Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
The medieval cathedrals of England, which date from between approximately 1040 and 1540, are a group of twenty-six buildings that constitute a major aspect of the country's artistic heritage and are among the most significant material symbols of Christianity. Though diverse in style, they are united by a common function. As cathedrals, each of these buildings serves as central church for an administrative region (or diocese) and houses the throne of a bishop (Late Latin ecclēsia cathedrālis, from the Greek, καθέδρα).[1] Each cathedral also serves as a regional centre and a focus of regional pride and affection.[2]
Only sixteen of these buildings had been cathedrals at the time of the
While there are characteristics of each building that are distinctly English, these cathedrals are marked by their architectural diversity, both from one to another and also within each individual building. This is much more the case than in the medieval cathedrals of Northern France, for example, where the cathedrals and large abbeys form a relatively homogenous group and the architectural development can easily be traced from building to building.[4]
One of the points of interest of the English cathedrals is the way in which much of the history of medieval architecture can be demonstrated within a single building, which typically has important parts constructed in several different centuries with no attempt whatsoever to make the later work match or follow through on an earlier plan.[4] For this reason a comprehensive architectural chronology must jump backwards and forwards from one building to another. Only at one building, Salisbury Cathedral, is stylistic unity demonstrated.[5]
Background
Historical
As begun by
At the Norman conquest, most English cathedrals were already richly endowed, and as major centres of Norman power they were then able to acquire further lands formerly held by dispossessed English landowners. Furthermore, the development of tithe as a compulsory tax on agricultural production resulted in greatly increased incomes for incumbent clergy. Although all cathedrals gathered donations from worshippers and pilgrims; in practice major building campaigns were largely, or entirely, funded from the accumulated wealth of the bishop and the chapter clergy. The availability of finance largely determined the speed of construction for major projects. When money was readily available, cathedral works could proceed with great speed. At Winchester, during the Norman period, an entire cathedral of unprecedented size begun in 1079 was built from scratch in less than 20 years.
An important aspect in the practice of medieval Christianity was the
All these saints brought pilgrims to their churches, but among them the most renowned was Thomas Becket, the late Archbishop of Canterbury, assassinated by henchmen of King Henry II in 1170. As a place of pilgrimage Canterbury was, in the 13th century, second only to Santiago de Compostela
In the 1170s Gothic architecture was introduced from France at Canterbury and Westminster Abbey. Over the next 400 years it developed in England, sometimes in parallel with and influenced by Continental forms, but generally with great local diversity and originality.[4][6]
In the 16th century the
During the period of the
The
In general, from the time of the Reformation onwards, apart from necessary repairs so that buildings might remain in use, and the internal adornments of successive generations who wished to be commemorated, there was little building work and only piecemeal restoration. This situation lasted for about 250 years with the fabric of many major cathedrals suffering from neglect. The severity of the problem was demonstrated by the spectacular collapse of the spire of Chichester Cathedral, which suddenly telescoped in on itself in 1861.[2][4]
By this date medieval architecture was back in fashion. A growing awareness of the value of England's medieval heritage had begun in the late 18th century, leading to some work on a number of the cathedrals by the architect James Wyatt. The consciousness accelerated until in the 1840s two academic groups, the
The Victorian era saw the restoration of all of England's cathedrals and remaining major abbey churches. Some buildings left incomplete were completed at this time and the greater part of existent church furniture, fittings and stained glass dates from this period. The architects included George Gilbert Scott, John Loughborough Pearson, George Frederick Bodley, Arthur Blomfield and George Edmund Street.[4][5]
Scope
The 26 cathedrals described in this article are those of
All the medieval buildings that are now cathedrals of England were
The cathedrals fall into three distinct groups, depending on their earlier organisational structure. Firstly, there are those that, during the Medieval period as now, were governed by a body of secular clergy or chapter, presided over by a dean. These cathedrals are Chichester, Exeter, Hereford, Lichfield, Lincoln, London, Salisbury, Wells, and York, all of which built specifically to serve as cathedral churches.
Secondly, there was a group of monastic cathedrals in which the bishop was titular abbot. These cathedrals are Canterbury, Carlisle, Durham, Ely, Norwich, Rochester, Winchester and Worcester. These monasteries were
The third group are those churches established as new cathedrals since the Reformation. They include five great medieval abbey churches established as new cathedrals under Henry VIII: Bristol, Chester, Gloucester, Oxford, and Peterborough. Five further large churches later became cathedrals: St Albans and Southwark, which were of monastic foundation, and Manchester, Ripon, and Southwell, which were collegiate churches (and all of which consequently combine the functions of cathedral and parish church). Westminster Abbey was a Benedictine monastery that became a cathedral after the
Four other churches are associated with this tradition:
Liturgical and organisational
Cathedrals are places where the
Each of these priests, either as secular clergy, or as previously, members of a religious order, is obligated to say the "
English cathedrals maintain a traditional form of
Since the Reformation, the nave is that part of the building which is usually open to and most used by the congregation and general public. There is also, usually in the nave, a raised pulpit from which the dean or other clergy can expound the scriptures. In the late 20th century it became customary in some cathedrals for an hourly prayer to be said, for the benefit of visitors, and this is often presented from the nave pulpit. In a large cathedral, particularly in those where the building is divided by a screen as at Canterbury, an altar may be set at the eastern end of the nave so that services might be held there for large congregations. At each place where services are held there is a lectern on which rests a Bible.
General characteristics of English cathedrals
Note: all the dimensions are those given by John Harvey unless otherwise cited.
Plan and section
Like the majority of medieval cathedrals, those of England are cruciform. While most are of the
With two exceptions, the naves and eastern arms of the cathedrals have single lower aisles on either side with a clerestory that illuminates the central space. At Bristol the aisles are at the same height as the medieval choir like some German cathedrals, and at Chichester there are two aisles on either side of the nave like some French cathedrals. At a number of the cathedrals where the transepts are large they also have aisles, either on the eastern side as at Peterborough, Durham, Lincoln and Salisbury or both, as at Wells, Winchester, Ely and York.[4][5] Winchester and Ely additionally have a third aisle at the end of both transepts.[11]
Length
The nave and sometimes the eastern arm are often of great length by comparison with the medieval cathedrals of other countries.
Height
By contrast with their tendency towards extreme length, the vaults of English cathedrals are low compared with many of those found in other countries. The highest medieval stone vault in England is at Westminster Abbey at 102 feet (31 m),[5] that at York Minster being of the same height but despite its appearance, not actually of stone, but wood. The majority of English cathedrals have vaults ranging in height from 20 to 26 metres (66 to 85 ft).[2] These contrast with cathedrals such as Beauvais, Amiens and Cologne with internal heights of over 42 metres (138 ft).[6]
Towers
An important feature of English cathedrals, uncommon elsewhere except in Normandy, is the large and often elaborate square central tower over the crossing.[5] The larger of these towers range from 55 metres (180 ft) at Wells to 83 metres (271 ft) at Lincoln.[2] The central tower may exist as a single feature as at Salisbury, Gloucester, Worcester, Norwich and Chichester or in combination with paired towers at the west front as at York, Lincoln, Canterbury, Durham and Wells. Among the cathedrals that have three towers, the central tower is usually the tallest. At Southwell the two western towers are capped by pyramidal spires sheathed in lead.
Tall Gothic central spires remain at Salisbury and Norwich, that at Chichester having been rebuilt in the 19th century after its collapse. The spire of Salisbury at 404 feet (123 m) is the tallest in Britain. It is also the tallest 14th-century spire and the tallest ashlar masonry spire (in contrast to the openwork spires of Germany and France). However, it was greatly surpassed in height by the spires of Lincoln and Old St. Paul's. At Lincoln, between the early 14th century and 1548, the central tower was surmounted by the tallest spire in the world at about 170 metres (557 ft) but this fell in a storm. Lichfield Cathedral, uniquely in England, has three medieval masonry spires.
Although single western towers are common in English
West fronts
The
Most English cathedral facades fall into two basic types, with several variations.
The most typical cathedrals are those that have large paired towers at their western end, as at Canterbury, Durham, Southwell, Wells, Ripon and York.
Between the towers is either a single large traceried window, as at York and Canterbury, or an arrangement of untraceried lancets, as at Ripon and Wells, rather than the rose windows typical of French facades. There are usually three doors but unlike those of French cathedrals, they are rarely highly elaborate and far more emphasis is placed on the central door than those to either side. The entrance in most common use is sometimes located in a porch at one side of the nave.[5] Where there are not two large towers at the west front, there are generally two pinnacled turrets that frame the façade or the central nave much in the nature of very large buttresses. This arrangement may be seen at Salisbury, Winchester and Rochester.
At Lincoln a vast Gothic screen with similar buttress-like terminals was built across the front of the cathedral, incorporating the Norman portals, but hiding the Norman towers. The towers were then greatly heightened to be visible above the screen.
A Gothic screen was also added to the Norman nave at Peterborough, but this is an architectural oddity with no precedent or successor. The screen is composed of three enormous open arches, the two outer ones being much wider than that which frames the central door. The overwhelming composition is somewhat spoilt by the later porch and the fact that two towers of very different height pop up from behind the screen. Despite this, it is regarded as one of the supreme masterpieces of Gothic, revealing the enormous diversity and imagination of English medieval architects.[4]
Eastern end
The eastern ends of English cathedrals show a greater diversity than those of any other country. Those built in the Norman era had high apsidal ends surrounded by a lower ambulatory, as is typical of Northern France. This arrangement still exists at Norwich and in part at Peterborough and also, with variation, in the Early English Gothic east end at Canterbury, but in every other case has been modified.[5]
The typical arrangement for an English Gothic east end is square, and may be an unbroken cliff-like design as at York, Lincoln, Ripon, Ely and Carlisle or may have a projecting Lady Chapel of which there is a great diversity as at Salisbury, Lichfield, Hereford, Exeter and Chichester.
The ends of Norwich and Canterbury also have projecting chapels, that at Norwich being a Gothic addition to the Norman east end, while that at Canterbury, known as the Corona, being designed as part of the Early English plan, specifically to enshrine the relic of the crown of Thomas Becket's skull, sliced off at the time of his assassination.[4] The east ends of a number of other cathedrals, such as Durham, Peterborough and Gloucester, have been modified in various ways and do not fit any particular model.
External appearance
As English cathedrals are often surrounded by an expanse of green lawn, the plan is usually clearly visible at ground level, which is not the case with the many European cathedrals that are closely surrounded by town or monastic buildings.[5] The general impression is that the English cathedral sprawls across its site with many projecting limbs. These horizontal projections are visibly balanced by the strong verticals of the massive towers, which may be one, two or three in number. Many of the cathedrals, particularly those like Winchester, St. Albans and Peterborough where the towers are not particularly high, give an impression of tremendous length and have been described as resembling "aircraft carriers".
While all the cathedrals are impressive, some, because of their location, are highly significant
Internal appearance
Horizontal emphasis
Because the architecture of English cathedrals is so diverse and inventive, the internal appearances differ a great deal. However, in general, English cathedral interiors tend to give an impression of length. This is in part because many of the buildings are actually very long, but also because more than in the medieval architecture of any other country, the horizontal direction is given as much visual emphasis as the vertical. This is particularly the case at Wells where, unlike most Gothic buildings, there are no vertical shafts that continue from the arcade to the vault and there is a very strong emphasis on the triforium gallery with its seemingly endless and undifferentiated row of narrow arches. Salisbury has a similar lack of verticals while the course below the triforium and the undecorated capitals of Purbeck stone create strong visual horizontals. In the cases of Winchester, Norwich and Exeter the horizontal effect is created by the emphasis on the ridge rib of the elaborate vaults.[4]
Complex vaulting
The complexity of the vault is another significant feature of English cathedrals.[5] The vaults range from the simple quadripartite vault in the French manner at Chichester through increasingly elaborate forms including the multi-ribbed ("tierceron") vault at Exeter, the similar vault with inter-connecting ("lierne") ribs at Norwich, the still more elaborate variation at Winchester, the array of unique lierne vaults at Bristol, the net-like stellar vaulting of the choirs at Gloucester and York, the fan vaulting of the retro-choir at Peterborough, and the pendant vaulting of the choir at Oxford, where elaborate long stone bosses are suspended from the ceiling like lanterns.[4] Many of the more elaborate forms are unique to England, with stellar vaulting also occurring in Spain and Germany.[5]
Architectural styles
Saxon
While in most cases a Norman church entirely replaced a
Norman
The comprehensive reconstruction of the Saxon cathedral churches of England by the Normans represented the single largest ecclesiastical building programme of medieval Europe and when built, these were the biggest structures to have been erected in Christian Europe since the end of the Roman Empire. All the medieval cathedrals of England, with the exception of Salisbury, Lichfield and Wells have evidence of Norman architecture. Peterborough, Durham and Norwich remain for the greater part Norman buildings, while at many others there are substantial parts of the building in the Norman style, such as the naves of Ely, Gloucester and Southwell, and the transepts at Winchester. The Norman architecture is distinguished by its round-headed arches, and bold tiers of arcades on piers, which originally supported flat wooden roofs of which two survive, at Peterborough and Ely. Columns, where used, are massive, as in the nave at Gloucester, and are alternated with piers at Durham. Mouldings were cut with geometric designs and arcading was a major decorative form, particularly externally. Little figurative sculpture has survived, notably the "barbaric" ornament around the west doors at Lincoln, the bestial capitals of the crypt at Canterbury and the tympanum of the west door at Rochester.[4]
Lancet Gothic
Many of the cathedrals have major parts in the late-12th-to-early-13th-century style known as Lancet Gothic or Early English Gothic, and defined by its simple, untraceried lancet-like openings. Salisbury Cathedral is the major example of this style, which is also seen at Wells and Worcester, at the eastern arms of Canterbury, Hereford and Southwark, and the transepts of York. Also of this period is the spectacular façade of Peterborough, and the less grand but harmonious façade of Ripon.[4]
Decorated Gothic
The Decorated Gothic style, with traceried windows, is further subdivided dependent upon whether the tracery is Geometric or Curvilinear. Many cathedrals have important parts in the Geometric style of the mid 13th to early 14th centuries, including much of Lincoln, Lichfield, the choir of Ely, and the chapter houses of Salisbury and Southwell. By the late 13th century the style of tracery evolved to include a greater number of narrow shapes that adapted easily to Gothic openings in combination with circular shapes as can be seen in the windows of the chapter house of York, the Octagon of Ely and the west window of Exeter.
Further development included the repetition of Curvilinear or flame-like forms that occur in a great number of windows of around 1320, notably in the retro-choir at Wells and the nave of Exeter Cathedral. This type of tracery is often seen in combination with vaulting ribs of extreme projection and very rich moulding, as is seen in the chapter house at Wells, and the vault at Exeter, which stretches, uninterrupted by a central tower, for 91 metres (300 ft) and is the longest medieval vault in the world.[4]
The last stage of Curvilinear or Flowing Decorated Gothic, is expressed in tracery of very varied and highly complex forms. Many of the largest and most famous windows of England date from 1320 to 1330 and are in this style. They include the south transept rose window known as the "Bishop's Eye" at Lincoln, the "Heart of Yorkshire" window in the west end of York and the famous nine-light east window of Carlisle.[2][4]
There are many smaller architectural works within cathedrals which have the curvilinear tracery. These include the arcading in the Lady Chapel at Ely, which also has the widest vault in England, the pulpitum screen at Lincoln and richly decorated doorways at Ely and Rochester. Characteristic of this period of Gothic is elaborate lierne vaulting in which the main ribs are connected by intermediate ribs which do not spring from the wall and so are not major structural members. The vaults of Bristol are the most famous examples of this style, which can also be seen at York.[2][4]
Perpendicular Gothic
In the 1330s, when the architects of Europe were embracing the Flamboyant style, English architecture moved away from the Flowing Decorated in an entirely different and much more sober direction with the reconstruction, in highly modular form, of the choir of the Norman abbey, now cathedral, at Gloucester. The
During the 15th century, many of England's finest towers were either built or extended in the Perpendicular style including those of the cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester, Wells, York, Durham and Canterbury, and the spires of Chichester and Norwich.
The design of church interiors went through a final stage that lasted into the 16th century. This was the development of
Architectural diversity
The plan of Salisbury Cathedral is that most often reproduced in architectural histories for the purpose of comparing English Gothic architecture with that of France, Italy and other countries.[6] It has many features that, on paper at least, are typical. The plan of Worcester Cathedral, for example, closely resembles that of Salisbury. Both have two transepts, a large central tower, a large porch to the north side of the nave, a cloister to the south, off which opens a polygonal chapter house.[2] Internally, there are also strong visual similarities in the simple lancet windows of the east end and the contrasting profusion of Purbeck marble shafts. But the histories of the two buildings are very different. Salisbury Cathedral took 160 years to complete, from its foundations in 1220 to the top of its massive spire in 1380. Worcester took 420 years from its Norman crypt of 1084 to its chapel in memory of Prince Arthur in 1504.[2] The history of Worcester is much more representative of the history of most of England's medieval cathedrals than is that of Salisbury.
The building of Salisbury Cathedral
An earlier cathedral was located, between 1075 and 1228, on the hill top near the ancient fort at Old Sarum. In the early 13th century it was decided to move the location of the cathedral to the plain. The new building was designed in the Lancet Gothic style (otherwise known as Early English Gothic) by Elias of Dereham and Nicholas of Ely and begun in 1220, starting at the eastern end, and rising westward until by 1258 it was complete, except for the façade and central tower. The façade, huge cloister and polygonal chapter house were then constructed by Richard Mason and were completed by about 1280, the later work employing Geometric Decorated tracery in the openings of windows and arcades. It was about fifty years before the major undertaking of the tower and spire was commenced, the architect being Richard Farleigh and the details being rather more intricate and elaborate than the earlier work. The entire cathedral was complete by 1380, and the only subsequent inclusion of note has been the reinforcement of the arches of the tower when one of the piers developed a bend. This three-part building program spanning 160 years with a fifty-year gap in the middle is the shortest and least diverse and makes Salisbury by far the most homogenous of all the cathedrals.[2][4][10]
The building of Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral, unlike Salisbury, has important parts of the building dating from every century from the 11th to the 16th. The earliest part of the building at Worcester is the multi-columned Norman crypt with cushion capitals remaining from the original monastic church begun by St Wulfstan in 1084. Also from the Norman period is the circular chapter house of 1120, made octagonal on the outside when the walls were reinforced in the 14th century. The nave was built and rebuilt piecemeal and in different styles by several different architects over a period of 200 years, some bays being a unique and decorative transition between Norman and Gothic. It dates from 1170 to 1374. The east end was rebuilt over the Norman crypt by Alexander Mason between 1224 and 1269, coinciding with, and in a very similar Early English style to the greater part of Salisbury. From 1360 John Clyve finished off the nave, built its vault, the west front, the north porch and the eastern range of the cloister. He also strengthened the Norman chapter house, added buttresses and changed its vault. His masterpiece is the central tower of 1374, originally supporting a timber, lead-covered spire, now gone. Between 1404 and 1432 an unknown architect added the north and south ranges to the cloister, which was eventually closed by the western range by John Chapman, 1435–38. The last important addition is the
Famous features of the cathedrals
Bristol Cathedral
Begun in 1140[b] and completed in 1888, Bristol Cathedral's fame lies in the unique 14th-century lierne vaults of the choir and choir aisles, which are of three different designs and, according to Nikolaus Pevsner, "...from a point of view of spatial imagination are superior to anything else in England."[4]
Canterbury Cathedral
Founded as a cathedral in 597, the earliest parts are from 1070, completed 1505, except the north west tower of 1834.
Carlisle Cathedral
Founded in 1092 and completed in the early 15th century,
Chester Cathedral
Built between 1093 and 1537,
Chichester Cathedral
Built between 1088 and the early 15th century, the unusual features of Chichester Cathedral are a Transitional retro choir, a pair of early Norman relief carvings and its freestanding belfry of the 15th century. The spire, rebuilt after its collapse in 1860, can be seen from the English Channel.[4][10]
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The lierne vault of the crossing at Bristol.
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Canterbury Cathedral, The Poor Man's Bible window.
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Carlise Cathedral, the flowing Decorated Gothic tracery window of the chancel.
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Chester Cathedral, Detail of the Mediaeval choir stalls
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Chichester Cathedral, The freestanding bell tower
Durham Cathedral
Built between 1093 and 1490, Durham Cathedral, with the exception of the upper parts of its towers, the eastern extension known as the Chapel of Nine Altars, and the large west window of 1341, is entirely Norman and is regarded by Alec Clifton-Taylor as "the incomparable masterpiece of Romanesque architecture". The interior is "overwhelmingly impressive".[4] The western Lady Chapel known as the Galilee Chapel is a unique Norman building different in style to the cathedral itself. The view of the cathedral from the south west is particularly famous because of its "incomparable setting" on a steep promontory above the River Wear.[10] The Venerable C.J. Stranks wrote "It stands today vast and impressive in its massive strength, and yet so well proportioned that there is nothing about it which seems ponderous."[13]
Ely Cathedral
With the present building dating between 1090 and 1536, Ely Cathedral has a significant Norman nave and Decorated Gothic choir, but its most important features are its unique western tower of 1174 and central octagon of 1322, which Clifton-Taylor describes as "one of the wonders of English cathedral architecture".[4] It also has a unique, very large, free-standing Lady Chapel with a very wide vault and intricately carved stone arcades around the sedilia.[4][10]
Exeter Cathedral
Dating from 1112 to 1519, Exeter Cathedral is the major example of a cathedral built mainly in the later Decorated Gothic style of the 14th century. It has an impressive vault, the longest medieval vault in the world, which runs between two Norman towers placed, uniquely among the cathedrals, over the transepts.[c] Exeter has many sculptural details, including the figures of its west front.[4][10]
Gloucester Cathedral
Dating from 1098 to 1493, Gloucester Cathedral has a Norman nave with massive masonry piers, and a fine 15th-century Perpendicular tower, but its main feature is the eastern end, reconstructed in the 14th century as an early example of Perpendicular Gothic and with the largest medieval window in the world, the area of a tennis court. The cloisters have the earliest example of fan-vaulting.[4][10]
Hereford Cathedral
Built between 1079 and 1530, with a 19th-century west front, Hereford Cathedral has a Norman nave and large central tower. Other important features being the unusual style of the north transept and the north porch, also of the 13th century, but greatly extended in the 16th. Its Early English Lady Chapel is considered "one of the most beautiful of the thirteenth century".[4][10][14]
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The Norman interior and early ribbed and pointed vault at Durham.
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"The Octagon" at Ely.
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Detail of the west front at Exeter
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The Perpendicular chancel at Gloucester.
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The 11th-century south transept at Hereford.
Lichfield Cathedral
Although dating from 1195 to about 1400, Lichfield Cathedral has an interior which presents a harmonious appearance, much of which is due to its having undergone extensive restoration and refurnishing in the 19th century. The nave is very fine and the Lady Chapel is apsidal with very tall windows, giving a rather French impression. Lichfield is the only one of the cathedrals to have retained three spires.[4][5]
Lincoln Cathedral
Dating from 1074 to 1548, Lincoln Cathedral is one of the largest of England's cathedrals and it has been claimed by John Ruskin that, architecturally, it is worth any two of the others put together. Edward Freeman described it as "one of the loveliest of human works".[15] It retains portions of the three massive arches of the Norman west front and much heavily restored sculpture around the central portal. The central tower is the tallest in England and is visible for many miles as it rises in spectacular fashion from a high hill. The decagonal Chapter House with its huge flying buttresses is the first polygonal chapter house in England. Of the interior, the finest part is considered to be the late-13th-century "Angel Choir" with "gorgeous layers of tracery"[6] and enriched with carved angels. The transepts have two rose windows, the "Dean's Eye" on the north dating from c. 1200 and retaining its original glass, while the Flowing Decorated "Bishop's Eye" on the south is filled with salvaged medieval fragments.[4][10]
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral began as a parish church and was re-founded as a religious college in 1422, much of its structure being designed by John Wastell (1485 to 1506). It is very different in style from the earlier great churches, sometimes being listed with the 13 Anglican "parish-church cathedrals". Double aisles give it the widest nave of any English cathedral (115 feet); and it also has the richest set of late medieval choir stalls and misericords in the country.
Norwich Cathedral
Built between 1096 and 1536, Norwich Cathedral has a Norman form, retaining the greater part of its original stone structure, which was then vaulted between 1416 and 1472 in a spectacular manner with hundreds of ornately carved, painted, and gilded bosses. It also has the finest Norman tower in England, surmounted by a 15th-century spire, and a large cloister with many more bosses.[4][10]
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Dating from 1158 to the early 16th century, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford was always a small cathedral and was made smaller by the destruction of much of the nave in the 16th century. The stone spire, from 1230, is one of the oldest in England and contributes to Oxford's tradition as "the city of dreaming spires". Its most unusual feature is the late-15th-century pendant vault over the Norman chancel.[4][10]
Peterborough Cathedral
Built between 1117 and 1508, Peterborough Cathedral is remarkable as the least altered of the Norman cathedrals with only its famous Early English west front, with its later porch and the Perpendicular rebuilding of the eastern ambulatory by John Wastell being in different styles. J.L. Cartwright wrote of the west front that it is "as magnificent an entrance to a sacred building as could well be imagined".[16] The long wooden roof of the nave is original and has retained its painting from 1220.[4][10]
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The Lady Chapel at Lichfield
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"The Bishop's Eye" at Lincoln
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The Norman tower and 15th-century spire of Norwich
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The pendant vaulting at Oxford
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The painted ceiling at Peterborough
Ripon Cathedral
Dating from the 7th century to 1522,
Rochester Cathedral
Dating from 1177 to 1512, Rochester Cathedral has a Norman nave and crypt, and Early English choir. Its most remarkable feature is the rare, exuberantly carved Norman portal, which has, unfortunately, suffered much damage.[4][10]
St Albans Cathedral
Built between 1077 and 1521, St Albans Cathedral is unique among the cathedrals in that much of it, including the large Norman tower, is built of bricks salvaged from the Roman town of Verulamium. Both internally and externally, the tower is the most significant feature. St Albans also retains some medieval wall paintings, as well as a painted wooden roof of the late 13th century.[4][10]
Salisbury Cathedral
Built between 1220 and 1380 with additional structural reinforcement in the next century, Salisbury Cathedral epitomises the ideal English Cathedral, even though its stylistic unity makes it far from typical. Its fame lies in its harmonious proportions, particularly from the exterior where the massing of the various horizontal parts in contrast to the vertical of the spire make it one of the most famous architectural compositions of the Medieval period. Canon Smethurst wrote "It symbolises the peaceful loveliness of the English countryside..., the eternal truths of the Christian faith expressed in stone..."[4][10][17]
Southwark Cathedral
Built between 1220 and 1420, Southwark Cathedral had its nave demolished and rebuilt in the late 19th century by Arthur Blomfield. It has a fine Early English tower and choir which retains an elaborate 16th-century reredos, fitted with statues replacing those destroyed in the 17th century.[4][10]
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The Norman west door at Rochester
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The Elephant and Castle in the choir stalls at Ripon
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The Shrine ofSt Albanat Sr Albans Cathedral
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The Mediaeval clock at Salisbury is one of the oldest mechanical clocks in the world.
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The Lancet Gothic east end and tower of Southwark
Southwell Minster
Built between 1108 and 1520, Southwell Minster has its Norman façade intact, except for the insertion of a large window in the Perpendicular Style to give light to the Norman nave. The particular fame of Southwell is its late-13th-century chapter house, which contains the most famous mediaeval foliate carvings in England, "The Leaves of Southwell", described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "throbbing with life".[4][6][10]
Wells Cathedral
Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as "the most poetic of the English Cathedrals".[4] Much of the structure is in the Early English style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals in a foliate style known as "stiff leaf". The eastern end has retained much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has the finest Early English façade and a large central tower. A unique feature of the building is the "Scissor Arches" spanning the crossing, built in the mid-14th century by William Joy in order to stabilise the central tower.[4][10][18]
Winchester Cathedral
Built between 1079 and 1532, Winchester Cathedral has had an unusual architectural history. The exterior, apart from the modified windows, gives the impression of a massive Norman building and indeed, it is the longest medieval church in the world. However, the west front is now Perpendicular, with its huge window filled with fragments of medieval glass. Inside, only the crypt and the transepts have retained their Norman appearance. The spectacular Perpendicular nave with its tall arcade arches and strong vertical emphasis has been literally carved out of the original Norman interior. A former dean, the Very Rev. Norman Sykes, wrote of it "Well might the visitor who enters ... by the west door gasp with amazement."[19] Winchester is also famous for its carved wooden fittings of many different periods,[4][10]
Worcester Cathedral
Built between 1084 and 1504, Worcester Cathedral represents every medieval style from Norman to Perpendicular. It is famous for its Norman crypt, and for its circular chapter house, which became the model from which derives the series of uniquely British polygonal chapter houses. Also notable are a series of unusual Transitional Gothic bays, fine woodwork and the central tower, which, though not large, is nevertheless of particularly fine proportions.[4][10]
York Minster
Built between 1154 and 1500, York Minster is one of the biggest Gothic churches in the world. Without having the elevated positions of Durham or Lincoln it dominates the city skyline from all angles, and its great size can be seen on a clear day from as far away as the North York Moors. The deceptively simple plan with square eastern and western ends and a single transept dividing the building into equal parts belies the architectural richness of this building. The remains of the Norman crypt indicate that the older building must have been as massive and ornamental in its architecture as Durham. The Early English transepts are both famous, that of the south having a complex arrangements of lancets and a rose window making up an entrance façade. On the north side are lancet windows called the "Five Sisters" each only 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, but 57 feet (17 m) tall. The interior of York is very spacious. The West front with its paired towers is a harmonious arrangement of the late Decorated period and the large central window has fine Flowing Decorated tracery called the "Heart of Yorkshire", while the large eastern window is Perpendicular in style.[4][10] A rare feature of York Minster is that these important windows have all retained their medieval glass, from c. 1270, 1335 and 1405, respectively.[18]
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The St Andrews Cross arches at Wells.
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The Chapter House at Southwell Cathedral has naturalistic carved flora.
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The west window of York Minster.
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The north transept at Winchester
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The Norman crypt at Worcester
Architects
The researches of
No architectural drawings survive for any English cathedral earlier than 1525 (although an engineer's design for a proposed new water supply at Canterbury cathedral priory exists in a 12th-century plan). Architectural details, such as window tracery designs, were not executed as scale drawings, but were incised full-size onto a large flat gypsum tracing-floor, examples of which survive at York and Wells.
Medieval construction was seasonal, work on site being undertaken only in the spring and summer, when the light was good and the weather more reliable. Each autumn, all exposed surfaces were covered and lagged against frost damage. The architects worked over winter in the tracing house (that of York has both a fireplace and a privy) to prepare designs for the next season's campaign. They translated the designs into sets of planed oak cross-sectional templates, which were given to the stone-cutters. Construction of cathedrals and major churches almost invariably started at the eastern arm, and then proceeded westwards, with towers erected last.
- Robert the Mason, c 1100, St Albans abbey
- William of Sens, d 1184, Canterbury choir
- William the Englishman d 1214, Canterbury choir
- Elias of Dereham d 1246, Salisbury
- Michael of Canterbury d 1321, Canterbury
- Henry Wy c 1324, St Albans nave
- John de Ramsey d 1349, Norwich, Ely
- William de Ramsey d 1349, Norwich, Ely, Old St Paul's chapter house, Lichfield presbytery
- William Hurley d 1354, Ely lantern
- Richard of Farleigh d 1364, Salisbury north-east gate and wall around the close, Exeter
- Alan of Walsingham d 1364, Ely octagon
- John Clyve d 1374, Worcester nave, tower, west front
- Henry Yevele d 1400, Canterbury nave, Durham Neville screen
- William Wynford d 1405, Winchester nave, Wells west towers.
- Thomas Mapilton d 1438, Canterbury SW tower
- William Smyth d 1490, Wells crossing tower fan vault
- William Orchard (architect) d 1504, Oxford vaults
- John Wastell d 1515, Canterbury tower, Peterborough retrochoir, Manchester
See also
- Gothic cathedrals and churches
- Architecture of cathedrals and great churches
- English Gothic architecture
- British and Irish stained glass (1811–1918)
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- List of regional characteristics of European cathedral architecture
Notes and references
- ^ cathedral
- ^ Harvey, John (1961). English Cathedrals. Batsford.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Metcalf, Priscilla (1985). The Cathedrals of England. Viking. p. 13.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-500-20062-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Fletcher, Banister; Fletcher, Banister (1905). A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method for the Student, Craftsman, and Amateur. London: Batsford.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-020109-3.
- ^ Crossley, Frederick Herbert (1935). The English Abbey, Its Life and Work in the Middle Ages. London: B. T. Batsford.
- ^ Cox, John Charles (1946). Ford, C. B. (ed.). The Parish Churches of England. Batsford.
- ISBN 9780670582167.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84330-120-2.
- ^ The Buildings of England, "Hampshire: Winchester and the North", Yale University Press, 2010 pp 578 and 580
- ASIN B0007JGEHM.
- ASIN B0007JHM4G.
- ASIN B00OUKPCEA.
- ASIN B000T3RS76.
- ASIN B00KAC2984.
- ASIN B00GOZCECW.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-517-52728-3.
- ASIN B00166JQLQ.
- ISBN 978-1-84119-841-5.
Further reading
- Batsford, Harry; Fry, Charles (1934). The Cathedrals of England. B. T. Batsford.
- Draper, Peter (2006). The Formation of English Gothic; Architecture and Identity, 1150–1250. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12036-3.
- Fox, Adam (1967). A Pictorial History of Westminster Abbey. Pitkin.
- ISBN 0-15-505090-7.
- Harvey, John(1950). The Gothic World, 1100–1600. Batsford.
- Huyghe, Rene, ed. (1963). Larousse Encyclopedia of Byzantine and Medieval Art. Paul Hamlyn.
- Icher, Francois (1998). Building the Great Cathedrals. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-4017-5.
- Milburn, R.L.P. (1972). A Pictorial History of Worcester Cathedral. Pitkin. ASIN B0028BVHXI.
- Morris, Richard (1979). Cathedrals and abbeys of England and Wales: the building church, 600-1540. Dent. ISBN 9780460043342.
- Swaan, Wim (1988). The Gothic Cathedral. Omega Books. ISBN 978-0-907853-48-0.
- Swaan, Wim (1988). Art and Architecture of the Late Middle Ages. Omega Books. ISBN 9780907853350.
- Underhill, Francis (1977). Rochester Cathedral. British Publishing Company, Gloucester.
- ISBN 0-85609-011-5.
External links to cathedral websites
- Bristol Cathedral, official website
- Canterbury Cathedral, official website
- Carlisle Cathedral, official website
- Chester Cathedral, official website
- Chichester Cathedral, official website
- Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, official website
- Durham Cathedral, official website
- Ely Cathedral, official website
- Exeter Cathedral, official website
- Gloucester Cathedral, official website
- Hereford Cathedral, official website
- Lichfield Cathedral, official site
- Lincoln Cathedral, official site
- Norwich Cathedral, official website
- Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, official website
- Peterborough Cathedral, official website
- Portsmouth Cathedral, official website
- Ripon Cathedral, official website
- Rochester Cathedral, official website
- St Albans Cathedral, official website
- Salisbury Cathedral, official website
- Southwark Cathedral, official website
- Southwell Cathedral, official website
- Wells Cathedral, official website
- Winchester Cathedral, official website
- Worcester Cathedral, official website
- York Minster, official website