How to Visit the English CathedralsSingleton, Esther
History
How to Visit the English Cathedrals
Singleton, Esther
Cathedrals -- England
“The windows of the nave, all of the best and purest (geometrical)
Decorated, are said to exhibit a greater variety of tracery than
can be found in any other building in the kingdom. They are
arranged in pairs, on opposite sides of the cathedral; so that no
two side by side will be found to resemble each other. The varied
and graceful patterns of the lead-work should also be noticed. The
stained glass in the great west window is, for the most part,
modern and worthless (it dates from 1766) injuring the beauty of
the window itself by its entire want of harmony and meaning. The
ruby glass in this window is said to be some of the latest that was
manufactured in England before M. Bontemps revived the art.”--(R.
J. K.)
Walking back to the west end, we stop to examine the =Chantry of St.
Radegunde=,
“constructed in the thickness of the screen by Bishop Grandisson
for the place of his own sepulture. His tomb formerly existed here,
but it was destroyed by Elizabeth’s visitors and the high-born
prelate’s ashes scattered ‘no man knoweth where.’”--(R. J. K.)
Opening from the first bay of the Nave is the small =Chapel of St.
Edmund=, of earlier date than the Nave. In the fifth bay, on the same
side, is the =North Porch=. In the last bay on the south side is an Early
English doorway that formerly opened into the cloisters; and between the
first two buttresses on the south side a finely carved consecration
cross attracts our notice.
The Pulpit dates from 1684.
The =Transepts=, one bay each, occupy the space under the towers. East of
the =North transept= is the =Chapel of St. Paul=, built by Quivil and now
used as a vestry. In the corner we find the tomb and chantry of =Sylke=, a
sub-chanter, who founded this chantry in 1485 and was buried in it in
1508. His effigy lies here. Against the east wall are memorials to the
soldiers of the 20th, or East Devon Regiment who fell in the Crimean
War. Here is also the famous clock which has two dials. It is supposed
to date from the reign of Edward III.
A door below the clock opens to the stairs into the =North tower=, in
which is hung the =Great=, or =Peter Bell=, the second largest bell in
England. It weighs 12,500 pounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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