Elevation and part-plan of the lower west wall of the portico, north side

WRE/3/3/10

1685–86

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Nicholas (c.1662–1736) Hawksmoor

Pen and brown ink over pencil under-drawing, with shading in pen and additions in pencil. Laid paper. 33.4 x 49.0 cm. Watermark: Strasbourg lily WR

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang2057{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Microsoft Sans Serif;}{\f1\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 System;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue128;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\f0\fs20 A part-elevation and part-plan, complementary to WRE/3/3/9 and 11. Drawn by Hawksmoor. Datable 1685-86. Drawn scale, just under 3 ft to 1 inch (10 ft = 87.5 mm). \par \par This drawing and WRE/3/3/11 must precede the start of work on the west end in the spring of 1686, as the overall width between the centre of the nave and aisle is nearly 1 ft less than built. This shortfall would have allowed Wren to build the west portico with regular 9 ft intercolumniations, but would have created distortions in the western aisles and narthex walls; see WRE/3/4/2. Both drawings were developed from pencil studies for the lower portico wall at All Souls (Geraghty 2007, nos 83, 84, 86). Standing between these studies and the present scheme is the narthex in the design for a west front with a giant Corinthian portico, WRE/3/3/4.\par \par Developing the narthex in the giant-portico design, Wren lowered the niches and windows of the narthex and aisle bays to align their imposts with those of the concave recesses ('Tribunes') in the lower tower bays. In his note Hawksmoor refers to these imposts, and explains that the sill of the \lquote great Tribune\rquote should align with the architrave of the entablature over the aisle door (see similar note on WRE/3/3/11):\par \par \lquote\i A The bottom of ye Window which is in the great Tribune of ye Steeple\par \par B The impost of ye Same Window\i0\rquote .\par \par Another refinement over the design in WRE/3/3/4 is in the height of the small round-headed staircase window at the bottom of the bay next to the west door. In these two drawings the sill is at the built level, stopping at a plinth that is flush with the top of the lower torus of the Corinthian pilasters. In WRE/3/3/4 it continues down to the floor. \par \par Hawksmoor drew round columns in pencil over the square corner columns in the plan of the aisle door on the left side of the sheet; the aisle doors were built with framing columns.\cf0\b\f1\par }

Access to the Wren office drawings held at London Metropolitan Archives is available only with advance notice and at the discretion of the Heritage Services Director, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB.

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WRE/3/3/11, WRE/3/4/2, WRE/3/4/1, WRE/3/4/3, WRE/3/4/4, WRE/3/4/7