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
Thokey's successor, Wygmore, carried out the works planned previously,
and in 1331-1337 the south transept was recased, and vaulted practically
as we see it to-day, in the style now known as Perpendicular. Part of
the front of the Deanery is presumably of the same date, though many
later alterations have been made in it. Wygmore also built the double
screen (_vide_ p. 44) which separated the nave from the choir. "Parts of
it," says Mr Hope, "are worked up in the present screen," and he quotes
Hart, i. 47, to show that Wygmore was buried in 1337, "before the
Salutation of the Blessed Mary in the entry of the quire on the south
side, which he himself constructed with the pulpitum (or loft) in the
same place."
The transformation of the Norman minster had thus begun. In the days of
Adam de Staunton (1337-1357) the great vault of the choir was made at a
great expense, together with the stalls on the Priors' side--_i.e._ the
north side.
The oblations at the tomb of Edward II. rendered much of his extensive
work practicable, as the funds of the Abbey were becoming exhausted.
Thomas Horton (1351-1377) finished the work, comprising the high altar,
with the presbytery, the stalls on the Abbot's side, or south side of
the choir. (Hart, i. 49.)
He also caused to be made the images and tabernacle work at the entrance
of the choir on the north side, and in the six years, ending with 1374,
he completed the casing of the north transept, defraying the greater
part of the cost himself (L444, 0s. 2d. out of a total sum of L781, 0s.
2d.).
Horton also built "the Abbot's chapel near the garden of the infirmary,
the covered camera of the monks' hostelry, and the great hall in the
court, where the king afterwards held his Parliament in 1378." (Hart, i.
48, 50.)
The present cloister, as far as the door of the chapter-house, is also
his work.
This important work was for many years unfinished, but was completed by
Froucester in the years 1381-1407. As Leland says, "he made the cloyster
a right goodly and sumptuous piece of worke."
In the one hundred and thirty years that elapsed between the finishing
of the cloisters and the Dissolution many further important changes took
place, both in the interior and in the exterior of the fabric.
John Morwent (1421-1437), utterly destroyed the west front, with its two
towers, which, in the opinion of many, may have been counterparts of
those at Tewkesbury. To him also is credited, mainly on Leland's
authority, the insertion of the south porch.
Abbot Seabroke (1450-1457) took down the tower as far as the Norman
piers, and built the present beautiful structure. He died before it was
finished, and Robert Tully, one of the monks of the monastery, carried
out the work, as the inscription on the wall in the interior (_vide_ p.
63) testifies.
Before the tower was complete, the present Lady Chapel (which was
finished before 1500) was begun by Abbot Hanley, and finished by Abbot
Farley.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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