Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal SeeClifton, A. B.
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See
Clifton, A. B.
Lichfield Cathedral
Again, in the first bays of the aisles there are windows in the Early
English style, but they look only into the aisles of the transepts;
showing, as has before been stated, that the transept aisles were not
originally contemplated, and certainly did not take the place of earlier
Norman aisles.
[Illustration: THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST.]
The arch at the west end of the north choir aisle is decorated with a
double chevron moulding--evidence that it is one of the oldest pieces
of work left in the cathedral. This arch has at a more recent date been
lined with another arch of the Decorated period, probably in order to
strengthen it.
The arcading in the aisles is very interesting. In the first three western
bays in both aisles the large arcading, with its plain trefoiled arches,
is clearly Early English. The arcading in the other bays is equally
clearly of the Decorated period, and is considerably smaller. In the four
eastern bays in each aisle the arches go right up to the course which
forms the top of the arcading, and the triangular spandrels thus formed
are ornamented each with a curious little head, having queer headgear;
the rest of the spandrel is carved with foliage, and in the plates of the
foliated arches are quaint animals. The arcading in the remaining bay is
similar, but angels' heads with wings take up the whole spandrel. Some
of the arcading, notably that in the three easterly bays of the south
aisle, is unrestored. The inferiority of the modern work in the next
bay is only too patent.
In the south choir aisle the third window from the east has very beautiful
carved work, the splays being covered with two bands of richly-carved
foliage. Under the window is now the tomb of Bishop Hacket, and Dean
Heywood's monument is said to have also been in this place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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