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 best views may be obtained from the city wall to the north, also
from West Street and East Street, and a fine distant prospect is
observed from the Goodwood Downs. We will begin our inspection as
usual with the _West Front_, which consists of a gable with windows
and porch, flanked by two towers. The upper part of the north-west
tower is a recent construction, made in imitation of the south-west
tower, and built on the ruins of the former tower. The south tower is
of Norman workmanship, the upper part being Early English, and also
the plain and heavy buttresses at the south-west corner. The basement
and next storey are part of the original work of Bishop Ralph, and the
rest of Bishop Seffrid II. The west porch is plain and deep, with
double buttresses at the corners. The doorway consists of a wide arch,
under which are two smaller ones divided by a single clustered column.
These have been restored in imitation of the ancient design. The
interior of the porch is very beautiful Early English work, the
arcading of quatrefoils being very effective. The monuments have
evidently been placed there in later times. Above the porch are three
Early English windows, and above these a large modern window, and in
the gable are two small Early English windows. The cross above is
modern.
The _Bell Tower_, the only instance in England of a detached belfry,
though not unusual abroad, is a massive and plain building, 120 feet
high. The upper storey is octagonal and low, and resembles the great
west tower of Ely, but is much inferior. Both these towers were built
about the same time, at the beginning of the fifteenth century, and
are in the Perpendicular style. The north side of the nave exhibits in
the clerestory the round-headed windows of the original Norman church.
The parapet is fourteenth-century work. Flying buttresses connect the
clerestory with the outer wall. The windows of the chapels are Early
Decorated, and were erected during the reign of Edward III. One of
them is modern. The _North Porch_ is Early English work, and the
dog-tooth ornament is observable in the arches. It has a parvise. The
_North Transept_ on the west side has some of the original Norman wall
and Norman windows, and on the north end there are thirteenth-century
buttresses with octagonal turrets, a large window and a rose window
over it. On the east side there are some Early English windows.
Proceeding eastward we pass the Chapels of St. Edmund and St. John
Baptist, of Early English design, with some Perpendicular windows, the
same style prevailing in the presbytery. Flying buttresses support the
main walls. The old Norman church ended in an apse, and traces of the
curve can still be observed, and other remains of twelfth-century work
can be seen. Two of the windows are Perpendicular in style, but have
been much restored. The low Lady Chapel projects at the east end. Two
western bays are twelfth-century work, the two eastern bays being
added by Bishop Gilbert de St.
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