Bell's Cathedrals: St. David'sRobson, Philip A. (Philip Appleby)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: St. David's
Robson, Philip A. (Philip Appleby)
St. Davids Cathedral
The roof is of excellent fan-tracery, consisting of two bays, running
north and south, with a small portion of panelled barrel vaulting at
each end. It rises from shafts, of which the central ones at each end
are corbelled off. The eastern one would have interfered with the altar
of the chapel, the western with the doorway[62] which then opened behind
the high altar, and whose arch may still be traced.” The angel which
acts as a corbel over the Transitional recess is very finely conceived
and carved, as also are the bosses of sculpture on the screens. Indeed
they are as fine as anything the Perpendicular men ever did. The recess
itself is shown on p. 61. The centre cross is 2 feet 3 inches square and
is cut out of a stone 1 ft. 9 in. thick, the four spandrils between the
arms being pierced through to the high altar. The height of the top of
the cill is about 3 feet from the present floor of the chapel and 1 ft.
6 in. from that of the sanctuary. As already mentioned,[63] the lower
part was found to contain human bones, run into a solid mass with mortar
to prevent desecration, which probably was done at the time of the
religious changes in the sixteenth century. The other crosses
surrounding the large one are probably some of those cut for dedication
purposes; and as the lowest at any rate is earlier than the centre, it
is probably a once much venerated relic of St. David’s own church before
that of De Leiâ.
[Illustration: BOSSES ON THE CORNICE.]
On the opposite side of this chapel--_i.e._, in the wall between Bishop
Vaughan’s Chapel and the ante-chapel--is more finely detailed
Perpendicular work.
[Illustration: RECENTLY DISCOVERED WINDOW IN BISHOP VAUGHAN’S CHAPEL.]
In 1898 an interesting discovery was made, and our view was taken the
same year immediately after. On the west side of this wall stood the
altar to the Holy Trinity, with a tall canopied niche on each side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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