Bells Cathedrals: A Short Account of Romsey Abbey | Page 8

concerned, is absolutely unique. The illustration
reproduced from a negative taken about twenty years ago will give a

better idea of the character and position of the rood than verbal
description. Since the photograph was taken, a projecting pent house
has been very wisely erected over the crucifix to protect it from the
weather, but at the same time the addition does not exhibit it to
advantage; hence the photograph which shows its previous condition
has become valuable. Various opinions as to the date of this crucifix
have been held. The first hasty opinion likely to be formed is that it is
not older than the wall in which it appears, and therefore must be of
Norman date, but careful examination of the stone work will show that
it is older than the wall, and has been inserted in its present position,
probably at the time when the existing Norman transept was built. Mr.
Edward S. Prior, in his "History of Gothic Art in England," says that it
is the best work of its date, in high relief of any size to be found in
England, and adds that it is by some considered to be of Saxon date.
This seems very probable. It is Byzantine in character. The limbs are
clothed in a short tunic; the figure does not hang drooping from the
nails, the arms are stretched out horizontally, the head is erect, and the
eyes open. It represents not a dead Christ, but Christ reigning on the
Tree; above the head the Father's hand is shown surrounded at the wrist
by clouds. This may be taken to represent the pointing out of the
beloved Son, in whom the Father is well pleased, or we may suppose
that the hand has been extended downwards in answer to the words
"Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Some clue to the date is
given by a drawing in a manuscript in the British Museum--the
homilies of Archbishop Ælfric (about 994)--in which a crucifix almost
identical with this may be seen. By the side of the figure is a
rectangular recess, with small holes at the top to carry off smoke:
probably it was customary to keep a lamp or taper constantly burning
within this recess. The crucifix, considering its age and position, is in a
wonderful state of preservation. How it escaped mutilation in the
seventeenth century is hard to explain, for a crucifix would be
particularly obnoxious to the Puritan mind, and, standing as this one
does almost on the level of the ground, it would seem to have been
especially exposed to risk of destruction. Fortunately, however, it has
escaped with only the loss of part of the right forearm and shoulder.
[Illustration: THE SAXON ROOD]

Passing round the south face of the transept, we come to the #apsidal
chapel# attached to its eastern wall. (See illustration, p. 14.) The
round-headed windows and the original parapet are worthy of notice.
Quite recently a new high-pitched roof has been placed over this
chantry. The illustration shows it before this change was made. Beyond
this we come to the south aisle of the choir, with its three bays, each
containing a round-headed window. The arrangement here is rather
peculiar. The east wall of the choir, containing the two
fourteenth-century windows side by side, rises just to the east of the
second bay; the outer eastern wall of lower height at the extremity of
the third bay is the east wall of the ambulatory or retro-choir. This was
originally pierced by two arches, leading into the two parallel chapels,
dedicated respectively to St. Mary and St. Ethelfleda, which were built
in the fourteenth century, taking the place of two chapels, in Norman
style, only about half their length measured from west to east. These
two chapels were pulled down after the parish bought the church, to
save the expense of keeping them in repair. The two arches leading into
them were built up, but the geometrical east windows of the chapels
were inserted in them, and now give light to the retro-choir. The ends
of the choir aisles are apsidal within, but flat without. This arrangement
leads to great thickness at the corners of the walls.
At one time there was a detached campanile for the bells of Romsey.
This was pulled down in 1625 and the bells placed in the wooden cage
erected for them on the roof of the central tower. At this time there
were six bells only, but in 1791 they were, according to one account,
taken down and sold, and a fresh peal of eight bells cast for the church.
According to another account the six bells were melted down, fresh
metal added, and from this the larger peal of eight bells was cast. It is