How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
On the north and south of the Angel Choir is a small chantry. That on
the north is the =Fleming Chantry=, built by Richard Fleming, Bishop of
Lincoln in 1419-1431, and the corresponding one the =Russell Chantry=,
built by John Russell, who held the See from 1480 to 1494. This is
similar to the Fleming Chantry, Perpendicular in style. Very similar is
the =Longland Chantry=, on the other side of the south door, or Bishop’s
Porch. This chantry was built by John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln, in
1521-1547.
There is no Lady-Chapel.
The great =East Window= is the finest specimen of its kind in England. It
is formed of eight lights; and the great wheel of the head is composed
of a six-foil, surrounded by six quatrefoils.
“Bar-tracery being fully developed, the general appearance of ‘the
window is rather Decorated than Early English, but the mouldings
still belong to the earlier style.’ ‘This window ... together with
the whole of that part of the choir is singularly and beautifully
accommodated to the style of the rest of the building.’”--(R.)
The glass is modern and deals with scenes from the life of Christ, and
the Old Testament.
“The aisle windows are each of three lights, with three circles in
the head, two filled with cinquefoils and one with a quatrefoil.
The two east windows of the aisles are similar to the others. The
wall below the windows is decorated all round with arcading of a
richer design than that in the nave. Two trefoiled arches are
included in a larger arch, with a quatrefoil within a circle
filling the head. The spandrels have sunk trefoils. The bosses of
the stone vaults to the aisles are carved with sacred subjects,
foliage, and grotesque figures.
“The east windows of the north and south aisles are filled with
beautiful stained glass of the Early English period. The subjects
are arranged within medallions, and, though somewhat difficult to
decipher, appear to represent scenes in the lives of two saints
whose story has many points of resemblance--St. Thomas of
Canterbury and St. Hugh of Lincoln. The glass is said to have been
moved about the end of the last century from the windows of the
nave aisles. The date of the medallions may be placed towards the
middle of the Thirteenth Century, about the time of the erection of
the nave, and, of course, earlier than the windows which they now
occupy. The _grisaille_ into which they are now reglazed, is
considered by Westlake to be the earliest in England.”--(A. F. K.)
One of St. Hugh’s characteristics was the peculiar double arcading on
his walls. We find it in the choir and transepts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account