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
The _Choir_ and _Lady Chapel_ are Perpendicular work. The four eastern
bays, constituting the Lady Chapel, are earlier than the later ones of
the choir, and vary in detail. The triforium passage in the former is
outside the building, and the windows are recessed. Strange gargoyles,
with figures of apes and demons, adorn the buttresses. The east end is
mainly filled with the huge window, the largest in England, which does
not leave much space for architectural detail. Above it is the figure
of Archbishop Thoresby, the builder of this part of the Cathedral.
Panelling covers the surface of the stone, and below the window is a
row of seventeen busts, representing our Lord and His Apostles, Edward
III. and Archbishop Thoresby. There are two aisle windows; buttresses
adorned with niches separate the aisles from the central portion, and
others, capped with spires, stand on the north and south of this
front.
The _Chapter-House_ (Early Decorated) is octagonal, and connected with
the north transept by a vestibule, which shows by its architectural
details that it was built after the completion of the chapter-house.
These constitute the finest examples of Decorated Gothic in England.
Buttresses project at each angle, crowned with pinnacles. Curious
grotesque gargoyles are seen, and amongst them some strange-looking
bears. The roof is in the form of a pyramid, and there is a battlement
surrounding it.
The _North Transept_ (1241-1260) is a beautiful specimen of Early
English work. The five long lancet windows, called the "Five Sisters,"
surmounted by the seven lancets in the gable, are most effective.
The _Central Tower_ is the largest in England, and is in the
Perpendicular style (1410-1433). It is 200 feet high. It has windows
ornamented with ogee gables, and its surface is covered with niches
and panelling. A pair of narrow buttresses support each angle of the
tower, decorated with panelling. This tower is one of the greatest
achievements of the fifteenth-century builders, and is one of the
finest in the world.
THE INTERIOR
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