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)
It will hardly be necessary to enlarge on the beauty of this spire of
Norwich, as the dominant feature, seen from the south-east, rising above
the curved sweep of the apse, and strongly buttressed by the south
transept, it stands up, clearly defined against the western sky, and
points upward, significant and symbolical at once of the ends and
aspirations of the church below.
#The Eastern Arm of Cathedral or Presbytery# takes its history from the
tower. Here, as in the nave, there are the original triforium windows
blocked up, and a range of Perpendicular work superimposed on the old.
Above and beyond this, supported between each bay by flying buttresses,
comes the transitional Decorated to Perpendicular clerestory,
considerably higher than the original Norman clerestory remaining to the
nave. At the base of each flying buttress are figures of saints. The
roof and Norman clerestory were damaged by the falling tower in 1361,
but were rebuilt by Bishop Percy, 1355-69. This work is transitional
Decorated to Perpendicular. The presbytery was then re-roofed with a
framed timber construction, which was consumed by the falling of the
burning spire, struck by lightning in 1463. The present stone vault was
added in its place by Bishop Goldwell, 1472-99. This necessitated the
addition as well of flying buttresses to take the thrust of the vault.
The battlementing to the presbytery also was added at the same time as
the flying buttresses.
It will also be noted that here, as in the nave, an addition was made in
the way of a range of later "Perpendicular" windows superimposed over
the original Norman triforium, which was blocked up.
#The Chapel of St. Mary-the-Less#, marked B on plan, projects southward
from the presbytery, and dates from the fourteenth century. Between this
and the circular Norman chapel of St. Luke, was Bishop Wakeryng's
chapel. It has long since disappeared, but the doorway of Perpendicular
design remained until about 1841, when it was removed and the
compartment Normanised--a piece of wanton vandalism and the destruction
of an historical link.
The circular Norman chapels, of which two remain, are very interesting.
In the original plan of the founder there were three; but the
easternmost was superseded by Early English structure, which in its turn
was demolished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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