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
Behind, on the east wall, is an inscription in memory of the bishop. The
window above this contains some old Flemish glass, which has a figure
of St. Christopher in the centre. The window in the north side in the
corner is by Mr C. E. Kempe, in memory of Mr Patterson, late sub-chanter
of the cathedral. The glass shows King David teaching the singers of
the House of the Lord. Beneath is an ancient aumbry.
Opposite, between the pillars, is the traditional site of the burial-place
of Bishop Stretton; he is said to have been buried in St. Andrew's
Chapel. There is little doubt that the end of this aisle contained an
altar dedicated to that saint.
Between the next pair of pillars westward, it is said that Bishop Blythe
was buried, but his monument at one time stood in the other aisle of
the choir.
On the north side of the altar is the monument to the memory of Bishop
Lonsdale, who died in 1867. The monument, which is highly decorative,
consists of an effigy of the bishop lying on an altar-tomb of marble and
alabaster. The effigy is by Mr G. F. Watts, R.A., the celebrated artist,
and the tomb was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, who is said to have taken
the idea of the canopy, with its triple pediment, from the monument of
John of Eltham in Westminster Abbey.
In the space between the next pair of pillars westward, Archbishop Scrope,
formerly bishop of this diocese, is said to have been buried. He was
beheaded in 1405 by Henry IV.
In the most easterly bay but one of this aisle there must have been a
doorway leading into the chapel which Dr Stukeley speaks of: "In the
chapel over against the lady choir was the burying-place of two Mercian
Kings; but it is now chosen for a burying-place by Dr Chandler, present
bishop of Lichfield, who has there buried one child."
=The Lady Chapel= has always most justly been admired by architects and
antiquarians. Not only is it peculiarly beautiful in its construction,
but also its windows are now filled with some of the most charming old
glass to be seen in England. In shape it forms a symmetrical extension,
both in height and width, to the choir, but without aisles; and it has
an octagonal apse--the only example, it is said, of such a termination
in the country. It is lighted by nine high windows, with Decorated
tracery. This tracery has recently been restored in the style of that in
the three end windows; until this was done most of the windows contained
Perpendicular tracery.
[Illustration: BRACKETS IN THE LADY CHAPEL.]
The windows rest on an arcade of very beautiful design. The arcade may
be said to consist of a series of small decorated canopies, supported by
shafts with carved capitals, and separated by ornamented buttresses. The
canopies, which bow forward, have trefoil ogee arches, surmounted with
crockets and finials. Above the arcade is a similar embattled parapet
to that in the choir, with a similar passage round the chapel behind it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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