Obscure Architectural Term of the Day!

LOWSIDE WINDOW. A window usually on the south side of the chancel, lower than the others, possibly intended for communication between persons outside the chancel and the priest within; perhaps also for the sanctus bell to be heard outside the church. It was formerly, and erroneously, called a leper window.

From the Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, Third Edition.

This is one of those that bears a bit too much of the shaggy dog to my mind. This site says they are usually on the west side, this one says west as well, but notes they can also be found on the east and west, and this one says it's just a window so you could see inside (and also provides the synonym of lychnoscope). No matter its actual use, here's an inside, and an outside photo of the one at St. Nicholas, Stanningfield, Sussex.

Personally, I figure someone built a church sometime back in the Dark Ages and had to knock a hole in the wall to get something into the building, and decided after they'd messed up the wall and made a hole that they might as well make it a window because it was handy to have a window there, and then everyone from the surrounding shires and villages saw it and thought it was really cool and decided they wanted one, too, and eventually everyone forgot what the real reason was and began making up all kinds of stories to justify having one. Sorta like having a blog.
posted by Terry at 1:46:00 PM