een destroyed or
defaced is uncertain, or whether, as at Southwark, they were content
with hacking off the projecting canopies cannot now be determined, but
in place of it was erected a vast wooden structure, picturesque from its
very ugliness, more suited to the classic taste of the Georgian era. At
this time, no doubt, the church was re-pewed, and the great pulpit, with
its sounding-board, set up on the north side of the choir.

Among the conventual buildings which had survived to this time, and
remained in occupation, was the chapter house, which, with nearly all
traces of its antiquity destroyed, and with a gallery erected across its
west end, had been converted into a meeting-house for dissenters, the
old slype having been made into a vestry. The access to it appears to
have been the ancient one through the east cloister, which was also
standing perfect at that time. It does not appear to have belonged to
any particular sect, but was always known as St. Bartholomew's Chapel,
and among those who preached in it was John Wesley, who also
occasionally preached and celebrated weddings in the church itself.

In 1830 occurred a great fire, which destroyed this chapel, together
with all the upper part of the east cloister, and the greater part of
the south transept. Whether the great dormitory, which extended
southwards from the transepts, or any part of it, had been left
standing seems uncertain, but if so, this fire must have destroyed it.
The fine undercroft of the dormitory, which consisted of two vaulted
aisles of the Transitional period, remained perfect, and was standing as
recently as 1870, when it was ruthlessly, and, apparently,
unnecessarily, destroyed to make room for some parochial offices.

Shortly before this fire happened, some small, and not very fortunate,
attempt at a restoration was made within the church, which resulted in
more loss than gain, as it entailed the complete destruction of any
remains of the ancient altar-screen which might have survived the
previous alterations. The Georgian reredos which had taken its place was
removed, and the east wall was plastered over and ornamented with a
blank arcade in cement, which its architect doubtless thought agreed
with the Norman features of the church. The Georgian pulpit was removed,
and a symmetrical arrangement of two was substituted, recalling the
Gospel and Epistle ambones of an ancient Italian church, but lacking
their beauty.

Thus, after the v