Newcastle Cathedral
Newcastle Cathedral | ||
---|---|---|
Cathedral Church of St Nicholas | ||
Canon Missioner vacant | | |
Archdeacon | Rachel Wood (Northumberland) | |
Laity | ||
Director of music | Ian Roberts | |
Organist(s) | Kris Thomsett |
Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England.[1] It is the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle and is the mother church of the Diocese of Newcastle.
It is the most northerly diocese of the
Founded in 1091 during the same period as the nearby
History
The cathedral is named after
The most famous notable of the cathedral was the Scottish
In the mid-19th century Newcastle experienced a huge increase in its population, leading to the construction of over 20 new churches in the suburbs. As Newcastle continued to grow, so did its need for a diocese separate from Durham, and so in 1882 the Diocese of Newcastle was formed, with St Nicholas's as its cathedral.[7]
The cathedral is notable for its unusual lantern spire, which was constructed in 1448. For hundreds of years, it was a main navigation point for ships using the River Tyne. At its base the tower measures 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m) by 35 ft (11 m) and it is 194 ft 2 in (59.18 m) from the base to the top of the steeple.[8][9]
On each corner of the lantern are gilded statues, of Adam eating the apple, Eve holding out the apple, Aaron dressed as a bishop, and David holding a harp. Following work on the street in the 1860s the tower was found to be cracking and tilting, so two porches were added to buttress the structure. Since then the tower has settled and the ornate wooden font cover, which is suspended from the tower inside, does not hang in line with the font.[10]
The interior of the church was badly damaged by
In 2020 and 2021, the cathedral closed to visitors on account of the
In October 2021, the building was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35-million injection into the government's Culture Recovery Fund.[14]
Bells
The tower contains a ring of fourteen bells, the tenor bell which weighs almost two tons, plus one 14th and two 15th-century bells, the oldest of which, "Michael", is rung for daily services. The addition of a second treble bell (named "Gabriel") in 1999 has made it possible to ring a lighter peal of ten bells.[15] In addition to these bells is a bourdon ('The Major') which weighs nearly six tonnes and is hung for swing chiming.[16]
Notable interior features
The nave furnishings were designed by the local artist and craftsman
Inside the cathedral a finely-carved marble monument commemorates Admiral
The cathedral is filled with beautiful
The cathedral contains a number of memorials, the oldest being a 13th-century tomb effigy of a knight in armour, thought to be Peter le Marechal, sword-bearer to King Edward I. It is one of the oldest objects in the cathedral. Another is the Thornton Brass, a monumental brass to Roger Thornton and his wife; he was a successful merchant, three times Mayor of Newcastle, several times Member of Parliament, and great benefactor to the cathedral. This is one of the finest examples of a Flemish brass and dates from at least as early as 1441 (maybe pre-1429); it is believed to be the largest brass in the United Kingdom, and originally it covered Thornton's tomb in the nearby All Saints' Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. This commemoration to Thornton, his wife, seven sons and seven daughters can be seen fixed vertically on the far side of the High Altar, facing the east window. A horizontal replica was previously kept near the north door of the cathedral for brass rubbing purposes.[18]
Just to the north of the cathedral stands a bronze statue of Queen Victoria erected to commemorate 500 years of the Shrievalty (the jurisdiction of a sheriff) of Newcastle. Sculpted by Alfred Gilbert and unveiled in 1903, two years after Queen Victoria's death, the statue was a gift from W. H. Stephenson, a company director and politician who held the office of mayor in Newcastle seven times.[18]
The cathedral is home to a number of standards presented to the cathedral for safe keeping at the end of the First World War; they are displayed in the Chapel of the Northumberland Fusiliers.[20] These include two belonging to the Royal Naval Division (Hood Battalion and Hawke Battalion), and 16 belonging to battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers (8th, 9th, 10th, 11th 12th & 13th, 14th, 16th (Newcastle Commercials), 17th (North Eastern Railway Pioneers), 18th (1st Tyneside Pioneers), 19th (2nd Tyneside Pioneers), 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish), 24th (1st Tyneside Irish), 51st, 52nd, 53rd and 2nd Garrison).[21]
Dean and chapter
As of 9 December 2022:[23]
- Canon for Music and Liturgy (i.e., precentor) – Clare MacLaren (since 11 October 2015)[24]
- Canon for Outreach and Discipleship (i.e., chancellor) – Peter Dobson (since December 2019)[25]
- Archdeacon of Northumberland – Mark Wroe (since 24 March 2019 installation)[26]
- Canon Pastor – Jean Skinner (retired since 2017; SSM called Canon Pastor since 7 April 2019)[27]
- Director of Mission and Ministry (Diocesan Canon) – vacant since 15 July 2022[28]
Music
The cathedral has a strong tradition of music. In 1503, the thirteen-year-old Princess Margaret, daughter of Henry VII and engaged to marry James IV of Scotland, while passing through Newcastle on her way north, noted in her journal a number of children in surplices "who sang melodious hymns, accompanying themselves with instruments of many sorts".[29] Later, the baroque composer Charles Avison (1709–1770) was organist and choirmaster at the church.[30]
The cathedral choir has been featured on BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong.[31]
The cathedral is home to a fine organ, a four-manual Grand Organ built by T C Lewis,[32] although rebuilt several times since, notably by Harrison & Harrison in 1911 and 1954[33] and by Nicholson & Co. of Worcester in 1981.[34]
See also
References
- ^ "What's in a name?". Newcastle Cathedral. September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ Diocese website Archived 19 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, URL accessed 30 June 2007]
- ^ Historic England. "Cathedral of St Nicholas (1355309)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ "St Nicholas' church: History and architecture | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk.
- ^ Mackenzie, Eneas (1827). "'St Nicholas' church: History and architecture', in Historical Account of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Including the Borough of Gateshead (Newcastle-upon-Tyne". pp. 235–255. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ Jane Dawson, John Knox, (Yale University Press: 2015). 61-64
- ^ "No. 25110". The London Gazette. 23 May 1882. p. 2393.
- ^ Tower statistics Archived 22 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, URL accessed 30 June 2007
- ISBN 978-0500343142
- ^ "Cathedral". Timarchive.freeuk.com. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ History of the building at GenUKI website, URL accessed 9 March 2007
- ^ "St Nicholas' church: History and architecture | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "Common Ground in Sacred Spaces". TGA Consulting Engineers. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand" – Historic England, 22 October 2021
- ^ Description of the bells at the cathedral website Archived 22 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, URL accessed 30 June 2007
- ^ "Bell Ringing". Newcastle Cathedral. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ Cathedral tour Archived 22 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, URL accessed 30 June 2007
- ^ a b c d "St Nicholas Cathedral". Old Newcastle. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- Sinclair, W.p. 453: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909.
- ^ "Collections and research". Newcastle Cathedral. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ Clarkson, Georgina (27 April 2022). "Remembering lives lost in centuries gone by". Newcastle Cathedral. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "Reverend Canon Lee Batson appointed as next Dean of Newcastle". The Church of England -- Diocese of Newcastle. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ Newcastle Cathedral – Meet the Team (Accessed 9 December 2022)
- ^ "Events Archive". Newcastle Cathedral. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Announcement of the appointment of the Canon for Outreach and Discipleship - Newcastle Cathedral Church of St Nicholas". Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ "New Archdeacon of Northumberland Installed". Newcastle Cathedral.
- ^ "The Annual Parish Vestry Meeting and Annual Congregational Meeting" (PDF). Newcastle Cathedral. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "The new Bishop of Penrith is consecrated". Diocese of Carlisle. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ Newcastle Cathedral Choir website, URL accessed 5 May 2009
- Naxos Records.com, URL accessed 5 May 2009
- ^ BBC Choral Evensong, 6 December 2006, URL accessed 9 March 2007
- ^ Description of the Organ, URL accessed 9 March 2007
- ^ Harrison & Harrison catalogue Archived 6 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine, URL accessed 9 March 2007
- ^ Details of the organ from the National Pipe Organ Register, URL accessed 9 March 2007