Before entering the Cloister court we pass through the old slype, once a simple vaulted passage, but now open to the sky.  It was the means of communication between the Refectory, which was situated to the west, and the Chapter House, which was on the east side of the Cloister.  Quite recently some of the arches on the west side have been opened to view, and interesting tracery brought to light.

The =Cloister Court= is always called the Laurel Court.  The origin of this name is not known.  The northern part of the area covers the site of the nave of the Saxon church; but though search was made, during the recent works, for remains of the old foundations, nothing was discovered.  On the south and west sides are to be seen remains of the arches and groining, but the appearance of the south wall of the cathedral suggests that there could not have been any covered alley to the north, so completely have all evidences of such an erection been removed.  But it is known that there did exist an alley there, when the Cloisters were complete; for Gunton, describing it, says “The Cloyster about four square, in length 168 yards, in breadth 6 yards.”  The windows, contrary to the usual practice, were all glazed, and they contained a very fine series of painted glass, all destroyed in 1643.  Gunton gives the subjects:—­“The windows were all compleat and fair, adorned with glass of excellent painting:  In the South Cloyster was the History of the Old Testament:  In the East Cloyster of the New:  In the North Cloyster, the Figures of the successive Kings from King Peada:  In the West Cloyster, was the History from the foundation of the Monastery of King Peada, to the restoring of it by King Edgar.”  Each light had two lines of verse at the foot, explaining the subject matter of the glass above.  All the verses in the windows of the west alley are given; and from this we gather that there were nine windows there of four lights each.  Although Gunton only gives the verses belonging to the west cloister, yet as he said previously that “every window had at the bottom the explanation of the history thus in verse,” it is supposed that similar legends appeared in all the other alleys of the cloister.  The verses are very quaint.

[Illustration:  Door to Palace Grounds from the Cloisters, 1797.]

[Illustration:  Door way to Cathedral from the Cloisters.]

The archway at the south-eastern corner is very elegant, the open quatrefoil above the round arch and below the pointed arch being especially good.  The south wall indicates that there were two sets of cloisters here, as the remains of early English arcading are to be clearly seen.  Towards the west was the lavatory, the remains indicating work of late fourteenth century date.  It is on record that Robert of Lindsey (1214-1222) erected a lavatory in the south cloister:  this would be contemporary with the Early English work remaining in this wall, and with the archway to the slype; but it must have been removed when the cloisters were enlarged, and another lavatory, of which we see the remains under three arches, built in its stead.  The Refectory was immediately to the south of this wall:  some beautiful carving is to be seen in the Bishop’s garden.  The south-western doorway gives access to the Bishop’s grounds.  The depth of the hollows behind the carved foliage above the door is remarkable.