The west end of the nave, according to Buck’s sketch, had a door into the cloister. In excavation, Hope found two processional doors.
On the north side of the west pillar base in the nave it used to be possible to find a 13th century coffin lid with its foot to the west. It had a very fine incised cross on steps, with an unusually short pastoral staff on the dexter side. It was probably of Walter de Senteney, the first Abbot of St Mary’s Abbey, who died in 1226. According to the excavation report, a slab had lain in the middle of the tile pavement, but it had gone and the vault had been rifled. One side of the grave was made of a large piece of windowsill with a bold roll moulding: the west end was filled with lots of large green tiles with knights tilting.
Many tiles were found in situ: they were laid in bands for aid in the drawing up of processions. St John Hope thought this was unique to St Mary’s Abbey, but that no longer appears to be the case.
Let us proceed now into the remaining arm of the cross of the cruciform church, into the north transept. The west wall of this part of the church has gone, but the north and east walls remain at a height of several feet. The step of a north door was found in the 1878 excavation, also portions of the effigy of a canon, very incomplete but dating from the early 13th century. A small chapel with the stone foundations of its screen (parclose) was found in the north transept, presumably the one mentioned in the inventory as dedicated to Our Lady of Pity. It had an alabaster reredos.
Leading off the north transept is the Lady Chapel. The arch opening from transept into chapel had a timber screen and was not on the centre line. The Chapel measures 25 feet by 23 feet and its lower walls date from the 13th century. The altar base is still visible, as are two of the three steps up to it. The altar had an alabaster reredos and an image.
The excavation report tells us that large and peculiar yellow tiles were found in the Lady Chapel, also parts of a canopied tomb. The tiles on the altar steps were removed for safety, as were the ones in front of the altar. The floor was tiled in two stages: the lower tiles, then a further layer to bring the level up to that of the bottom step. The top layer was extensively damaged when the roof fell, a process which was accomplished by knocking out the keystones and letting it fall.
The vaulting ribs in the Lady Chapel are of a different design from elsewhere in the abbey: the roof and elegant stalls appear to date from the time of Abbot John de Spondon (1439 – 1472); it appears that a new roof was provided for the Lady Chapel in the early 16th century.