The wall arcading is very fine Early Decorated work. The windows have
three lights, with three foliated circles in their heads. In the north
aisle are tablets to the memory of Gilbert Walmesley, the friend of
Dr. Johnson and David Garrick; to Lady Mary Montagu, the introducer of
the inoculation for small-pox; to Ann Seward, the "Swan of Lichfield"
(1809), a window; brass to the memory of officers of the Staffordshire
regiment, and its colours. In the _South Aisle_ are two curious
semi-effigies of ancient date--the heads and the feet are carved, the
rest of the body is left a blank in the stone; a good brass of the
Earl of Lichfield (d. 1854); and the monument of Dean Addison (1703),
the father of a more famous son--the essayist.
We now pass to the _South Transept_, which is earlier than the north,
and was begun about 1220. The north transept and chapter-house were
built twenty years later. Doubtless for the building of the transepts
Henry III. in 1235 and 1238 granted licence to the dean and chapter to
take stone from the Royal Forest of Hopwas, south of Lichfield.[14]
Both transepts have east aisles. All is Early English work, except the
windows. The large south window is Perpendicular, probably inserted by
Bishop Blyth (1503-1533). The stone vault is also Perpendicular,
erected in place of a wooden one, which served as a model of that at
St. George's Chapel, Windsor, according to the order of Henry III.
There is some Flemish glass in the south window of the aisle, similar
to that in the Lady Chapel. It was brought from Herckenrode. We notice
the memorial of one of Nelson's men--Admiral Sir W. Parker. The south
window is fitted with good modern glass. In the _North Transept_ we
see that the style has advanced since the construction of the south
transept, twenty years earlier. The arcading here has trefoiled
arches. The windows have Perpendicular tracery, and a large north
window was inserted in Perpendicular times, but it has recently been
removed and the Early English window restored. The curious monument is
of Dean Heywood, representing his skeleton. The organ occupies the
aisle.
Standing beneath the _Tower_, at the entrance of the choir, we notice
the conjunction of styles--the large piers with banded shafts of the
Early English of the choir blended with later work of the transept and
the Early Decorated of the nave. A modern metal screen of graceful
design separates the transept from the choir, and was designed by Sir
G. Scott. Above are bronze angels playing instruments of music.
The _Choir_, which succeeded the Norman apsidal choir, was begun in
1200, and the Lady Chapel about 1300, when the choir was lengthened by
one bay. Then the Early English choir was removed as far as the third
pier east of the tower, and the present choir built in the Decorated
style; the upper part of the three western bays was also removed, and
a Decorated clerestory added. Thus we have the arches and piers of the
first three bays Early English, clerestory Decorated, and three other
bays Decorated. Wyatt wrought havoc here, but his plans have now been
altered, and the arrangements been made to conform to the original
design. It will be observed that the tracery of the clerestory windows
is Perpendicular, inserted at the restoration after the siege; only
one original being left. There is no triforium, there being only two
storeys. The spandrels have cusped circles, and in the older part
niches with statues: on south, SS. Christopher, James and Philip; and
on north, SS. Peter, Mary Magdelene and the Virgin. The stalls and
bishop's throne are modern. The _Reredos_ is very magnificent,
designed by Sir G. Scott. The pavement contains a veritable history of
the Cathedral, while the space before the altar contains Old Testament
types of the sacrifice of our Lord. The canopies of the _Sedilia_ are
ancient and Late Decorated.
The _Choir Aisles_ resemble in style the parts of the choir to which
they are adjacent. In the north there is Chantrey's monument of Bishop
Ryder, and G.F. Watts's effigy of Bishop Lonsdale (d. 1867). The _Lady
Chapel_ is full of interest, and especially noticeable is the stained
glass of sixteenth century, brought from the destroyed Abbey of
Herckenrode, having been concealed from the destructive zeal of
French revolutionists. The subjects are scenes from the life of our
Lord and figures of the benefactors of the Abbey, and are the work of
Lambert Lombard, the first, and by far the best, of the Italianised
Flemish School of the sixteenth century. The architecture of the
chapel was begun by Bishop Langton (1296-1321), and finished by
Northburg; the style is Decorated. It has an octagonal apse--an unique
arrangement. Beneath the windows is an arcade, resting on a stone
bench, and between the windows are niches, which have recently been
filled with statues of excellent execution. These are:--St. Werburgh,
St. Cecilia, St. Prisca, St. Faith, St. Catherine, St. Margaret, St.
Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Ethelreda. The triptych which forms the reredos
was carved at Ober Ammergau. The altar rails are of alabaster. Looking
back we have a good view of the Cathedral, and note the considerable
inclination of the choir. On the south side are the so-called mortuary
chapels, which have been restored in memory of Bishop Selwyn, and
contain his effigy and some mural paintings recording scenes from the
adventurous life of this great missionary-bishop, who did so much to
plant the Church in Melanesia. The shrine of St. Chad formerly stood
in the retro-choir behind the high altar.
In the south choir aisle is the consistory court, formerly the
sacristy. The walls are the oldest part of the Cathedral, being of the
same date as the Early English portion of the choir. We notice the old
tile and coal pavement, and the old Jacobean choir stalls. Above is
the minstrels' gallery, so-called, of Perpendicular work, opening into
St. Chad's Chapel, chiefly intended for the exhibition of relics to
the pilgrims in the aisle below, and amongst these those of St. Chad.
This chapel, formerly used as a muniment room, has been beautifully
restored by Dean Luckock, and has good lancet windows, noble reredos
of alabaster, old piscina and aumbrey which probably once held the
skull of St. Chad. Carved figures in bosses and corbels tell the story
of the saint. The old treasury has been beautifully restored, and we
see the old aumbreys which once contained such a store of treasures
and relics, and some of the cannon balls which wrought such havoc
during the siege. There are many interesting monuments in this
aisle--notably the famous "Sleeping Children," by Chantrey (1817),
daughters of Prebendary Robinson; the monuments of Archdeacon Hodson
and his son of "Hodson's Horse" fame, who distinguished himself so
much in the Indian Mutiny; Erasmus Darwin (1802), grandfather of
Charles Darwin, a writer of botanical poems; Bishop Langton (1296),
much mutilated; Bishop Patteshull (1241), of Purbeck marble; Sir John
Stanley (1515), a curious effigy of a knight naked to the waist as if
prepared for scourging. It is supposed that he was excommunicated for
some offence, and was not ashamed to have his penance recorded on his
tomb. Other monuments are those of Archdeacon Moon (1876); Dean Howard
(1868); Bishop Hacket, the restorer of the Cathedral after the siege;
one of the semi-effigies mentioned above, and at the east end is a
curious fourteenth-century mural painting.
We now visit the _Chapter-House_, passing through the vestibule which
is of Late Early English design. We notice the beautiful arcading in
the latter; on the west side there are seats where, it is said, that
the feet of beggars were washed on Maundy Thursday. The dog-tooth
ornament is extensively used in the arcading. The doorway to the
chapter-house is very fine and is a double one with a figure of our
Lord in the tympanum. Clustered shafts are at the sides with capitals
carved with foliage. The chapter-house is octagonal, having the north
and south sides longer than the others. The central pillar is
surrounded by banded shafts with richly-carved capitals. The windows
are Early English, with two lights. An arcade of forty-nine arches
with rich canopies surrounds the chamber. Traces of mural painting may
be seen over the door. All the ancient glass was destroyed, and modern
artists are depicting in glass the history of the see. Over the
chapter-house is the _Library_. It contains many treasures, in spite
of the Puritan destruction, the most valuable being the Gospels of St.
Chad (preserved in a glass case in the retro-choir), containing the
Gospels of SS. Matthew and Mark and part of St. Luke. It has 700
miniatures. Other treasures are Chaucer's _Canterbury Tales_, which
has all except that of the _Ploughman's_, supposed by some to be
spurious; Caxton's _Life of King Arthur_, the MS. Household-book of
Prince Henry, eldest son of James I., and many rare Bibles. The copy
of South's Sermons is interesting, as it belonged to Dr. Johnson, and
contains MS. notes for his Dictionary.
DIMENSIONS
Total length 371 ft.
Length of nave 140 ft.
Width of the nave and its aisles 67 ft.
Width of the choir and aisles 66 ft.
Width of the Lady Chapel 29 ft.
Length of the transepts from north to south 149 ft.
Height of the vaulting 57 ft.
Height of the central spire 258 ft.
Height of the two western spires 198 ft.
Area 27,720 sq. ft.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING DATES
Early English (1220-1250)--Lower part of three west bays
of choir and sacristy, south transept.
(1250-1275)--Nave and aisles, central tower, chapter
house, north and south doorways of transepts.
Decorated (1275-1357)--Lady Chapel, west front, and west
spires.
Perpendicular--South window of south transept and vault,
north window of west transept, some other windows,
minstrels' gallery.
(1661-1671)--Central tower, spire rebuilt.
FOOTNOTE:
[14] _Rot. Lit. Clans._, 19, Henry III.; quoted by Britton and Murray.
CHESTER CATHEDRAL
Royal Chester is one of the most ancient and interesting cities in the
kingdom. It was an important Roman station. It was called the "City of
Legions," and the twentieth Legion of the Roman army was stationed
here, and left behind it many traces of its occupation. Saxons and
Danes also held the place. The warlike daughter of Alfred the Great,
and wife of Ethelred of Mercia, drove out the Danes and rebuilt the
walls, but the Welsh again gained the mastery until the first Saxon
Edward reconquered it, and later Edgar subdued the Britons, and in 973
was rowed in his victorious vessel on the Dee by eight British
chieftains. William the Conqueror made his nephew Earl of Chester, and
for years he and his successors ruled as kings in this corner of
England, until Henry III. bestowed the title on his eldest son, and
since that time the earldom has always been held by the king's
first-born. Edward I. often came here when he was waging war against
Llewellyn and the Welsh, and worshipped in the great church. Here
Henry IV. brought as a captive the luckless King Richard II. and
imprisoned him in the castle. Of Royal visits old Chester had
abundance. The city was famous for its "miracle plays," which were
performed in the streets. Frequently the dread visitor plague made its
presence felt, and grass grew in the neglected streets. Tradition
states that the name "God's Providence House" was given to a house in
Watergate Street, because that was the only dwelling which the plague
passed over. Chester played an important part in the Civil War, and
bravely resisted a siege and frequently repelled formidable attacks,
and the inhabitants were reduced to great straits and much ruin
wrought. The walls of the city are quite complete, and on one of the
towers called the Phoenix is the inscription: "King Charles stood on
this tower September 24th" (27th it should be) "1645, and saw his army
defeated at Rowton Moor."
Chester retains many of its historical associations, its extensive
Roman remains, its walls and ancient houses, its wonderful Rows, "like
which there is nothing else in the world," the quaint street names,
the interesting churches, all contribute to make Chester one of the
most delightful cities in England. Although the great church is
ancient, the present see is not. Chester was one of the dioceses
founded by Henry VIII. in return for some of the great stores of
treasure which he and his courtiers filched from the church. It
appears, however, that just after the Norman Conquest there were
Bishops of Chester. In 1075 the Bishop of Lichfield removed the seat
of the bishopric to Chester, and the Church of St. John the Baptist
was his Cathedral. Then Coventry became the centre of the diocese, but
the title of Bishop of Chester was frequently used, but fell into
disuse in later time, until Henry VIII. constituted the new see.
[Illustration ST. OSWALD'S GATE]
The church has, however, a very interesting history. Possibly there
may have been a Christian church here in Roman times. An old
chronicler tells us of an early church dedicated to SS. Peter and
Paul, and that in the time of the Saxons it was re-dedicated to St.
Werburgh and St. Oswald. St. Oswald we have met before at Durham and
elsewhere. St. Werburgh was the daughter of Walphur, King of Mercia,
A.D. 660, who, perceiving that his daughter was much disposed to a
religious life, caused her to take the veil. Her aunt, St. Ethelreda
of Ely, was her spiritual mother, and when St. Werburgh died her body
was conveyed to Chester, where a monastic house was built, dedicated
to her. The early history of this house is somewhat uncertain.
Ormerod, the historian of Chester, states that it continued a nunnery
until the time of the Norman Conquest, when secular canons were
installed in their stead, but this change took place in the time of
King Athelstan (925). Leofric, the husband of Lady Godiva, is also
recorded as a great benefactor of the church and monastery. When Hugh
Lupus, the nephew of the Conqueror, became Earl of Chester, in the
time of William Rufus he founded a new monastery of Benedictine monks,
and endowed it with rich possessions. He introduced the famous Anselm,
Abbot of Bec, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, who made his
chaplain, Richard, the first abbot. The Norman church was begun in his
time, and some of the features of the Norman Abbey of Bec were
introduced at Chester, especially the stone roof of the apse in the
south-east of the Cathedral. Some fragments of this church remain in
spite of the changes which time has wrought, notably the small arches
in the east wall of north transept, and an arch in the canons' vestry,
the north wall of the nave, the doorway between the east cloister and
the nave, the lower part of the north-west tower and the crypt. Fire
played havoc here as elsewhere, and we find Abbot Geoffrey lamenting
over the intolerable ruin of his church. This was at the close of the
twelfth century, and some reparation was affected, while, during the
time of his successor, Hugh Grylle, prosperity dawned upon the Abbey,
and the number of monks was soon after increased. Increased wealth
tempted the rapacious, and the abbey had to withstand a siege. A noted
abbot was Simon de Albo Monasterio, or Whitchurch, who did much for
his monastery. He rebuilt the Lady Chapel, enlarged the chapter-house,
and began the present choir. The refectory, with its beautiful pulpit,
must have been constructed about this time, the close of the
thirteenth century, when the king, Edward I., gave grants of venison
from his forests for the support of the monks, "who were engaged on
the work of building the church." No records tell of any work being
done by succeeding abbots until the time of Simon Ripley (1472-1493);
but where records are silent the stone-work tells us that in the
fourteenth century some beautiful work was accomplished, notably the
shrine of St. Werburgh, the sedilia and choir stalls. Simon Ripley was
an energetic abbot, and rebuilt the nave, tower and south transept.
This south transept was claimed as the Parish Church of the
parishioners of St. Oswald, and there were much disputings, but the
people had their way, and retained their rights until 1881. We also
find that the usual quarrels took place between the monks and citizens
about the rights to hold fairs and markets. Abbot Birkenshawe
continued Ripley's work, and completed the west front and part of the
west tower. An unfortunate alteration was made at this time. The vault
of the cloisters was raised, tradition says, by Cardinal Wolsey, and
mars the beauty of the earlier work. Then came the dissolution of
monasteries, and the Abbey of St. Werburgh shared the fate of the
rest. The See of Chester was created in 1541, the last abbot becoming
the first dean, and John Byrde the first bishop. Most of the lands and
wealth of the church were seized by the king and his courtiers. But,
shorn of its wealth, the Cathedral itself was at this time one of the
most beautiful in England. Dire troubles were, however, in store. The
waves of the Civil War beat fiercely on Royal Chester; and when, after
the protracted siege, the victorious Puritan soldiers entered the
city, they defaced the Cathedral choir, injured the organ, and
demolished the font, broke all the painted windows, and used the
church as a stable. Randle Holme, the historian of Chester, utters a
sad lament over the condition of the city which he loved so well, and
compares it with Jerusalem, "the beloved citie of God, with not a
stone left upon another." Since then the story of the Cathedral has
been one of continual reparation and restoration. The exterior of the
choir was recased by Bishop Stratford (1689-1707). Bishop Law, in
1818, effected some considerable repairs, and other efforts were made,
until at length Sir G. Scott was engaged in 1868, when Dean Howson
ruled, and a very "thorough" restoration was made. A modern authority
on Gothic architecture states that Sir G. Scott's was "a rebuilding of
every external feature of this Cathedral in the style of his own
Victorian Gothic." Perhaps this criticism is a little too severe. It
must be remembered that the stone of Chester Cathedral was very soft
and perishable, that the state of the fabric was so bad that it was
almost dangerous, and that the difficulties of the architect were
great. However, in spite of what has been done, there is still much to
admire, and we will proceed to examine the details of this ancient
church.
THE EXTERIOR
To examine the exterior we must avoid the narrow streets in its
vicinity, and ascend the old walls of the city, from which we can
obtain an excellent view. Starting at the east gate, we get a good
view of the south-east of the Cathedral, including the tower, the east
side of the south transept, choir and Lady Chapel. We notice the
colour of the stone--red sandstone. The plan of the church is
cruciform. The _Tower_ is Perpendicular in style, and was probably
built by Abbot Ripley. Two windows of Perpendicular character look out
from each side. It has been much restored, and was only just saved
from destruction by this process. Sir G. Scott devised the turrets and
pinnacles out of his inner consciousness, and also the parapet; but
the effect, though differing, doubtless, from the original design, is
not unpleasing. The _Lady Chapel_ is a simple and beautiful
construction of Early English design. On the south side there are
three triple lancets under a pointed arch, separated by buttresses
crowned with pinnacles, and a parapet above. The south aisle of the
choir is Early Decorated, and there is a modern apsidal termination,
with a curious steep roof, almost resembling the spire of a church,
which Sir G. Scott constructed, and for which he found justification
in the remains of the earlier roof. This example is unique in England,
but not unusual in France. The south transept is unusually large,
which is accounted for by its being the Church of St. Oswald. There
are some curious modern sculptures in a corbel here, representing
modern statesmen, and the features of Mr. Gladstone and Lord
Beaconsfield are not difficult to discover. Passing along the wall of
the city, at the east of Abbey Street we see the north-east view. Near
at hand, on the right, is the refectory, and on the left the
chapter-house, which is Early English. The north transept is Norman
work. The north choir aisle, which extends along the side of the Lady
Chapel, is, in its eastern part, Perpendicular; further west it is
Early Decorated, while by the canons' vestry we see unmistakable
Norman work. In this wall much of the old stone remains, as it has not
suffered so much from the weather as on the south side. We see the
long expanse of the nave roof, and then pass along Abbey Street, and
have a fine view of this north side. Then houses interfere with the
prospect. Then we see the old Abbey gateway, a fourteenth-century
structure, and the new buildings of the King's School, which occupies
the site of the old Palace, and soon stand opposite the _West Front_,
which lacks the grandeur of this feature of many cathedrals. It has a
large Perpendicular window of good design and rich tracery; beneath it
is a Tudor doorway, and canopied niches, and on the south the base of
a tower which was never completed. Passing along we have a grand view
of the south side.
[Illustration Chester Cathedral]
There is a porch, with a parvise over it, of Late Perpendicular
design, with Tudor doorway, and battlements and pinnacles. The vault
is modern; the windows of the aisle are Decorated, and those of the
clerestory Perpendicular. This concludes our survey of the exterior,
and we now enter the Cathedral and examine the principal features of
the interior.
THE INTERIOR
Entering by the south porch or the west door, we examine first the
_Nave_, which is small and not very striking in appearance. There are
six bays, but the southern arcade is much earlier than the north. The
piers consist of groups of attached shafts, with capitals of foliage.
The southern arcade is Decorated, while the northern is later. The
initials S.R. appear on the capital of the first northern pier. These
letters stand for Simon Ripley, abbot (1485-1492). He probably built
the upper part of the northern arcade, but the lower part is earlier.
The clerestory was finished by Abbot Birkenshawe. The last bay
eastward is more ornamented than the rest, and has cusped windows in
the clerestory and tracery in the triforium opening. This is earlier,
and is perhaps more ornate, because the choir included this bay. The
roof is modern, and has a good specimen of fan-tracery vault. Some of
the bosses are noticeable, and record the benefactors--the Prince of
Wales, Duke of Westminster, and others.
Under the south tower is the _Consistory Court_, which is separated
from the nave by some curious Jacobean stone-work, and contains some
good woodwork of the same period. The south aisle has Decorated
windows; the north aisle contains some interesting remains of the old
Norman church. The north wall is entirely Norman. A Norman doorway
leads to the cloisters at the east end, and at the west there are some
remains of the Norman tower built by the nephew of the Conqueror. This
is now the baptistry, which has a curious _font_, presented by Earl
Egerton in 1885. The dean states that "it came from a ruined church in
the Romagna, but it is not known whence it was brought to Venice. It
is of a rectangular form, of white marble; and in all probability it
was originally a village well-head in early Roman times, and
afterwards taken by the Christians and carved with symbols for a font.
The work is of the Ravenna type, of the sixth or seventh century."
Near here is hung an ancient piece of tapestry, which has been in the
Cathedral since 1668. The subject is Raphael's cartoon of Elymas the
Sorcerer. The vault of this aisle is modern. The old wall is covered
with rich mosaics, representing Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Elijah,
and other Old Testament characters.