The
second stone church [the one which the project has modelled] was
a two-storey building. It was made of finely-cut ashlar, which
was quarried near the monastery. At least in the early days, the
décor and furnishings would have been simple, even stark.
Both the interior and exterior would have been lime-washed white,
as was traditional for Cistercian churches. A wooden roof covered
the nave, but the aisles were stone-vaulted.(9) Initially,
there was probably an earth floor in the church, with rye straw
strewn
over
the choir area and mortar floors used in the more important areas,
such as the transept chapels.(10) The
church was later flagged and important areas tiled.(11)
The basic shape and structure of this second
stone church were preserved throughout the Middle Ages. Nevertheless,
the church
underwent various modifications and the internal layout was altered
in accordance with the changing needs of the community. With the
demise of the lay-brethren in the fourteenth century, their choir
in the nave was removed and the area was now used for burials and
processions. This conversion had been completed by c. 1434/5, and
meant that the western part of the church was no longer used on
a daily basis for the routine celebration of the Office, but reserved
for ceremonial occasions. During Marmaduke
Huby’s abbacy
[1495-1526], a number of processional markers were inserted here,
to indicate where the community should make the various stations.
Each marker was a limestone block, about two-feet square, with
a circle inscribed on the top.(12)