Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Monday 28 January 2013

Canterbury Cathedral (Part Six).


Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.




File:Canterbury, Canterbury cathedral 07.JPG


Bosses, underneath the South Porch, Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England.
Photo: 17 April 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: Mattana
(Wikimedia Commons)


Dissolution of the Monastery.

The Cathedral ceased to be an Abbey during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when all religious houses were suppressed. Canterbury surrendered in March 1539 and reverted to its previous status of  'a college of Secular Canons'. The New Foundation came into being on 8 April 1541.

18th-Century to the present.

The original Norman North-West Tower, which had a lead Spire until 1705, was demolished in 1834, due to structural concerns. It was replaced with a Perpendicular-style twin of the South-West Tower, now known as the "Arundel Tower"'. This was the last major structural alteration to the Cathedral.The Cathedral is the Regimental Church of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

Furnishings.

In 1688, the joiner, Roger Davis, citizen of London, removed the 13th-Century misericords and replaced them with two rows of his own work on each side of the Choir. Some of Davis's misericords have a distinctly mediaeval flavour and he may have copied some of the original designs. When Sir George Gilbert Scott carried out renovations in the 19th-Century, he replaced the front row of Davis' misericords, with new ones of his own design, which seem to include many copies of those at Gloucester Cathedral, Worcester Cathedral and New College, Oxford.





Stained glass windows in the Chapter House, Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England.
Photo: 18 April 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: Mattana
(Wikimedia Commons)


Foundation.

The Foundation is the authorised staffing establishment of the Cathedral, few of whom are Clergy. The Head of the Cathedral is the Dean, currently the Very Reverend Robert Willis, who is assisted by a Chapter of twenty-four Canons, four of whom are residentiary, the others being honorary appointments of senior Clergy in the Diocese. There are also a number of Lay Canons, who altogether form the Greater Chapter, which has the legal responsibility both for the Cathedral and also for the formal election of an Archbishop, when there is a Vacancy-in-See. By English law and custom, they may only elect the person who has been nominated by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Foundation also includes the Choristers, Lay Clerks, Organists, King's Scholars, the Six Preachers and a range of other Officers; some of these Posts are moribund, such as that of the Cathedral Barber. The Cathedral has a full-time Workforce of 300 and, approximately, 800 volunteers.

Bells.

The Cathedral has a total of twenty-one bells in the three Towers:

The South-West Tower (Oxford Tower) contains the Cathedral’s main ring of bells, hung for change ringing in the English style. There are fourteen bells – a ring of twelve with two semi-tones, which allow for ringing on ten, eight or six bells while still remaining in tune. All of the bells were cast in 1981 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry from seven bells of the old peal of twelve with new metal added, and re-hung in a new frame. The length (draught) of the ropes was increased by lowering the floor of the ringing chamber to the level of the South Aisle Vault at the same time. The heaviest bell of this ring weighs 34 cwt (1.72 tonnes). The Ringers practice on Thursday at 7.30 p.m.




"Great Dunstan".
Photo: 1 April 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Poe123
(Wikimedia Commons)


The North-West Tower (Arundel Tower) contains the Cathedral’s clock chime. The five quarter chimes were taken from the old peal of twelve in the Oxford Tower (where the clock was originally), and hung from beams in the Arundel Tower. The chimes are stuck on the eighth Gregorian tone, which is also used at Merton College, Oxford. The hour is struck on "Great Dunstan", the largest bell in Kent (63 cwt (3.2 tonnes)), which is also swung on Sunday mornings for Matins.

In 1316, Prior Henry of Eastry gave a large bell, dedicated to St Thomas, which weighed 71½ cwt (3.63 tonnes). Later, in 1343, Prior Hathbrand gave bells dedicated to Jesus and Saint Dunstan. At this time the bells in campanile were rehung and their names recorded as “Jesus”, “Dunstan”, “Mary”, “Crundale”, “Elphy” (Alphege) and Thomas”. In the great earthquake of 1382, the campanile fell, destroying the first three-named-bells. Following its reconstruction, the other three bells were rehung, together with two others, of whose casting no record remains.


PART SEVEN FOLLOWS


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