Preparatory elevation and plan of the south-east or north-east corner bastion, nearly as executed

WRE/2/1/6

1675

Sir Christopher (1632–1723) Wren, Edward (c.1622–1675) Woodroofe

Pen and brown ink over pencil under drawing, with pencil shading and additions. 36.1 x 25.7 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 Study for the basements of the two eastern bastions and their internal L-shaped staircase chambers, which are lit by windows on both sides of the basement wall. Drawn by Edward Woodroofe. Datable 1675. Drawn scale, just under 4 ft to 1 inch.\par \par Small adjustments to the window splays in the ink drawing were incorporated in the neater final version, WRE/2/1/7. The inscription \lquote\i 28\i0\rquote against a freehand curved line on the right marks the distance between the centre-line of the adjacent aisle bay and the centre of the bastion. The external walls of the bastion at church-floor level are positioned half way between these two centre lines, the distance of 14 feet being marked on both axes of the plan. These dimensions brought the bastion into a shared proportional scheme for the external bays of the choir and transepts aisles, where 10 ft and 4 ft are repeated units (for the widths of the window openings and paired pilasters [10 ft], and for the diameter of individual pilasters and columns [4 ft]). The 4-ft module is used for the internal width of the window splays in this plan.\par \par Separate contracts were not issued for the basements of the bastions, but in March 1677 Marshall and Strong were paid for building the basement wall beyond the eastern bastions, to the centres of the adjacent bays of the transepts (Wren Society 13, pp.86-9).\cf0\b\f1\par }

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