How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
“It occupies the space over the ground floors of the aisles or
ambulatory of the choir, and originally extended of a like width
round the east end of the Norman Church, but at the time when the
Fourteenth-Century work of the present choir was executed, the
whole of the east end of the old Norman choir, with the
corresponding part of the triforium, was removed in order to make
room for the existing large window, the small east chapel being
allowed to remain.”--(F. S. W.)
The =Triforium= is reached by the staircases in the western turrets of the
two transepts and by arcaded passages passing under the great windows of
the transepts.
“The first chapel in the triforium contains two brackets with rich
canopies, and there is a very well preserved double piscina.
Ball-flowers in two rows will be found in the mouldings of the east
window. Remains of two canopies in the jambs of the windows are
also to be traced.
“The massive Norman piers should be carefully studied, as the way
in which the later casing work has been applied can be more easily
seen in the triforium than elsewhere.
“The picture on the west side of this part of the triforium was
discovered in 1718, against the then eastern end of the nave,
underneath the panelled wainscot at the back of the seats occupied
by the clergy when the nave was used for service.”--(H. J. L. J.
M.)
This painting of _The Last Judgment_ is supposed to date from the reign
of Henry VIII., or Edward VI. It was suggested by the great altar-piece
at Dantzig (1467).
As an entrance to the east chapel of the triforium, the narrow gallery,
called the =Whispering Gallery=, was made. It is a passage of Norman work,
very much altered and re-used. It is 74 feet long, 3 feet wide, 6⅛
feet high, and is carried on segmental arches from the east end of the
south triforium to the west wall of the Lady Chapel, and thence in the
same way to the north triforium.
On the way towards the Whispering Gallery, the flying-buttresses
inserted in 1347-1350 to support the walls of the clerestory, which were
weakened by the insertion of the great east window of the Choir, should
be noticed.
Visitors are always interested in the Whispering Gallery, where the
lightest whisper can be easily and distinctly heard at the other end of
the gallery. It inspired the following lines, by Maurice Wheeler
(head-master of the King’s School, 1684-1712):
“Doubt not but God, who sits on high,
Thy secret prayers can hear,
When a dead wall thus cunningly
Conveys soft whispers to the ear.”
The =East Window= is larger than the East Window of York Minster. It
measures 78 × 38 feet; that at York is 78 × 33.
Though it has suffered much mutilation, restorers have done little harm,
and it is possible to get some idea of its original splendour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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