Exeter Cathedral (Cathedral Church Of Saint Peter). The Longest Uninterrupted Mediæval Vaulted Ceiling In The World. (Part Four).

The Great West Window of Exeter Cathedral.

Early-20th Century. Figures Left to Right:

King Athelstan with, below, Coat-of-Arms of Frederick Temple, Bishop of Exeter (1869-1885), Bishop of London (1885-1896) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1896-1902);

Leofric, Bishop of Exeter;

Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter 1308–1326, with, above, Coat-of-Arms of See of Exeter, impaling Stapledon;

King Edward the Confessor, with his attributed Coat-of-Arms, above, and The Royal Arms of Queen Victoria, below;

Saint Peter, Patron Saint of Exeter Cathedral, with, above, Coat-of-Arms of See of Exeter; below, Coat-of-Arms of

See of Canterbury and See of York;

Queen Edyth, with attributed Coat-of-Arms

of Kingdom of Kent, above;

John de Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter 1327-1369, with, above, Coat-of-Arms of See of Exeter impaling Grandison and, below, Coat-of-Arms of See of Exeter, impaling Temple;

Miles Coverdale, Bishop of Exeter (1551–1553), with, below, Coat-of-Arms of See of London, impaling Temple;

Frederick Temple, Bishop of Exeter (1869-1885), Bishop of London (1885-1896), and Archbishop of Canterbury

(1896-1902), with, above, Coat-of-Arms of See of Canterbury, impaling Temple.

Photo: 10 January 2017.

Source: Own work.

Author: DeFacto

(Wikimedia Commons)

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

From 1377 to 1414, the East, South, and West Cloister walks, were finished by Master Robert Lesyngham, who probably also designed The Great East Window (1390–1392).

The architecture of Exeter Cathedral at first appears remarkably harmonious with the continuous run of Tierceron Vaults extending from West to East.[8] Although the Bays are irregular in size, the Plan is throughout based on a division into ninths.

There is also a wonderful array of tracery designs in the Clerestory Windows.[9] More detailed analysis nevertheless reveals a number of changes, including the decision to adopt a three-storey facade with a Triforium, more typical of Cathedrals than the previous two-storey design. 3-D scanning of the Vaults has also revealed numerous changes to the curvatures of the Ribs.[8]

The Minstrels’ Gallery of Exeter Cathedral.

Decorated with fourteen carved Angels

(twelve showing in the image), twelve of which

are playing Mediæval musical instruments.

Photo: 10 January 2017.

Source: Own work.

Author: DeFacto

(Wikimedia Commons)

Notable features of the interior include the Misericords, the Minstrels’ Gallery, the Astronomical Clock and the Organ. Notable architectural features of the interior include the Multi-Ribbed Ceiling and the Compound Piers in the Nave arcade.[10]

The eighteen-metre-high (59 ft) Bishop’s Throne in the Choir was made from Devon Oak between 1312 and 1316; the nearby Choir Stalls were made by George Gilbert Scott in the 1870s.

The Great East Window contains 14th-Century Glass, and there are over 400 Ceiling Bosses, one of which depicts the murder of Thomas Becket. The Bosses can be seen at the peak of the Vaulted Ceiling, joining the Ribs together.[11]

17th-Century Organ Case (enlarged in 1891).[33]

Photo: May 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Karl Gruber

(Wikimedia Commons)

Because there is no Central Tower, Exeter Cathedral has the longest uninterrupted Mediæval Vaulted Ceiling in the World, at 96 m (315 ft).[5]

The fifty Misericords are the earliest complete set in the United Kingdom.[12] They date from two periods: 1220 – 1230 and 1250 – 1260. Amongst other things, they depict the earliest-known wooden representation of an elephant in the U.K.

The Minstrels’ Gallery in the Nave dates to around 1360 and is unique in English Cathedrals. Its front is decorated with twelve carved and painted Angels playing Mediæval musical instruments, including the cittern, bagpipe, hautboy, crwth, harp, trumpet, organ, guitar, tambourine and cymbals, with two others which are uncertain.[13]

PART FIVE FOLLOWS.