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
We notice in the west the large window erected by Lyhart, with modern
glass, and the Norman arch over the door. The north aisle has
Decorated windows inserted in the Norman walls. A reconstruction of
the roof was made in the fifteenth century, when the walls were raised
and Perpendicular windows added, and the slope of the roof changed
into one much less steep. The _South Aisle_ differs little from the
north. In the centre was Bishop Nykke's Chapel, which he devised for
himself, to perpetuate a not very desirable memory. Here we have Late
Perpendicular work in the vaulting and windows. Few monuments or
brasses escaped the destructive hands of the Puritans. In the aisles
there are a few--the altar tomb of Sir T. Wyndham and four wives; Dean
Prideaux (d. 1724), a distinguished divine, the author of _The
Connection between the Old and New Testament_, Sir John Hobart,
Attorney-General to Henry VII. (1507); Bishop Parkhurst (1574).
The _Choir_ occupies the space between the two last arches of the
nave, being shut off from it by an interesting stone _Screen_. The
lower part of this structure is ancient, having been erected by Bishop
Lyhart in Perpendicular style. The upper portion was added about 1830.
Two altars stood near the central door, one dedicated to the boy saint
of Norwich, St. William, slain by the Jews. The scanty remains of
these altars mark the site of two chapels, over which were the
rood-loft and organ, destroyed by the iconoclastic Puritans, whose
sacrilege and abominable riotings have been already mentioned in the
records left us by Bishop Hall. At the Restoration Dean Croft
endeavoured to remedy the result of their evil deeds, and fashioned a
new organ which, with additions and improvements, remains and stands
over the screen.
Modern taste has removed some of the obstructions erected in times
when the ideas of beauty and fitness were defective, and the
alterations and improvements of the east end were not concluded till a
few years ago. The stalls are very good Perpendicular work, fashioned
at the time when the art of wood-carving had attained its highest
development. The _misereres_ are specially worthy of examination. The
old popular legend is often repeated concerning them, that if one of
the monks fell asleep during service, and caused the bench to fall, he
was condemned to severe penance. This idea has no foundation in fact,
as the raised seat was designed, as its name implies, out of _pity_
for the infirmities of the brethren, and not for any idea of
punishment. The bishop's throne and pulpit are modern, and the lectern
is good Decorated work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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