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Text of Peter F . RYDER Architect
Specialist in medieval period building
we thank him for the precision he gives
about the architectural curiosities of Cubières's church.
The village church at Cubieres
is an intriguing building, a post-medieval reconstruction incorporating
significant parts if an abbey church of the 11th century. During the
reconstruction, prior to which the older building was probably in state of
ruin, the liturgical axis of the building was changed to north-south
rather east-west.
The south wall of the present
church comprises the three eastern bays of the south wall of the original
triple-aisled basilican church, together with the apsidal east end of its
south aisle (F). The corresponding three bays of the south arcade are
intact (with piers A&B on plan), together with the penultimate bay only of
the north arcade (piers C&D), together with the transverse arches ( AC
&BD) which probably carried a stone vault.
A new northward facing apse,
containing the altar of the present church, was formed between C& D, and
with it new walls were built diagonally spanning the original central arm,
from E to C and G to D.
On the exterior of the building
at G a little of the internal face of the original central apse can be
seen, showing that it was rather more than semi-circle in plan; piers C &
D clearly have responds for arches springing northwards across the former
north aisle.
The irregular block of masonry
at E is shown on existing plan as a post-medieval buttress, but in fact
appears to be a pier of the south arcade, partially reconstructed. A break
in its masonry shows that the half-drum of its western responds has
been cut away.
This, together with a wall
recently seen when a grave was being dug, on the line of the south wall of
the present church, indicate that the building once continued further to
the west. It is not clear how far it extended; there is a break in the
line of the western churchyard wall on the same line as south wall of the
south, but it seems unlikely that the extended as far as this, given the
pronounced westward fall of the ground.
The south wall of the present
church is of interest. An early doorway survives at H in the western bay,
and in bays I & J are remains of small windows set high in the wall above
their successors.
Between the bays are remains of
shallow pilaster buttresses which do not seem to have extended all the way
down to the ground. This, the height of the original windows and what
looks like a large in filled socket above the door H, all might imply that
there was formerly a cloister walk adjacent to the wall. The walling of
bay J (or rather of its western part; eastern seems to have been rebuilt
at some time) is reddened, as if by burning - possibly the east range (
with the chapter house etc) adjoined at this point, and was destroyed by
fire.
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