Bell's Cathedrals: The Abbey Church of Tewkesbury: with some Account of the Priory Church of Deerhurst GloucestershireMassé, H. J. L. J. (Henri Jean Louis Joseph)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Abbey Church of Tewkesbury: with some Account of the Priory Church of Deerhurst Gloucestershire
On either side of the nave the original walls have been pierced, and
an arcade of three good Early English arches was inserted in the
thirteenth century. It will be noted that the easternmost of the three
arches on each side is slightly wider in span than the other two. All
the capitals differ in their details. Over these arches on either side
is a triangular opening about 18 feet from the floor level, similar to
the opening in the west end of the nave. The edges of these openings
are left quite square, _i.e._, there is no splaying.
The clerestory windows are, for the most part, early fifteenth
century, and replaced the early windows, which may have been of
circular form.
At the west end of the nave there are several very curious features.
The arch of the doorway is a plain, round-headed arch with its edges
left quite square, and the impost is plain with the exception of a
hollow immediately below the abacus. In height the doorway is 10 feet,
and in width 5-½ feet, and it leans slightly to the north. Above this
doorway, in the corners of the west wall, are two impost members or
brackets, similar to those in the chancel, which may have been
intended to support the floor joists of a chamber or gallery at this
end of the nave. Not far above these brackets is a triangular opening
similar to those in the north and south walls of the nave, and
through which, from the room in the tower, a view is obtained of the
nave generally. It is on the same level as those in the nave. To the
right of this is a blocked-up round-headed doorway, which once gave
access from the room in the tower on this level to a gallery at the
east end of the nave. The jambs are each of two similar blocks of
stone.
[Illustration: _Photo. R.W. Dugdale._
INTERIOR, LOOKING WEST.]
Above this, in the centre of the upper part of the west wall of the
nave, is perhaps the most curious architectural feature of the church.
It is a two-light window, each light having a head formed of an
isosceles triangle. The outer jambs, as also the broad central massive
pier, are slightly fluted, and in some of these flutings is a bar in
relief. On the church side the bars are inserted in the upper part of
the hollow; on the tower side they are in some cases at the top, in
others in the lower half.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account