Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal SeeEley, C. King
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal See
Eley, C. King
Carlisle Cathedral (Carlisle, England)
Not very much remains to-day of this thirteenth-century Early English
choir. In 1292, just as it had been roofed in, a terrible fire, the most
disastrous the cathedral has ever experienced, destroyed everything
except the outer walls of the aisles, the graceful lancet windows, and
the beautiful cinque-foiled arcading beneath them. Belfry and bells,
too, shared in the destruction.
One hundred years passed away while a new choir was being built. Bishop
Halton (1292-1325), a very energetic prelate, and a great favourite of
Edward I., began the work, and laboured at it for quite thirty years,
and was followed by Bishops Kirkby, Welton, and Appleby. It was arranged
to rebuild the choir on a still larger scale, a bay being added, and the
east end rebuilt from the foundation. The general plan of the earlier
work of the aisles was followed in the new bay. The glory of the
cathedral--the great east window, which marks a distinct transition in
art--was also projected, but at this time only carried up as high as the
top of the choir arches.
The wall arcade and the lancet windows above were repaired, and later
work of a more elaborate character added. The great arches, and the
groin ribs of the aisle ceilings were underset with new pillars; so that
we get Early English _arches_ of the thirteenth century on Decorated
_pillars_ of the fourteenth century.
After some years interval, building was resumed about 1350. The
Decorated portions of the choir were now put in hand: the triforium,
clerestory, and upper part of the east end, as well as the tracery and
much of the mouldings of the east window and the roof. The carving,
hitherto unfinished, was now completed; but, as the style had developed
in the mean-time, we once more find examples of decidedly early work
with much later work both above and below. The roof inside was finished
with a very fine panelled ceiling. The building was finished 1375-1400,
and in the roof were placed the arms of those who had helped in the
rebuilding--the Lacys, the Nevilles, and the Percys.
The material used for the new choir was red sandstone, both for the
interior and the exterior, giving in some cases a curious patched
appearance to the walls.
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL AND PRECINCTS. From an old Plan in Lyson's
"_Magna Britannia_."]
About 1380-1384 the east window was filled with glass.
In 1392 the cathedral once again suffered from fire, and the damage was
repaired by Bishop Strickland (1400-19). No efforts appear to have been
made to bring the nave into correspondence with the extended choir, and
the end of the thirteenth century marks the close of the cathedral's
history in the direction of its enlargement and beautifying.
On a review of the cathedral we find in the aisles thirteenth-century
work, on a small scale, in its perfection.
The south aisle shows development of window tracery, and the gradual
steps taken towards uniting single lights under one arch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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