The Cathedrals of Great Britain: Their History and ArchitectureDitchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
History
The Cathedrals of Great Britain: Their History and Architecture
Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
Cathedrals -- Great Britain; Church architecture -- Great Britain
Entering by the west door we see a fine and imposing _Nave_, with tall
and graceful piers that support without any intermediate triforium a
range of lofty windows of elaborate tracery. This nave was constructed
in the Perpendicular period, as we have said, and the main arcades
stand on the foundation of Roger's earlier church. The latter had no
aisles. These the sixteenth-century builders added, taking as their
western starting-point the northern and southern extremities of the
west tower. Hence the nave is unusually wide (87 feet), and exceeds
all other cathedrals except York, Chichester, Winchester and St.
Paul's. There are many points of architectural interest. The west bays
opening into the tower are Early English. On either side is a lofty
thirteenth-century arch, with plain mouldings, and capitals deeply
undercut. Above is a blind arcade of four arches enclosed in a
circular arch--this occupies the triforium stage; and the clerestory
has a triple window, the centre round-headed, the side ones pointed.
The west end, with its ranges of lancets, is most effective. The glass
is modern. The next bay shows us clearly the character of Roger's
church, and eastward we come to the Perpendicular work of the early
sixteenth century, which appears to be earlier than it really is. The
traditions of the earlier style lingered on amid the hills and dales
of Yorkshire, while the architects and townsfolk of less remote places
had developed the more familiar details of the Perpendicular period.
The roof is modern. The arch of the tower facing us is part of Roger's
church, but there is a curious mass of masonry on the south pier which
was erected by the Perpendicular builders, when want of funds or the
dissolution of the chapter prevented the completion of the design. The
contrast between the materials of the old building and the new in the
nave will be noticed. The former is fashioned of yellow gritstone, the
latter of white limestone. The aisles are Perpendicular work erected
about 1503. The vaulting is modern. In the south aisle is the font, or
rather there are two fonts. The earlier one reposes in the corner, and
is Roger's work; the later is Perpendicular. Ripon is not very rich in
monuments. In this same aisle there is a curious altar tomb with a
slab of grey marble, upon which is carved the figure of a lion and
near it that of a man kneeling. Tradition states that it covered the
body of an Irish prince, who died here on his return from Palestine,
whence he had brought a lion that followed him like a dog. There is
some old glass, fragments of which have been collected in the window
near the font. In the _North Aisle_ at the west end is the consistory
court. The old _Saxon Crypt_ deserves close attention and has
occasioned many conjectures and much antiquarian disputing. It is
undoubtedly very early, and may with safety be assumed to have been
part of St. Wilfrid's church. After descending several steps and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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