Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lincoln: A History and Description of its Fabric and a List of the BishopsKendrick, A. F. (Albert Frank)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lincoln: A History and Description of its Fabric and a List of the Bishops
Kendrick, A. F. (Albert Frank)
Lincoln Cathedral
a former Venetian ambassador in London. "Time," eighty years after, was
"fast destroying the tints," and another eighty years has continued the
work of destruction. From what still remains, it seems that it will be
no great loss when the pictures are entirely effaced.
[Illustration: TRIFORIUM ON THE WEST SIDE OF ST. HUGH'S TRANSEPT.
_H. C. Oakden, Photo._]
The southern arm of the transept has been considerably altered since it was
first built. It is in two bays, with two apsidal chapels to the east, and
the choristers' vestry and an ante-vestry to the west. At the south-west
corner, the large square canons' vestry has been built out at a later
period. There are indications which shew that the end bay was cut off by
an arch, in the same way as the northern bay of the transept. These are
noticeable in the column between the two apsidal chapels, and the lines of
the original low vaulting of this end bay may still be traced on the south
and west walls. When the arch and vault were removed, it would appear that
the upper part of this end of the transept was rebuilt. The last bay of the
triforium on the west has four narrow arches of equal height, whereas the
adjoining bay does not differ from that in the northern arm. In the south
wall there are two rows of three windows instead of two rows of two. The
chief indications of a later date are, however, in the smaller details.
Tooth ornament is used to a greater extent than in the rest of the
transept, and the wall spaces between the clerestory windows and the vault
are covered with diaper work. This profusion of ornament would not be
consistent with the time of St. Hugh. The alteration appears to have
been made about the middle of the thirteenth century. Precentor Venables
considered that its object was to throw a brighter light upon St. Peter's
altar, which stood in the southern apsidal chapel, and was, next to the
high altar, the chief altar in the church. The companion chapel has an
oak screen with Gothic tracery, and a similar screen opposite divides
the choristers' vestry from the transept. They both appear to date from
about the end of the fifteenth century. The southern chapel has a low
iron screen of modern workmanship. This chapel was the scene of the
murder of Subdean William Bramfield or Bramford, by one of the vicars
of the church, in 1205; the murderer was tied to the tail of a horse,
dragged to Canwick Hill and there hanged. The recumbent effigy in marble
of John Kaye, bishop of the diocese from 1827 to 1853, by Westmacott,
is now placed in the chapel; it formerly stood in the transept, and
was removed here for protection. At Cambridge, Kaye was Senior Wrangler,
Senior Chancellor's Medallist, and Junior Smith's Prizeman. In 1814 he was
appointed master of Christ's College; six years later he became Bishop
of Bristol, whence he was transferred to Lincoln in 1827. The walls of
both chapels are lined with arcading. The southern, unlike the other
apsidal chapels, has three windows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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