Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely: A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the SeeSweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ely: A History and Description of the Building with a Short Account of the Monastery and of the See
Sweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)
Ely Cathedral
Of course these transepts were of four bays--not as at
present, of three only--the bay in each case nearest the central tower
having been destroyed when the tower fell. That tower was of Norman
date, and is sometimes spoken of as Simeon's Tower. But he cannot have
built the whole of it. If he raised it as high as the great supporting
arches, which is of course possible, there must have been also supports
in all the four adjacent portions of the church, reaching almost to the
summit of the arches, so that he would have had to build at least one
bay of the triforium and clerestory stages. If he did so, all such work
perished with the fall of the tower. It is more probable that he raised
the piers of the tower arches only a few feet higher than the main
arcade of the transepts.
Abbot Simeon's successor, Richard (1100-1107), proceeded with the
building. No abbot had been appointed by William II., and the works had
consequently been suspended for seven years. Notwithstanding many
troubles and distractions (he was actually deposed at a council at
Westminster in 1102, though restored by Papal bull in the next year),
Abbot Richard made great advance in the building of the church. He was
only abbot for seven years. By 1106 he had finished the east end, which
may have terminated in an apse as at Peterborough, and possibly the
tower. On October 17 in that year the remains of Saints Etheldreda,
Sexburga, Ermenilda, and Withburga were solemnly removed to the new
choir, and re-interred in front of the high altar. For some reason not
explained there was no such attendance of high ecclesiastical
dignitaries as was usual on such occasions. The Bishop of Norwich, four
abbots, and one archdeacon were all that could be found to attend the
translation. The account is noteworthy because it describes the orderly
processions from "the Old Church," and the taking the bodies thence one
at a time, "with singing and praise into the New Church." We are not to
conclude from this that the former church was on a different site. The
new buildings were apparently quite close to the former, and possibly
some part of the old church had already been pulled down as the new
choir was being built, and the completion of the aisles of the choir
would necessitate the pulling down of the remainder. But the remains of
the foundress and others must first be removed to their new
resting-place. Both Simeon and Richard, while urging on the church
building, were by no means regardless of the domestic buildings of the
monastery. These were being enlarged and improved at the same time. Two
bays of the nave next to the tower were also the work of Abbot Richard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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