How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
“A very beautiful arcade runs completely round the walls. It is of
trefoil arches deeply and richly moulded, supported on marble
columns carved with foliage. Over the arches is a hood-mould
terminating with heads. In the spandrels are a series of deeply
sunk and moulded quatrefoils, two of which contain sculpture. The
bases of the columns rest on a plinth. Surmounting this arcade is a
moulded string from the level of which rise the windows, and above
the windows another string-course and a second range of windows. In
the centre bay, however, is the large rose window, which is over
thirty feet in diameter.
“The division of the chapel into three bays is effected by two main
vaulting arches, which spring on the western side from the piers of
the east end of the choir, and on the eastern side from responds of
clustered shafts alternately of marble and stone, banded at
intervals and having richly carved capitals. The arches themselves
are deeply moulded and ornamented with dog-tooth ornament and
foliage. The vault of the central bay has eight ribs--two springing
from each of the clusters just described, and two from each of the
choir piers. The vaulting of the remaining bays is quadripartite,
but has peculiarities which are worthy of notice, arising from
inequality of width. We must not omit to call attention to the
exquisite sculpture of the vaulting. The centre has figures of the
Four Evangelists, while in the north is a beautifully executed
carving of vine and grapes, and in the south, figure subjects.
Among the sculptured heads on the wall arcade at the south end, at
the western side of the two bays into which the south wall is
divided, are two which are portraits of the men to whom we owe the
design and execution of the beautiful sculpture of this chapel. One
is an elderly man, the other much younger, and both wear linen
dust-caps over their heads.”--(J. E. B.)
The rich and varied carving of the capitals of the vaulting-shafts and
vaulting-bosses will delight the lover of beautiful sculpture.
The beautiful Early Decorated north window of six lights was originally
filled with glass illustrating the history of Joseph. Hence it was
called =Joseph’s Window=. It is a particularly fine example of the tracery
of the period.
The two windows in the south end of this transept were once filled with
glass representing the life and miracles of St. Cuthbert. They show
tracery of the Perpendicular period. Each window is divided by a central
mullion and is widely splayed inwards.
The rose window over the lancets of the middle bay consists of an outer
circle of twenty-four and an inner circle of twelve radiating lights,
the mullions of which are received on a foliated circle in the centre.
This is Wyatt’s work, for, as we have seen, he removed the fine Early
English window from this place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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