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 presbytery occupies the space between the tower and the
Wallingford screen, and retains its Norman walls as far as the third
bay. The rest is the work of Abbot John de Hertford (1235-1260). The
style is Early English. Before us is the famous Wallingford screen or
reredos, erected by Abbot William Wallingford (1476-1484), which
resembles that at Winchester. It was much mutilated, and has very
recently been thoroughly restored, and the niches filled with
statuary. There is a fine figure of our Lord in the centre, with the
Virgin and St. John on either side, surrounded by angels. Below are
the twelve Apostles with our Lord in the midst. On either side are
figures of saints and kings connected with the history of the Abbey.
On the north is the Chantry of Abbot Ramryge (1521), which has some
rich Perpendicular work; the abbot's rebus--_rams_ with _ryge_ on the
necks--may be discovered. Notice the representation of the martyrdom
of St. Alban over the door. On the south is the Chantry of Abbot
Wheathampstead (1464), which has a fine brass (that of Abbot Thomas de
la Mare), and bears his arms (three ears of corn with the motto
_Valles habundabunt_). Some attribute this tomb to Abbot Wallingford,
but the details seem to point to Wheathampstead. This abbot caused the
ceiling to be painted whereon are depicted the _Agnus Dei_ and the
Eagle of St. John. There are numerous tombs and brasses of other
abbots here. The south door has some fine Early English tabernacle
work. The architecture of the adjoining _North Aisle_ corresponds with
that of the presbytery, and through it we pass to the _Saints'
Chapel_, which is the work of Abbot John de Hertford and his
successors, and may well be described by Sir G. Scott as being "among
the finest productions of that period." On the east side of the
reredos are some fine modern statues of the Virgin and other saints.
Here is the famous _Shrine of St. Alban_, broken and destroyed at the
Reformation, and now happily built up again, the fragments having been
collected by careful hands from many parts of the building. It was
first erected by Abbot John de Marynis (1302-1308), and is of
Decorated style. Gorgeous must have been its original appearance; but
though shorn of all its jewels, gold and silver, it remains a noble
piece of work. The holes in the panels of the base were intended for
the insertion of diseased limbs, in order that they might be healed by
the merits of the saint. The carved leafage in the tympana of the
canopied niches is admirable. Only two carved figures remain, those of
Offa and St. Oswin. On the west we see a representation of the
martyrdom of the saint, and at the east his scourging. On the north
side of the chapel is the _Watching Tower_, a wooden structure,
probably erected by Abbot John de Wheathampstead. This and a similar
one at Christ Church, Oxford, are the only watching towers remaining.
A monk was stationed here to guard the treasures of the shrine. There
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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