Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Winchester: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeeSergeant, Philip Walsingham
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Winchester: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Sergeant, Philip Walsingham
Winchester Cathedral
in the clerestory Decorated; in the choir aisles Late Norman. The
western doorway is Early English with dogtooth ornament, while the large
window above with its geometrical tracery is "fully developed
Decorated." The most striking feature of the exterior, however, is at
the south-east exterior angle of the south transept, a fine triple arch
with chevron and billet moulding, which was probably once a doorway into
a cloister no longer existing. Within the three-bay nave one is in the
midst of Early English and Transition Norman work. The bases and caps of
the Norman pillars are very rich, and, as has been pointed out, furnish
a great contrast to such Norman work as is seen on the transept pillars
at Winchester itself. The south walls are very plain, and were probably
connected with De Blois' buildings originally. In the choir above the
pier-arches is a triforium of intersecting arches (to which Milner
attributed the origin of the Pointed style), and there is a second
passage beneath the clerestory windows. The floor-brass of John de
Camden (1382) lies in the choir. When the church was restored by
Butterfield the choir was painted in imitation of the old colouring. It
cannot be said that the effect is at all pleasing. The new floor tiles
bear the letters Z.O. to commemorate the anonymous donor of the money
for this restoration. The old encaustic tiles bear the motto "Have
Mynde." In the chancel the Renaissance carving dates from about Henry
VII., while the Henry VIII. stalls have been removed to the morning
chapel in the south aisle. The transepts are a good example of the
transition to Early English style. In the northern arm can be seen the
window opening out of the infirmary, already mentioned above.
[Illustration: THE CITY CROSS, WINCHESTER. From an Old Print.]
[Illustration: TOMBSTONE IN THE CHURCHYARD. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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