Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Rochester: A Description of its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeePalmer, G. H. (George Henry)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Rochester: A Description of its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Palmer, G. H. (George Henry)
Rochester Cathedral (Rochester, Kent, England)
Lambarde, following perhaps the chronicler who said, "Ecclesiam Andreae,
paene vetustate dirutam, novam ex integro, ut hodie apparet, aedificavit,"
does not seem to suspect the incompleteness of Gundulf's work of which
he gives the following quaint account. He tells how he "re-edified the
great church at Rochester, erected the Priorie, and where as he founde
but half a dozen secular priests" (the older authority that we have
followed makes it still worse, only mentioning four) "in the Church at
his comming, he never ceased, till he had brought together at the least
three score Monkes into the place. Then removed he the dead bodies of
his predecessors, and with great solemnitie translated them into this
newe work: and there also Lanfranc was present with his purse, and of
his owne charge in-coffened in curious worke of cleane silver the body
of Paulinus, ... to the which shrine there was afterwarde (according to
the superstitious maner of those times) much concourse of people and
many oblations made. Besides this, they both joined in suite to the
King, and not onely obtained restitution of sundry the possessions
witholden from the church, but also procured, by his liberalitie and
example, newe donations of many other landes and privileges. To be
short, Gundulphus (overliving Lanfranc) never rested building and
begging, tricking and garnishing, till he had advaunced this his
creature, to the just wealth, beautie, and estimation of a right
Popish Priorie."
Subsequently the choir was re-arranged; and the nave partly rebuilt,
partly re-faced, added to, and finished with the west front, which, to a
great extent, still remains. This later Norman work was carried out from
east to west during the episcopates of Ernulf (1115-24) and John of
Canterbury (1125-37). The upper part of the west front and some of the
carving may not have been completed within even that period. What seems
certain is, that we are indebted to later Norman builders for the
re-casing of the piers of the nave arcade, the greater richness of their
capitals, the outer decorated order of the arches, the triforium with
its richly diapered tympana, and the west front. Assigning most of these
works to the time of Bishop John, as seems best, we can point to others
that testify to Ernulf's architectural skill. He is recorded to have
built the refectory, dormitory, and chapter house. Portions of these
still remain, and one feature, in the ornamentation of the chapter
house, especially marks it as his work. This is a peculiar lattice-like
diaper, which occurs elsewhere at Rochester,--in fragments that belonged
probably to a beginning by him of the renovation of the choir,--but has
only been noticed at one other place: by the entrance to the crypt at
Canterbury, where also it is due to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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