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

Monday, 26 February 2024

The Twenty-Six Mediæval Cathedrals Of England (Part Twenty-Two).



The Lady Chapel, Peterborough Cathedral.
Photo: 1 August 2014.
Source: Own work.
Attribution: Photo by DAVID ILIFF.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED
Author: David Iliff.
Photo Credit: FLICKR/DAVID ILIFF



Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

Southwell Minster.

Built between 1108 and 1520, Southwell Minster has its Norman façade intact, except for the insertion of a large window in the Perpendicular Style to give light to the Norman Nave. 

The particular fame of Southwell is its Late-13th-Century Chapter House, which contains the most famous Mediæval foliate carvings in England; “The Leaves of Southwell”, described by Nikolaus Pevsner as “throbbing with life”.[4][6][10]


Wells Cathedral.
Available on YouTube



Wells Cathedral.

Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as “the most poetic of the English Cathedrals”.[4] Much of the structure is in the Early-English Style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals in a foliate style known as “stiff leaf”. 

The Eastern End has retained much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has the finest Early-English façade and a large Central Tower. 

A unique feature of the building is the “Scissor Arches” spanning the Crossing, built in the Mid-14th-Century by William Joy in order to stabilise the Central Tower.[4][10][18]


Southwell Minster.
Available on YouTube


Winchester Cathedral.

Built between 1079 and 1532, Winchester Cathedral has had an unusual architectural history. The exterior, apart from the modified windows, gives the impression of a massive Norman building and, indeed, it is the longest Mediæval Church in the World. 

However, The Great West front is now Perpendicular, with its huge window filled with fragments of Mediæval Stained-Glass. Inside, only the Crypt and the Transepts have retained their Norman appearance. 

The spectacular Perpendicular Nave, with its tall Arcade Arches and strong vertical emphasis, has been literally carved out of the original Norman interior. A former Dean, the Very Reverend Norman Sykes, wrote of it: “Well might the visitor who enters . . . by The Great West Door gasp with amazement.”[19] 

Winchester is also famous for its carved wooden fittings of many different periods,[4][10]


The Choir, Peterborough Cathedral.
Photo: 1 August 2014.
Source: Own work.
Attribution: Photo by DAVID ILIFF.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED
Author: David Iliff.
Photo Credit: FLICKR/DAVID ILIFF


Worcester Cathedral.

Built between 1084 and 1504, Worcester Cathedral represents every Mediæval Style from Norman to Perpendicular. It is famous for its Norman Crypt, and for its circular Chapter House, which became the model from which derives the series of uniquely British polygonal Chapter Houses. 

Also notable are a series of unusual Transitional Gothic Bays, fine woodwork and the Central Tower, which, though not large, is nevertheless of particularly fine proportions.[4][10]


The Chapter House, Southwell Minster.
Showing naturalistic carved flora.
Photo: 18 July 2019.
Source: Own work.
Author: Kognos
(Wikimedia Commons)


York Minster.

Built between 1154 and 1500, York Minster is one of the biggest Gothic Churches in the World. Without having the elevated positions of Durham Cathedral or Lincoln Cathedral, it dominates the City skyline from all angles, and its great size can be seen on a clear day from as far away as the North York Moors. 

The deceptively simple plan, with square Eastern and Western Ends, and a single Transept dividing the building into equal parts, belies the architectural richness of this building. 

The remains of the Norman Crypt indicate that the older building must have been as massive and ornamental in its architecture as Durham Cathedral.


The Pulpitum, York Minster.
Photo: 31 July 2014.
Source: Own work.
Attribution: Photo by David Iliff.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED
Author: David Iliff.
Photo Credit: FLICKR/DAVID ILIFF


The Early-English Transepts are both famous, that of the South Side having a complex arrangements of Lancets and a Rose Window making up an entrance façade. 

On the North Side, are Lancet Windows, called “The Five Sisters”, each only five feet (1.5 m) wide, but fifty-seven feet (17 m) tall. The interior of York Cathedral is very spacious. The Great West Front, with its Paired Towers, is a harmonious arrangement of the Late-Decorated period, and the large Central Window has fine Flowing Decorated Tracery called “The Heart of Yorkshire”, while the large Eastern Window is Perpendicular in style.[4][10] 

A rare feature of York Minster is that these important windows have all retained their Mediæval Stained-Glass, from, circa, 1270, 1335, and 1405, respectively.[18]

PART TWENTY-THREE FOLLOWS.

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