to be
seen in the building to the right. The upper story was afterwards used
as the school-room of the chorister boys, but a new building has
recently been erected for them. Entrance to the cemetery and to the west
door of the cathedral was formerly, and can still be, obtained through
the rather later College Gate, which stands beside the High Street,
opposite the end of Pump Lane. This has also been known as Chertsey's or
Cemetery Gate, and has been identified as the Jasper's Gateway of Edwin
Drood. Earlier than either of the two just mentioned was St. William's
Gate, which stood on the site of the Post Office, to the north of the
main transept, to which it led from the High Street. It has now quite
gone. Its constant use rendered a fourth, the Deanery Gate, necessary to
keep private the priory grounds. This gate still existing, was formerly
called Sextry or Sacristy Gate, and dates from Edward III.'s reign,
being probably later than Prior's Gate though earlier than College
Gate. Yet another gate was built at the southern end of the west front,
because College Gate was always open to the parishioners of St.
Nicholas. This porter's gate was in existence during the last century,
but now both it and the cathedral almonry that used to stand near by
have disappeared. The only other gate within the precincts, that at the
south-west angle of the cloisters, has been already mentioned. College
Gate and Deanery Gate now have upper stories of wood, which form parts
of dwelling-houses.

[Illustration: EASTGATE HOUSE, ROCHESTER
(FROM A DRAWING BY R. J. BEALE).]

CHAPTER III.

THE INTERIOR.[10]

[10] The numbers in [] in this section refer to the plan.

The cathedral church of Rochester is, as has been already said, a very
small one, and we must not expect to find in it the grandeur and
impressiveness that great size often confers. As a whole, too, it is not
remarkable for beauty, though special parts may claim to possess this
attribute. Its chief claim to attention is its excellence as an example
of the gradual additions and successive alterations made to and in old
buildings during the long periods of their existence. In different parts
of the fabric specimens can be seen of almost all the noteworthy
variations of style that appeared in English ecclesiastical architecture
from the Early Norman to the Perpendicular period. Some opinion as to
the merits or demerits of various restoring architects during the last
three