English Cathedrals Illustrated: Second and Revised EditionBond, Francis
History
English Cathedrals Illustrated: Second and Revised Edition
Bond, Francis
Cathedrals -- England; Cathedrals -- Wales
Even this was insufficient. The eastern bays of the nave, where the
stalls were placed, and where, most of all, light was needed, were the
darkest of all, being obstructed by the stalls and by the cloister
roof. So in the exterior of the two easternmost bays of the nave the
Perpendicular triforium windows and the Norman clerestory windows were
thrown into one, to give as much light as possible to the stalls below.
For the same reason large Perpendicular windows were inserted in the
transepts. Several of these, however, have recently been replaced by
Norman windows: “genuine Perpendicular by sham Norman.” In the middle
of the south aisle of the nave Bishop Nix (1501-1536) built himself a
gorgeous chantry, to light which he inserted two large windows, high
up so as to clear the cloister roof. Large square-headed windows were
inserted in the triforium of the presbytery also; and an enormous
Perpendicular window was inserted in the west front, still further to
light the nave. These measures were fairly successful in nave and
transept; but, fortunately for us, less successful than in the presbytery.
[Illustration: SOUTH-EAST APSE.]
Now we come to the measures taken to make the building fireproof.
These took the form of costly stone vaults, and they seem to have been
undertaken by the monks most reluctantly. All the high vaults are the
direct outcome of some great fire, and but for the fire they would not
have been undertaken. There were conflagrations in 1170 and 1271, and in
the fearful riots of 1272 the cathedral was set on fire by the citizens.
Still, when the presbytery was repaired in 1362, it seems to have been
roofed again in wood. In 1463 the wooden spire was struck by lightning,
and set fire to the roofs both of nave and presbytery. At last the
monks had to bestir themselves. To secure the spire against fire they
rebuilt it in stone instead of wood; and, to make the nave and presbytery
fireproof, they made up their minds to vault both in stone. Between 1463
and 1472 Bishop Lyhart put up over the nave the present magnificent
lierne vault, and at his death bequeathed two thousand marks to his
successor to continue the work. Bishop Goldwell vaulted the presbytery
between 1472 and 1499. It seems to have been very difficult to get the
funds for this costly work. Bishop Goldwell, however, was a personal
friend of the Pope, who had consecrated him with his own hands; and he
had not much difficulty in persuading the Pope to grant a perpetual
indulgence in the terms that “all who came to the cathedral on Trinity
Sunday and Lady Day, and made an offering towards the fabric, should be
entitled to an indulgence of twelve years and forty days.” The transepts
had still wooden roofs. It required another fire—in 1509—in which these
roofs were consumed, to compel the monks to complete the vaulting of the
cathedral. This was done in the time of Bishop Nix. At the end of four
hundred years Norwich cathedral was at length fireproof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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