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
In Leland's time the names were painted on the walls near their
gravestones in Black Letter. As he says, "These inscriptions be written
on the walles of the chapter-house in the cloyster of Gloucester: _Hic
jacet Rogerus, Comes de Hereford; Ricds Strongbowe, filius Gilberti,
Comitis de Pembroke; Gualterus de Lacy; Philipus de Foye Miles;
Bernardus de Novo Mercatu; Paganus de Cadurcis; Adam de Cadurcis;
Robertus Curtus."_
Of the names given by Leland it may be noted that Roger, Earl of
Hereford, Bernard de Newmarch ("Novo Mercatu"), and Walter de Lacy, were
all contemporaries of the Conqueror, and "much about his person." They,
therefore, when money was being collected for the abbey buildings,
subscribed, adding some reservation as to the places in which they
wished to be interred.
[Illustration: General sketch plan, shewing boundary walk of Abbey
Grounds as newly as they can be ascertained, and remains
of old Monastic buildings.
1 | Gateway to St. Mary's Square
2 | " King Edward's
3 | " in College Court
4 | " to Miller's Green
A Remains of Infirmary
B Little Cloisters
C Site of Refectory
D '
E Site of Abbot's Lodge
F Boundary Walls
G Cemetery
THE DEANERY IS FULL OF INTERESTING REMAINS OF THE 11TH,
12TH, 13TH, 14TH, AND 15TH CENTURIES, AND AT THE HOUSES
MARKED H MUCH OLD WORK MAY BE SEEN.]
In spite of the wires stretched across the building, there is a
remarkable echo.
The #Cloisters# are entered from the church by a door near the organ
screen in the north aisle of the nave. They were begun by Abbot Horton
(1351-1377), who built as far as the door of the chapter-house, and
finished by Abbot Froucester, 1381-1412. It will be noticed how the
mouldings, the tracery of the windows, and the character of the work
generally differ. It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that "the
cloisters are some of the finest and most perfect in the kingdom. They
form a quadrangle, and are divided into ten compartments in each walk.
The vaulting is of the kind known as fan-tracery, and is considered to
have originated in Gloucester. It is found also at Peterborough, at Ely,
and in the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, the latter being one of
the last examples of the method.
"The outer walls are substantially of Norman date, but now overlaid and
refaced by Perpendicular panelling." (Hope.)
Though the cloisters are quadrangular, the length (147 feet) of each of
the four walks is not quite the same, but the width is 12 1/2 feet and the
height 18 1/2 feet.
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