§ 37.

Cistercian churches developed a special plan of their own in keeping with the austere ideals of their order. Some of their earliest churches, as at Waverley and Tintern, had aisleless naves, short transepts, each with one rectangular chapel upon its eastern side and an aisleless rectangular presbytery. This is a simple form of the normal Cistercian plan, which may be seen to perfection at Kirkstall and Buildwas, and was preserved with some modifications in a late rebuilding at Furness. The presbytery, aisleless and rectangular, projected some two bays east of the crossing, the high altar being placed slightly in advance of the east wall. The western bay of the presbytery was covered on either side by two or three rectangular chapels ranged along the east side of the transepts, divided from each other by solid walling, but with a continuous eastern wall. The nave was aisled. The quire was in the usual position, in the crossing and the eastern bays of the nave, and was enclosed on north and south by stone walls which were built flush with the inner faces of the columns and across the length of the crossing. The lower entry of the quire was, as usual, in the middle of the pulpitum: the upper entries were doors in the side-walls close to the presbytery.