Refectory above an undercroft, and the kitchen, etc.; and on the west the cellarer's buildings of two stories. From this there extends westwards a long series of chambers, perhaps part of the accommodation for guests. The infirmary lies to the south-east.
   Of the Abbey Church considerable remains exist. The nave walls, and the west and south walls of the transept are more or less entire, and the north tower with its wings is still standing to a height of 40 or 50 feet. The eastern limb was laid bare during the excavations.
   The most singular feature about the church is the tower. Instead of being placed over the crossing or at the west end as is more usual, it stands on the north side of the nave, at a distance of six feet from the west wall of the transept. This peculiar position has a parallel in several Kentish churches, e.g., Rochester Cathedral, Offham, Orpington, Thanington, Dartford, Chelsfield, Brookland, St. Mildred's in Canterbury, Godmersham; but a singularity here is the addition of a flanking wing on the east and west side.*
   It is difficult to find a satisfactory reason to account

for this; perhaps the builders adopted these means to mask the huge buttresses which were necessitated by the material —flint; or the lack of aisles to the nave rendered it desirable to provide a processional path through the basement.
   In support of this latter theory it should be observed that the lowest stories of all three divisions were vaulted, and open into each other and into the nave and transept by arches, not doors, thus forming one continuous passage. It has been suggested that the entire block was also used for defensive purposes.
   Owing to the destruction of the upper part of the tower, the three divisions are now all of equal height, but the unfortunate luxuriant growth of ivy with which the whole is mantled makes it impossible to say whether the side portions retain their original altitude, or nearly so, or
   * The western tower of St. Nicholas Church, New Romney, has a low lean-to aisle on each side, but not of such importance as the wings here. See Mr. Scott Robertson's Paper in Arch. Cant., XIII. Mr. Scott Robertson informs me that similar appendages are found on each side of Sandhurst tower.