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
_Altar-Screen_ as Beverley. It is Early English, but has been much
mutilated and robbed of its images, which now have been replaced by
good modern sculpture. It has also been decorated with glass mosaic
work. Near it, on the north, is the famous _Percy Tomb_, which is well
known to all students of architecture. It is very beautiful Decorated
work, and is generally considered to have no equal. It was erected
about 1338, and is to the memory of Lady Eleanor Percy, the wife of
the first Lord Percy. The carving is quite superb, the details of the
figure-sculpture being worthy of the closest attention. In the gable
is a figure of the Almighty receiving the soul of the deceased, who is
represented as being held up by a sheet supported by two angels. The
east transepts and retro-choir possess also some fine Early English
work, and is similar to that which has been described. In this
retro-choir stood the shrine of St. John of Beverley, which was
watched by a monk stationed in the watching chamber over the
altar-screen. Notice the frith-stool, seated in which the person who
sought sanctuary could defy the approach of his enemies and escape the
justice which doubtless he deserved. Beverley was a noted place for
sanctuary, and the records relating to this privilege are full of
curious interest. The _Staircase_ leading to the chapter-house, now
destroyed, is remarkably fine, and is certainly a very beautiful
feature of this wonderful church. The great east window is
Perpendicular, and has some ancient glass. On the north is the Percy
Chapel, founded in the fifteenth century; in it lies the body of one
of the Earls of Percy, who was cruelly murdered at the close of that
century.
[Illustration Percy Shrine Beverley Minster]
WAKEFIELD CATHEDRAL
The See of Wakefield was created in 1888. The enormous increase of the
population of England and the growth of the Church's work have
necessitated the multiplication of bishoprics and the division of many
of the ancient enormous dioceses. This is one of the sees which it was
found necessary to form. The old Parish Church of All Saints was
converted into the Cathedral, but it possesses few of the associations
and architectural beauties of our ancient minsters. It is, however, a
fine parish church. It was consecrated by Archbishop William de Melton
of York in 1329, but almost wholly rebuilt in the fifteenth century.
Its main features are, therefore, Perpendicular. It consists of a
chancel and large nave, with aisles. There is a clerestory, but no
triforium. At the west end there is a tower, surmounted by a fine
spire, rebuilt in 1860, the total height being 247 feet. A heavy
screen separated the nave from the chancel of Jacobean style, and the
organ and font belong to the seventeenth century. The whole building
was restored by Sir G. Scott at a cost of £30,000.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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