IN THE NORTH TRANSEPT 45

THE INTERIOR FROM THE WEST 46

BASE OF A PIER IN THE NAVE 47

ARCADING IN THE TOWER 48

IN THE RINGERS' CHAMBER 49

THE WEST WALL OF NORTH TRANSEPT 50

THE NORTH CHOIR AISLE 51

THE AMBULATORY 52

THE SOUTH CHOIR AISLE 55

SAXON CARVING, SOUTH AISLE 56

THE NORTH-EAST ANGLE OF THE CROSSING 57

TOMB AND EFFIGY IN THE SOUTH TRANSEPT 61

THE NORTH AISLE OF THE NAVE 63

THE SOUTH TRANSEPT 66

PIER IN THE NORTH NAVE ARCADE 73

PLAN _End_

[Illustration: APSIDAL CHAPEL, SOUTH TRANSEPT]

ROMSEY ABBEY

CHAPTER I

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

The etymology of the name Romsey has been much disputed. There can be no
doubt about the meaning of the termination "ey"--island--which we meet
with under different spellings in many place-names, such as Athelney, Ely,
Lundy, Mersea and others, for Romsey stands upon an island, or rather
group of islands, formed by the division of the river Test into a number
of streams, which again flow together to the south of the town, and at
last, after a course of about seven miles, empty themselves into
Southampton Water. But several derivations have been suggested for the
first syllable of the name. Some writers derive it from Rome, and regard
Romsey as a hybrid word taking the place of "Romana insula," the first
word having been shortened and the second translated into Old English, or
Saxon as some prefer to call it. Now it is true that there were several
important Roman stations in the neighbourhood: Sorbiodunum (Old Sarum),
Brige (Broughton), Venta Belgarum (Winchester), and Clausentum (near
Southampton), and in passing to and fro between these the Roman legions
must frequently have marched either through or near to the site of Romsey.
Roman coins found in the immediate neighbourhood clearly show that the
place was inhabited during the Roman occupation. Another derivation is the
Celtic word "Ruimne" (marshy); this would make the name mean "Marshy
island," and there can be no doubt that this would be an apt description
of the place in olden times; against this may be