How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
“The radical changes that have taken place since the nave was built
by Bishop Eborard (1121-45) consist of the insertion in the aisles
of later ‘Decorated’ traceried windows in place of the original
Norman ones, and of the superimposition, before referred to, at
triforium level, of a whole range of ‘Perpendicular’ windows over
the old Norman work, which were blocked up at this period. The
battlementing, too, over the clerestory to the nave is later work,
to correspond with battlementing over the triforium windows. It
will be noticed that the two bays next the transept in the
triforium are higher than the others, in order to throw additional
light into the choir.
“Also on this same south side, in the seventh and eighth bays from
the west end, two very late windows occur, inserted in the Norman
arcading under the original triforium windows; these were inserted
by Bishop Nykke to light the chapel he built in two bays of the
south aisle of the nave.
“The curious raking of the lead rolls to the nave roof is
noticeable; the mediæval builders did this with a view of
counteracting the ‘crawl’ of the lead.”--(C. H. B. Q.)
Norwich Cathedral is famous for its magnificent interior. A noble view
is obtained on entering, for the great =Nave= reaches 200 feet to the
choir-screen; and if the organ on the latter were removed, the view
would be longer, for the extreme length of the Cathedral is 407 feet.
The perspective is splendid, as it is, and very largely is it so because
of the lierne vault of Perpendicular days, which relieves the severity
of the Norman work below.
The nave consists of seven double bays (fourteen compartments) from the
west end to the transepts. The main piers are, of course, large, and the
arcade arches are ornamented with the billet. The triforium arches are
decorated with a chevron or zigzag. Over it is the typical Norman
clerestory and above all spreads the handsome lierne vault
(Perpendicular). This splendid vault (72 feet), built by Bishop Lyhart
(1446-1472), after the Norman roof had been destroyed by fire in 1463,
is of great value to the student. There are 328 carved bosses at the
intersection of the ribs, the subjects of which are taken from Biblical
history.
“The vault is of Perpendicular design, and known as _lierne_; such
vaults may be distinguished by the fact that between the main ribs,
springing from the vaulting shafts, are placed cross ribs forming a
pattern, as it were, and bracing the main ribs, but not in any
great measure structural. This vault at Norwich may be taken as
typical of the last legitimate development of the stone roof; it
was the precursor of the later fan-vaulting, such as we find in
Henry VII.’s chapel at Westminster, where legitimate construction
was replaced by ostentatious ingenuity and the accumulation of
needless ornament and detail.
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