His magnificent entrance having been covered with lath and plaster, and
for long completely forgotten, was unearthed by, and at the expense of
Bishop Barrington, early in the present century. It is in good
preservation and is a splendid specimen of rich Norman architecture. It
consists of five orders, all richly carved and moulded. Three orders
rest on carved capitals and shafts, and two are carried down the jambs
of the doorway. The stairway has entirely disappeared, but there is
little room to doubt that it would be of much the same character as that
in the close at Canterbury; and to the protection afforded by the
staircase roof, we are, no doubt, indebted for the good preservation of
the arch mouldings of the doorway itself. What was originally Pudsey's
Upper Hall is now styled the #Norman Gallery#. The greater portion of
this gallery is at the present time divided into chambers of residence
for the students of the university. It is reached by the Black Staircase
and a doorway in the Early English Gothic style. The interior of the
south and west walls are enriched by arcades in groups of three, the
central bay of each of which is larger than those flanking it, and is
pierced by a window. The arches of the arcade rest on shafts and cushion
capitals, and are carved with chevron ornament. The whole arrangement
hereabouts bears the impress of having been a portion of one great
building, which an examination of the roof, lead, and general outline
makes even more certain. On the western side of the courtyard stands the
great #Bek's Hall#, built by the bishop of that name. It is above the
Norman undercroft, previously mentioned. Much of its original character
is now lo
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