Some arose around the walls of great castles, some as trading centres
or harbours, some clustered around the palace of a bishop, and others
sheltered themselves beneath the shadow of a monastery.
Peterborough, or Medeshamstede, is of this last class. It is a
monastic town, and owes its existence to the great fenland Monastery
of St. Peter, the minster church of which is now this beautiful
Cathedral. Peada, the son of Panda, King of Mercia, first founded a
monastery here in 654, of which Saxulph was the first abbot. The Pagan
Danes came in 870 with fire and sword, and wrought fearful havoc in
all this region, burning the holy house of Medeshamstede, and
slaughtering the monks. For a hundred years the monastery lay in
ruins; then came the religious revival under the rule of Dunstan and
King Edgar. Monastic houses increased in number greatly, and Bishop
Ethelwold of Winchester began to rebuild the waste places of the
ruined Saxon Medeshamstede, and constructed a minster, some
foundations of which still remain. The Abbey flourished for nearly a
century, but sad misfortunes befell. Hereward the Wake, the hero of
Kingsley's story, the gallant "last of the English," was making his
last brave stand against William the Norman, and in conjunction with
the Danes attacked the Abbey, and wrought much destruction. Fires and
robbers were also occasionally dread visitants, and at last, in the
time of Henry I., a great fire destroyed the whole buildings. The then
abbot was John de Sais, who set to work immediately to erect a new
monastery. This was in 1117. Then was begun the glorious minster which
is the pride and glory of the fenlands. Subsequent abbots continued
the work. Abbots Martin de Vecti and William de Waterville completed
the transepts and tower and part of the nave, which was finished by
Abbot Benedict (1177-1193). There is a striking uniformity of design
throughout all this Norman work, which shows that the builders
followed one plan, and imitated the work of their predecessors. The
western transept, however, shows evidences of the coming change, and
when we come to the beautiful west front we find unmistakable Early
English work. This part was probably finished in 1238, in the time of
Abbot Walter of St. Edmunds, when the church was dedicated by Bishop
Grosseteste of Lincoln. Abbot Robert de Lindsay, who liked not the
windows of his monastery "stuffed with straw" to keep out wind and
rain, filled many of them with glass, and built the lavatory in the
cloister. Gradually the erection of the monastic buildings was being
completed, and refectory and infirmary added, and Prior Parys built
the Lady Chapel and one of the steeples at the close of the thirteenth
century, which also saw the removal of the Norman windows from the
aisles and the substitution of Early Decorated ones. This was a time
of much splendour and magnificence for the Abbey, when Godfrey was
abbot, and King Edward often visited it and received aid for his
Scottish wars. This Godfrey built the large gateway. A century later
the abbot was endowed with the privilege of a mitre, and thus took his
seat in the House of Peers; and during this fourteenth century the
lantern tower was erected with an octagon framed of wood, the
triforium windows changed into the Decorated style, and the west front
improved by the erection of the spire and the central porch. During
the fifteenth century we hear sad complaints of the relaxation of the
discipline of the monks, who too often frequented taverns and "the
vulgar company of dancers and ballad singers." Abbot Kirton was a
notable man, who built, or rather finished, "that goodly building at
the east end of the church, now commonly known by the name of the new
building," begun by his predecessor Ashton; and his rebus--a _kirk_
and a _tun_--appears on the grand gate, now leading to the Deanery. At
this time several Norman windows were filled with Perpendicular
tracery. We see Cardinal Wolsey visiting the Abbey, and on Maundy
Thursday washing the feet of poor persons, and the luckless Catherine
of Arragon being buried here in 1535.
Then came the dissolution of monasteries, and Peterborough shared the
fate of the rest. Whether it was on account of the subservience of the
abbot, or because it contained the ashes of his queen, Henry VIII.
spared the church, and made it a Cathedral, the last abbot being the
first bishop. The burial of Mary Queen of Scots in 1587 is the next
historical event which was here witnessed. We can imagine the scene of
the torchlight procession bearing the executed body of the frail but
fair queen into the church, and the last solemn obsequies of that sad
and stormy life. Cromwell's soldiers "did after their kind," and Dean
Patrick tells us of "the rifling and defacing" that ensued:--
"The next day after their arrival, early in the morning, they
break open the church doors, pull down the organs, of which
there were two pair.
"Then the souldiers enter the quire, and their first business
was to tear in pieces all the common-prayer books that could be
found. The great bible indeed, that lay upon a brass eagle for
reading the lessons, had the good hap to escape with the loss
only of the apocrypha.
"Next they break down all the seats, stalls and wainscot that
was behind them, being adorned with several historical passages
out of the old testament.
"When they had thus defaced and spoilt the quire, they march up
next to the east end of the church, and there break and cut in
pieces, and afterwards burn the rails that were about the
communion table. The table itself was thrown down, the
table-cloth taken away, with two fair books in velvet covers;
the one a bible, the other a common-prayer book, with a silver
bason gilt, and a pair of silver candlesticks beside. But upon
request made to Colonel Hubbert, the books, bason and all else,
save the candlesticks, were restored again.
"Now behind the communion table there stood a curious piece of
stone-work, admired much by strangers and travellers: a stately
skreen it was, well wrought, painted and gilt, which rose up as
high almost as the roof of the church, in a row of three lofty
spires, with other lesser spires growing out of each of them.
This now had no imagery work upon it, or anything else that
might justly give offence, and yet because it bore the name of
the high altar, was pulled all down with ropes, lay'd low and
level with the ground.
"Over this place, in the roof of the church, in a large oval
yet to be seen, was the picture of Our Saviour seated on a
throne; one hand erected, and holding a globe in the other,
attended with the four evangelists and saints on each side,
with crowns in their hands, intended, I suppose, for a
representation of Our Saviour's coming to judgment. This was
defaced and spoilt by the discharge of muskets.
"Then they rob and rifle the tombs, and violate the monuments
of the dead. First then they demolish Queen Katherin's tomb:
they break down the rails that enclosed the place, and take
away the black velvet pall which covered the herse: overthrow
the herse itself, displace the gravestone that lay over her
body, and have left nothing now remaining of that tomb, but
only a monument of their own shame and villany. What did remain
[of the herse of Mary Queen of Scots] that is, her royal arms
and escutcheons which hung upon a pillar near the place where
she had been interr'd, were most rudely pulled down, defaced
and torn.
"In the north isle of the church there was a stately tomb in
memory of Bishop Dove, who had been thirty years bishop of the
place. He lay there in portraicture in his episcopal robes, on
a large bed under a fair table of black marble, with a library
of books about him. These men soon destroy'd all the tomb.
"The like they do to two other monuments standing in that isle.
"In a place then called the new building, and since converted
to a library, there was a fair monument, which Sir Humphrey
Orm (to save his heir that charge and trouble),
thought fit to erect in his own life time, where he and his
lady, his son and wife and all their children were lively
represented in statues, under which were certain English verses
written:--
"_Mistake not, Reader, I thee crave,
This is an Altar not a Grave,
Where fire raked up in Ashes lyes,
And hearts are made the Sacrifice, &c._
"Which two words, altar and sacrifice, 'tis said, did so
provoke and kindle the zealots' indignation, that they resolve
to make the tomb itself a sacrifice: and with axes, poleaxes,
and hammers, destroy and break down all that curious monument,
save only two pilasters still remaining, which shew and
testifie the elegancy of the rest of the work.
"When they had thus demolished the chief monuments, at length
the very gravestones and marbles on the floor did not escape
their sacrilegious hands. For where there was any thing on them
of sculptures or inscriptions in brass, these they force and
tear off.
"Having thus done their work on the floor below, they are now
at leisure to look up to the windows above.
"Now the windows of this church were very fair, being adorned
and beautified with several historical passages out of
scripture and ecclesiastical story; such were those in the body
of the church, in the isles, in the new building, and
elsewhere. But the cloister windows were most famed of all, for
their great art and pleasing variety. One side of the
quadrangle containing the history of the Old Testament;
another, that of the new; a third, the founding and founders of
the church; a fourth, all the kings of England downwards from
the first Saxon king. All which notwithstanding were most
shamefully broken and destroyed. Yea, to encourage them the
more in this trade of breaking and battering windows down,
Cromwell himself, (as 'twas reported,) espying a little
crucifix in a window aloft, which none perhaps before had
scarce observed, gets a ladder, and breaks it down zealously
with his own hand.
"But before I conclude the narrative, I must not forget to
tell, how they likewise broke open the chapter-house, ransack'd
the records, broke the seals, tore the writings in pieces,
specially such as had great seals annexed unto them, which they
took or mistook rather for the popes' bulls.
"Thus, in a short time, a fair and goodly structure was quite
stript of all its ornamental beauty, and made a ruthful
spectacle, a very chaos of desolation and confusion, nothing
scarce remaining but only bare walls, broken seats, and
shatter'd windows on every side.
"Many fair buildings adjoyning to the minster, were likewise
pulled down and sold by publick order and authority, such were
the cloysters, the old chapter-house, the library, the bishop's
hall and chapel at the end of it: the hall was as fair a room
as most in England; and another call'd the green-chamber, not
much inferior to it. These all were then pull'd down and
destroyed; and the materials, lead, timber and stone exposed to
sale, for any that would buy them. But some of the bargains
proved not very prosperous; the lead especially that came off
the palace was as fatal as the gold of Tholouse; for to my
knowledge, the merchant that bought it, lost it all, and the
ship which carried it, in her voyage to Holland."
[Illustration Peterborough Cathedral]
And thus the church continued for some time ruined and desolate. A
relative of Cromwell, Oliver St. John, was granted the possession of
it, and converted it into a parish church. The Lady Chapel was pulled
down in order to obtain material for repairing the main building; the
painted boards of the ceiling they found useful for making the backs
for the choir. At the Restoration Dean Cosin was recalled, and since
that time many alterations and much reparation have been undertaken,
though often with more zeal than good taste. Dean Tarrant (1764-1791)
collected the fragments of stained glass, and placed them together in
two windows at the east end. Dean Kipling removed the octagon, and
erected four hideous turrets, which no longer disfigure the tower.
Dean Monk (1822-1830) did much for the Cathedral, though little of his
work remains. Since then the tower has been rebuilt (finished in
1886), much internal decoration added, and the west front rendered
secure. Much controversy has raged about the restoration of this west
front. Experts on both sides have expressed divers opinions, the
relative merits of which it is difficult to decide. Certainly to take
down a building stone by stone and rebuild it again is not legitimate
restoration. But whether it was possible to make the north gable
secure without this drastic treatment it is for experts to decide, and
it is presumptuous for others to express an opinion or attempt to
arbitrate when these experts puzzle us with the variety of their
judgments.
THE EXTERIOR
We enter the precincts by the western gateway, built by Abbot Benedict
in Norman style, but subsequently altered at the end of the fourteenth
century. There is a Late Decorated arch, and two arcades of the same
date built over the Norman wall; but the Norman arcades proclaim its
ancient origin. The upper room was the home of the Peterborough branch
of the Spalding "Society of Gentlemen," who advanced learning and
published papers at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Previously it was the Chapel of St. Nicholas. On the left of the close
is an old building, also erected by Benedict, the remains of the
Chapel of St. Thomas of Canterbury. The old Grammar School, founded by
Henry VIII., utilised the building until recent years. The style of
the present building is Decorated.
Immediately before us we see the noble _West Front_, "the pride and
glory of Peterborough," the finest portico in Europe. With the
exception of the porch, the style is pure Early English. On the north
and south are two lofty turrets, flanked at the angles with clustered
shafts and crowned with spires. Between these are three pointed
arches, supported by clustered shafts, six on each side, with
floriated capitals. The central arch is narrower than the rest, but
its mouldings are ornamented with crockets and dog-tooth. A
string-course runs along the top of the arches, and the spandrels have
trefoils, quatrefoils and niches with statues. Above the string-course
is a series of trefoiled arches, some of which have statues. Between
the three gables are pinnacles much ornamented. The gables have
circular windows of beautiful design and a cross at the apex; they are
ornamented with dog-tooth and have niches with statues--St. Peter in
the centre, with SS. John and Andrew on either side. The turrets on
the north and south have six stages panelled with arches. The spires
are good examples of the difference between those of the Early
Decorated and Perpendicular periods. The south spire is connected with
the pinnacles of the tower by clustered pinnacles springing from an
arch; these are decorated with crockets, and the spire belongs to the
early fourteenth century; whereas the spire on the north has no such
connection, and is Early Perpendicular.
We now notice the _Porch_ with parvise over it. This was built late in
the fourteenth century in order to give additional strength to the
west front and act as a kind of buttress to the piers of the central
arch. The design is very beautiful. The entrance has an obtuse arch,
and above a Perpendicular window with elliptical arch. Buttresses
empanelled with niches stand on each side. It has a stone vault of
good design. One boss is curious, representing the Trinity. The
attitude of the Saviour shows that the figure was designed by a
freemason, and bears witness to the antiquity of that fraternity. The
parvise is now a library.
A Late Perpendicular gateway at the north-east, erected by Abbot
Kirton, whose rebus appears over the side door, leads to the Deanery.
It has a Tudor arch, with the arms of the see in spandrels, and is
ornamented with Tudor rose and portcullis, and Prince of Wales's
feathers. Here is the old burial-ground, and a fine view of the
Cathedral is obtained from the north-east. The Norman character of the
building is evident, though there have been many changes. The Norman
windows in the clerestory have been filled with Perpendicular tracery.
The low Norman aisles have been raised, the windows taken out and
replaced by thirteenth-century substitutes in the lowest range and by
Decorated ones in the triforium. Below this the old Norman arcade
remains. A good Norman door, called the Dean's Door, is in the centre
of this north wall. An Early English parapet crowns the aisle walls,
and a Decorated one surmounts the clerestory, which is continued in
the _North Transept_, where similar alterations have taken place, and
Perpendicular tracery inserted in Norman windows.
The central _Tower_ was rebuilt in 1884. The necessity for continued
rebuilding and restoration at Peterborough is much to be deplored.
Probably the cause is the draining of the fens, which makes the clay
to contract and thus produces insecure foundations. It has some good
windows. We have already recorded the history of the previous
structures. As much of the old work as possible was preserved in the
rebuilding of the present tower.
Walking around the church we come to the east of transept, where
formerly stood the Lady Chapel, pulled down at the Restoration by the
townspeople, and its materials sold in order to provide funds for
restoring the church after Puritan destruction. Notice the marks of
the gable of Lady Chapel in the transept wall. The thirteenth-century
builders pierced the Norman wall with lancets.
The east end of Peterborough is rather peculiar. There remains the old
Norman apse, with Decorated windows inserted, and this is surrounded
by what is called the _New Building_, though it is 400 years old,
formed by extending the walls of the choir and building a square end
to the Cathedral. This was erected by Abbot Kirton. His work possesses
the best features of Perpendicular style. It is richly ornamented, and
when we examine his work we cannot say that the glories of Gothic
achievement had quite departed. We see the twelve buttresses, each
terminated with a seated figure, usually said to be one of the
Apostles.
On the south-east of the Cathedral are the ruins of the infirmary of
the monks, always a pleasant place in a monastery. It is a
thirteenth-century building, and consisted of a hall, with aisles and
a chancel. The aisles were used as cells or couches for the sick
monks, and the religious services of the infirmary were performed in
the chancel. On the south are the remains of the monastery. Only the
south and west walls of the cloister court remain. There is a good
thirteenth-century doorway and Perpendicular lavatory. The south view
of the Cathedral is very fine. Passing through the cloisters, which
once echoed with the tread of the monks, or saw them poring over their
tomes and writing their beautiful MSS., we retrace our steps to the
west front and so enter the Cathedral.
THE INTERIOR
As we enter we notice the distinctive character of the Norman work of
which this Cathedral is a notable and excellent example. In the
extreme west there is a blending of the two styles of Norman and Early
English, but the monks of Peterborough clung tenaciously to their old
ideas and to Norman and Romanesque models, and right up to the end of
the twelfth century built in this style, not from any desire to
imitate the work of their predecessors (as some writers assert) but
from an obstinate adherence to conservative tradition. Even when the
glorious tide of English Gothic was rising, and they could no longer
resist the flood, they clung to the old zigzag mouldings. It is
evident from the construction of the third column that they intended
to end their church there; but happily the thirteenth-century brethren
decided to rear the noble twin-towered front and the perfect portico.
Some of the later columns show Transition work; on one side we see a
Norman base or capital, on the other an Early English.
There is a grand uninterrupted view of the whole length of the
Cathedral from west to east. It will be observed that the tower arch
is Decorated, and this adds to the beauty of this view. Before leaving
the west we notice some dog-tooth carved in wood, which is somewhat
rare. The south end of this west transept is the baptistry, the font
of which has a thirteenth-century bowl. The north end is now used as a
vestry. The west window has Perpendicular tracery.
[Illustration NORTH-WEST TRANSEPT]
The nave has ten bays with Norman arches; the triforium has likewise
Norman arches, but each of these has two sub-arches. The windows of
the clerestory have Perpendicular tracery. The _Ceiling_ is intensely
interesting, and is original Norman work. It has various figures
within lozenge-shaped medallions, viz.:--Agnus Dei, SS. Peter, Paul,
Edward the Martyr, Edward the Confessor, Moses, and other kings,
archbishops, bishops and allegorical and grotesque figures. As we
have seen from the exterior, the walls of the aisles have been raised,
and later windows inserted. The roofs of the aisles were vaulted by
Norman builders. The visitor may discover for himself some mason marks
in the south aisle.
As at Norwich the _Choir_ begins with the two east bays of the nave,
which was the original arrangement, and not unusual in Benedictine
minsters, and extends over the space under the tower, and besides the
apse occupies four bays east of the tower. The gates are good modern
iron-work. The erection of a screen is in contemplation. Two pillars
have been placed in position; but the scheme presents difficulties
which have not yet been solved. The piers are alternately round or
polygonal. This portion was the earliest part of the Cathedral, and
was constructed by Abbot de Sais (1114-1125). The hatchet moulding is
conspicuous. The triforium arches are double, like the nave, and the
clerestory has triple arches, the centre one being the highest. The
apse is particularly fine. The Decorated style is evident in the
windows, which were inserted in the fourteenth century instead of the
old Norman ones, and the hanging tracery of graceful design was then
added. The roof of the choir is late fourteenth-century work except at
the east end where the roof is flat. Here Cromwell's soldiers
discharged their muskets at the figure of our Lord in glory, which
they deemed to be an idol. This ceiling was decorated in 1884 by Sir
Gilbert Scott. The bosses of the rest of the roof are curious. Nearly
all the old glass was destroyed in the Puritan desecration; the
remaining fragments have been placed in the two highest east windows.
The fittings of the choir are modern, except an ancient lectern of
fifteenth-century date given by Abbot Ramsay and Prior Malden, as the
inscription testifies, though it is now scarcely legible. The choir
stalls are remarkably fine, and as the carved figures contain a
history of the Cathedral written in wood, it may be well to record
their names. We will begin with the dean's stall and proceed
eastward:--
1. St. Peter, the Patron Saint.
2. Saxulph (656), first Abbot, afterwards Bishop of Lichfield.
3. Adulph (971), Abbot Chancellor to King Edgar, afterwards
Bishop of Worcester, and Archbishop of York.
4. Kenulph (992), Abbot, afterwards Bishop of Winchester.
5. Leofric (1057), Abbot.