Stained Glass Tours in EnglandSherrill, Charles Hitchcock
History
Stained Glass Tours in England
Sherrill, Charles Hitchcock
Cathedrals -- England; England -- Description and travel; Glass painting and staining -- England
Before setting out upon our journeys we stated that although the viewing
of stained glass was our main purpose, we intended to be broad-minded
and enjoy whatever other interesting sights might be encountered. When
we approach the little hamlet that "Dorchester ys ycluped, that bysyde
Oxenford ys" those of our company learned in archæology will doubtless
point out the Dykes, those two great parallel earthworks twenty feet
high, separated by a dry fosse twenty yards wide, which run for a
distance of 900 yards round the south side of the town, from the banks
of the Thames to those of the little Thame. Our archæological friend
will not need to point out how strong a defence was provided for the
ancient Briton by these walls and the two rivers, but he will doubtless
earnestly set forth many arguments for and against the theory that this
fortification was an outpost of the entrenched camp on Sinodun Hill near
by. The writer well remembers how strongly these Dykes impressed him
when he first saw them years ago. In company with two friends he was
rowing down from Oxford to London, and having arrived at Dorchester
after sunset, stopped there to spend the night. Early in the morning, on
our way down to the boat, we came upon these earthworks overgrown with
yellow wheat and red poppies sparkling with dew. Instantly one forgot
the dull modern village, and went back in fancy to the days when these
great lines of earth were thrown up to protect the early owners of this
land, later to be so often harried by conqueror after conqueror. The
greatest glory of Dorchester came much later, in fact even after the
centuries of Roman occupation had come to an end and the last legions
had left England for ever. It was under the rule of the West Saxons that
Dorchester became the seat of a Bishop whose See was so important that
it included all those now known under the names of Winchester,
Salisbury, Exeter, Bath, Wells, Lichfield, Hereford and several others.
The exact date of the present long stone church is not known, but it is
generally believed to be about 1150. The interior will provide but
little of interest that one does not often see in many another old
English church, but a glance toward the eastern end reveals that some
architect of the Decorated period there added a veritable bower of
light. One must search far and wide to find so pleasing a combination of
excellent glass, disposed in such light and noteworthy stone traceries.
The walls which enclose this chancel on the north, east and south are
nearly of equal length, but the architect's treatment of each is quite
different. That to the east seems almost entirely of glass, so greatly
has the builder subordinated his stone structure to the glazing. In
fact, so much is given over to the glazier as to necessitate the
erection of a stout buttress which runs up the centre, and without the
assistance of which the slender mullions would be unable to support so
great a weight of glass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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