 1271.

Many tiles were transferred here from other parts of