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 _South Transept_ is the earliest part of the present Cathedral
(1230-1241). The finest view is obtained on entering by the south
door. The extraordinary magnitude of the transepts, the five lancets
with their old glass, and the beauty of the Early English
architecture, are most striking. The triforium is not dwarfed as in
the nave, but assumes large proportions, whereas the clerestory is
small. The former consists of semi-circular moulded arches, with
dog-tooth ornament, each enclosing two pointed arches, and sub-divided
into two similar arches. Five pointed arches in each bay constitute
the clerestory, with sculptured heads. Clustered shafts of stone and
Purbeck marble form the piers. The vaulting is of wood of the
fifteenth century, and the bosses are curious. A mermaid and merman, a
monk and a nun, look down upon us; an arcade of pointed arches lines
the walls. Chantry chapels were formerly in the east aisle. On the
south was Ludham's Chantry, archbishop (1258-1265). It contains the
large modern monument of Dean Duncombe. Next we see the Chapel of St.
Michael with the tomb of its founder, Archbishop Grey (1216-1255), the
builder of this transept, and near it the monument of Archbishop Sewal
de Bovill (1256-1258).
The _North Transept_ resembles the south, but differs in details.
Especially noticeable is the profusion of dog-tooth ornament, the
magnificent lancet windows, called the "Five Sisters," with the five
smaller ones over it. These are the largest ancient lancets in
England.[16] Curious grotesques are seen in the triforium moulding.
The monuments here are:--(1) a brass to the memory of soldiers slain
in India; (2) Archbishop Harcourt's tomb (1808-1843); (3) a skeleton
memorial of Thomas Huxby, treasurer (1418-1424); (4) Archbishop
Greenfield's tomb (d. 1315), which lies before the place where the
altar of St. Nicholas stood; (5) effigy of Dr. Beckwith (d. 1847).
In 1829 a disastrous fire occurred in the Cathedral, caused by a
lunatic incendiary named Martin. He hid himself on the night of the
fire behind the tomb of Archbishop Greenfield. There is a curious
doorway leading to the vestibule of the chapter-house of Decorated
style.
Entering the _Vestibule_ we notice the exact place where the Early
English builders finished their work, and the Decorated style begins.
The difference between the styles in the chapter-house and vestibule
shows that the former was erected first. It has a wall arcade, and
above are windows of curious tracery, filled with beautiful old glass.
The shafts of the arcade support trefoiled arches, with a cinquefoil
ornamented with a sculptured boss. Each boss and capital is
beautifully carved with foliage, amidst which the heads of men and
dragons appear. The glass is Early Decorated, and contains
representations of Royal personages.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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