Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester [2nd ed.]: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal SeeMassé, H. J. L. J. (Henri Jean Louis Joseph)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester [2nd ed.]: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See
Massé, H. J. L. J. (Henri Jean Louis Joseph)
Gloucester Cathedral
The second, or south-eastern chapel, contains many interesting remains
of coloured tiles, old carving, some being linenfold panels. There are
also some finely-carved pilasters, which once formed part of the Queen
Anne reredos, put up by Dean Chetwood about 1710. This reredos was taken
down in 1807, and was for many years in the old church at Cheltenham.
When, however, the church at Cheltenham fell into the hands of the
restorer, parts of the carved work were brought back to Gloucester.
Passing towards the Whispering Gallery, the flying buttresses inserted
to support the walls of the clerestory, which were weakened by the
insertion of the great east window of the choir, 1347-1350, should be
noticed.
The #Whispering Gallery#, to which the ordinary visitor pays more
attention than anything else in the building, has remarkable acoustic
properties. A whisper (the lower in tone the better) can be easily and
distinctly heard at the other end of the gallery, and to this
peculiarity the following lines, by Maurice Wheeler (head-master of the
King's School, 1684-1712) have reference:
"Doubt not but God, who sits on high,
Thy secret prayers can hear,
When a dead wall thus cunningly
Conveys soft whispers to the ear."
Lord Bacon seems to have thought over the subject of the gallery, and
his remarks are here quoted: "I suppose there is some vault, or hollow,
or isle behind the wall, and some passage to it, towards the farther end
of that wall against which you speak, so as the voice of him that
speaketh slideth along the wall, and then entereth at some passage, and
communicateth with the air of the hollow, for it is preserved somewhat
by the plain wall: but that is too weak to give a sound audible till it
has communicated with the back air."
The gallery is a passage of Norman work, very much altered and re-used.
It is 74 feet long, 3 feet wide, 6-1/8 feet high, and is carried on
segmental arches from the east end of the south triforium to the west
wall of the Lady Chapel, and from thence in the same way to the north
triforium. On page 75 will be seen the appearance of the little bridge
thus made.
In passing through the gallery access is obtained to a chapel on the
right, which is immediately over the entrance vestibule to the Lady
Chapel. From this chapel a very good general view of the Lady Chapel can
be obtained. The bosses in the roof show to greater advantage, and it is
possible to see more of the colour that remains on the walls.
This chapel is smaller than the others in the triforium, and was reduced
in size when the west end of the Lady Chapel was built. The altar slab
is original Norman work, and has three or four [Symbol: Cross] inscribed
in it.
[Illustration: SOUTH AMBULATORY OF THE CHOIR.
_S. B. Bolas & Co., Photo._]
The pieces of old glass formerly in this chapel have disappeared, and
modern ornamental quarries and medallions, by Hardman, have taken their
place.
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