Sentence:  A handsome flight of steps, extending across the whole from wall to wall, occupied nearly the whole of the eastern <WSD>severy</WSD>, and led up from the pavement of this building to the great west door of the church, which terminates the interior eastward, and was designed and built in connection with it. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A compartment of a vaulted ceiling.