Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Norwich: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal See — John Shaqi
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Norwich: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal SeeQuennell, C. H. B. (Charles Henry Bourne)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Norwich: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal See
Quennell, C. H. B. (Charles Henry Bourne)
Norwich Cathedral (Norwich, England)
In Britton's "History of Norwich" is a drawing which is reproduced at p.
15. It will be seen that the turrets at each side of the west window are
shown finished with stone cupolas, the tops of which were level with the
apex of the gable. The two outside flanking turrets are shown finished
by circular drums above the parapet, and covered with leaden cupolas;
these, with the Perpendicular battlements, were probably added as the
mask before referred to, and necessitated by the imposition of an
additional storey at the triforium level. Certainly the west front, as
shown then, was better far than now. However, in 1875, "_restoration_"
set in, and these cupolas were removed, and stone "pepper-box" pinnacles
imposed on the turrets in their stead. The gable was restored, and the
character of the work wholly destroyed, crocketted where before plain,
and the niche added in the place of the small light over the vault shown
in Britton's plate. In the side compartments the Perpendicular
battlementing was removed and the round cannon ball holes gratuitously
inserted.
The two pinnacles at the sides of the west window have since been
removed.
The earlier change in the central compartment of the front from Norman
to Perpendicular was effected by the additions of the door and window
still remaining. Bishop Alnwyck, who was translated to Lincoln in 1436,
added the doorway during his episcopate, and it was probably built right
over and covering the original Norman door and arcading. He also left
provision in his will for the west window, and this was added by Bishop
Lyhart (1446-72), to throw additional light on to the vaulting and
sculptures of the nave; from the inside it will be seen that it
completely fills the width of the nave, and follows the line of the
vault up.
The north side of the cathedral lies within the gardens of the bishop's
palace, which can be entered from the interior of the cathedral, through
a small door in the north aisle of the presbytery; the eastern end of
the cathedral also lies within a private garden, but permission to enter
it can usually be obtained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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