The INTERIOR of the church, the ritual or monastic choir of Rahere's priory-church, is most impressive, with its heavy columns, piers, and round arches in the pure Norman style.
The clerestory, however, above the Norman triforium, is Perpendicular, having been rebuilt early in the 15th century. The triforium is interrupted on the south side by Prior Bolton's Window, a beautiful Perpendicular oriel (once communicating with the prior's house), added by Prior Bolton (1506-32), whose rebus, a bolt and a tun, it bears. The apsidal ending of the choir, with its stilted arches, was built in 1866 by Sir Aston Webb in place of the previous square ending, which is supposed itself to have been an innovation of the 15th century. On the north side of the sanctuary is the Tomb of Rahere (died 1143) with a coloured effigy (1400-05), beneath a rich canopy usually regarded as of later date. In the south Transept stands the 15th century font at which Hogarth was baptized in 1697. A narrow staircase ascends thence to the triforium. In the south Ambulatory is the alabaster monument of Sir Walter Mildmay (died 1589), founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and one of Mary Queen of Scots' judges. Farther on is the new choir-vestry (1914), incorporating the base of the walls of the trefoil-shaped Chapel of St. Stephen. On the door at the end of the ambulatory the rebus of Prior Bolton recurs. The Lady Chapel, rebuilt in 1896 and retaining little of the original fabric of the 14th century, is separated from the east end of the choir by a beautiful modern iron screen. It was at one time used as a printing-office, and then as a fringe factory. Beneath it is a Bone Crypt, now used as a mortuary chapel (vaulting restored). The door at the east end of the north Ambulatory admitted to St. Bartholomew's Chapel, which has wholly vanished. The north Transept was at one time occupied by a blacksmith's forge. The stone screen at its west end dates from the beginning of the 15th century.
