immense length. It is the longest in England, and consists of thirteen
bays. Originally the Norman style prevailed throughout the building,
but in the course of ages numerous alterations have been made, and its
architectural history is somewhat complicated. The five bays on the
north and the three bays on the south are the work of Trumpington, who
left the great piers standing, removed the Norman arches, triforium
and clerestory, and began his reconstruction with all the gracefulness
of the Early English style. He cased the piers with stone-work, which
are octagonal and have attached shafts. The triforium has in each bay
an arch enclosing two sub-arches with a quatrefoil in the head. The
dog-tooth appears in the string-courses. The clerestory windows have
two lights. The roof is modern. It was evidently intended to have a
stone vault, but this was abandoned apparently for want of means. The
work in the aisles corresponds to that in the nave as far as
Trumpington's building extends. There is a remarkable juncture of this
Early English work with the Norman on the north side of the nave. This
Norman work is that of Paul de Caen. It is simple and plain, and not
dissimilar from that at Caen, whence the abbot came. On the south side
the five bays next to Trumpington's work were rebuilt by Abbots Hugh
de Eversden (1308-1326) and Michael de Montmore (1335-1349), owing to
the fall already alluded to. Here we see rich Decorated work, and
though it differs in detail, it follows the lines of the earlier work
on the west. Instead of dog-tooth, we have the ball-flower alternating
with lilies. There is more sculpture, some of the heads being
beautifully carved. The aisle here is similar in character to the
nave. The cloister court having been on the south side of this wall,
the windows here are high up. The next three bays on the south side
are Norman, and also the nine eastern bays on the north side. The
piers are very massive and are square-edged. The arches have three
orders. The triforium arches are plain, but less lofty than those of
the nave, and the clerestory arches are of the same character. We will
now examine the mural paintings in the nave, which are of Norman date.
Upon the west side of the six Norman piers are examples of the same
subject, the Crucifixion, with St. John and the Virgin. Beginning with
westernmost Norman pier we notice a representation of our Lord, and
below is the Annunciation. On the south is St. Christopher, on the
next pier is the same subject, and on the south the figure of St.
Thomas of Canterbury. The figures of St. Syth, Edward the Confessor,
Coronation of the Virgin, and the Virgin and Child also appear. The
nave has been shorn of most of its monuments, but on the second pier
on the north side is the monument of Sir John Mandeville, the great
traveller, with this inscription:--
"_Siste gradum propcrans, requiescit Mandevil urnâ
Hic humili; norunt et monumenta mori._
"'Lo, in this Inn of Travellers doth lie
One rich in nothing but in memory;
His name was Sir John Mandeville; content,
Having seen much, with a final continent,
Toward which he travelled ever since his birth
And at last pawned his body for y^e earth,
Which by a statute must in morgage be
Till a Redeemer come to set it free.'"
There is another monument which records the undying fame of one John
Jones, who wrote a poem on "the Shrine of St. Albans." But time has
been unkind to the poet, and his poem no longer exists. The massive
stone pulpit was designed by Lord Grimthorpe. An inscription at the
west end informs us that in the time of Henry VIII. and Elizabeth, on
account of the Plague in London, the Courts of Justice were held in
this nave. Dividing the choir from the nave is the fine Decorated
screen commonly but erroneously called that of St. Cuthbert, erected
about 1350 by Abbot de la Mare. It is not the rood-screen as it is
commonly described. That with its great, high, towering rood stood a
little further east. This is excellent Decorated work. It has suffered
from iconoclastic reformers. Over the screen is the modern organ. The
extensions of the screen over the aisles are the work of Lord
Grimthorpe. Notice the rich tabernacle work of the screen.
The _South Aisle of the Choir_ beyond the screen is all Norman, except
the modern vault. Here on the south is the tomb of two famous
hermits--Roger and Sigar--who lived in the time of King Stephen,
though the tomb is later. Roger lived near Dunstable, and Sigar in the
wood of Northaw, of whom it is said that he banished all nightingales
from his retreat, as their sweet song prevented him from saying his
prayers. Next we notice the Abbot's Door, which is rich Decorated
work, built by the fashioner of the screen, Abbot de la Mare
(1349-1396). The _Transepts_ and _Central Tower_ are plain Norman, the
work of Paul de Caen. The south wall of the south transept, however,
with its Five Sisters' Window, copied from York Minster, was entirely
rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe. The eastern triforium arches are extremely
interesting, as they have curious baluster shafts which are
recognised as Saxon work. These doubtless are the sole remaining
relics of the ancient church built by Offa in 793, and were inserted
here by Abbot Paul. The capitals are, however, Norman. The small
window on the opposite side was an opening into a watching chamber,
whence a monk could keep guard over the treasures in the transept.
This chamber was not a reclusorium as the legends tell. On the east
side were two apsidal chapels, destroyed in order to make room for a
sacristy, which has now shared their fate. The altars of SS. Stephen
and John the Evangelist stood here. On the west side are three ancient
Jacobean cupboards, fashioned for the distribution of bread to the
poor on Sundays. On the south is a fine Norman doorway, brought here
from the slype, which is now entered through it. The south wall of
this passage is all that remains of the old chapter-house. Here are
some Norman arcading, and as the modern verses tell us, "fragments
brought together from all sides." We enter the _Choir_, which occupies
the three eastern bays of the nave and the space under the tower. The
stalls are modern. The ceiling is extremely interesting and dates from
the time of Edward III., the painted panels being adorned with the
sacred monogram, numerous shields with royal arms supported by angels,
the _Te Deum_, and invocations to the Virgin. The Roses of York and
Lancaster appear on the lofty ceiling of the tower. The choir pulpit
here was given by the English Freemasons. The _North Transept_
resembles the south, and is mainly Norman. Here is another Saxon
baluster-shafted arch in the triforium, a relic of Offa's church. The
old painted ceiling has been replaced by a modern roof. The upper part
of the north wall was rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe, who inserted here a
huge rose window which has received some very severe criticism. He has
also placed beneath it an inscription which records the fact that he
("Edmund") has built anew the work of Abbot "John" Wheathampstead
which had perished while that of Abbot Paul remains. On the east were
formerly apsidal chapels, which have been removed, and altars
dedicated to the Holy Trinity, St. Osyth, and the Holy Cross of Pity.
Near the last is a painting on the wall, the subject being the
Incredulity of St. Thomas. On the floor are some remarkable ancient
tiles. On the splay of one of the Norman windows a vine is
represented, and there is a small Norman door. Bishop Claughton's fine
monument is here (1892) and Bishop Blomfield of Colchester (1894).
The presbytery occupies the space between the tower and the
Wallingford screen, and retains its Norman walls as far as the third
bay. The rest is the work of Abbot John de Hertford (1235-1260). The
style is Early English. Before us is the famous Wallingford screen or
reredos, erected by Abbot William Wallingford (1476-1484), which
resembles that at Winchester. It was much mutilated, and has very
recently been thoroughly restored, and the niches filled with
statuary. There is a fine figure of our Lord in the centre, with the
Virgin and St. John on either side, surrounded by angels. Below are
the twelve Apostles with our Lord in the midst. On either side are
figures of saints and kings connected with the history of the Abbey.
On the north is the Chantry of Abbot Ramryge (1521), which has some
rich Perpendicular work; the abbot's rebus--_rams_ with _ryge_ on the
necks--may be discovered. Notice the representation of the martyrdom
of St. Alban over the door. On the south is the Chantry of Abbot
Wheathampstead (1464), which has a fine brass (that of Abbot Thomas de
la Mare), and bears his arms (three ears of corn with the motto
_Valles habundabunt_). Some attribute this tomb to Abbot Wallingford,
but the details seem to point to Wheathampstead. This abbot caused the
ceiling to be painted whereon are depicted the _Agnus Dei_ and the
Eagle of St. John. There are numerous tombs and brasses of other
abbots here. The south door has some fine Early English tabernacle
work. The architecture of the adjoining _North Aisle_ corresponds with
that of the presbytery, and through it we pass to the _Saints'
Chapel_, which is the work of Abbot John de Hertford and his
successors, and may well be described by Sir G. Scott as being "among
the finest productions of that period." On the east side of the
reredos are some fine modern statues of the Virgin and other saints.
Here is the famous _Shrine of St. Alban_, broken and destroyed at the
Reformation, and now happily built up again, the fragments having been
collected by careful hands from many parts of the building. It was
first erected by Abbot John de Marynis (1302-1308), and is of
Decorated style. Gorgeous must have been its original appearance; but
though shorn of all its jewels, gold and silver, it remains a noble
piece of work. The holes in the panels of the base were intended for
the insertion of diseased limbs, in order that they might be healed by
the merits of the saint. The carved leafage in the tympana of the
canopied niches is admirable. Only two carved figures remain, those of
Offa and St. Oswin. On the west we see a representation of the
martyrdom of the saint, and at the east his scourging. On the north
side of the chapel is the _Watching Tower_, a wooden structure,
probably erected by Abbot John de Wheathampstead. This and a similar
one at Christ Church, Oxford, are the only watching towers remaining.
A monk was stationed here to guard the treasures of the shrine. There
are some curious carvings on the frieze. Treasures were preserved in
aumbreys which now contain some curios. The famous Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester, son of Henry IV., murdered by order of Queen Margaret
(1446), lies buried here in a tomb on the south. The sculpture of the
numerous figures is very bold and vigorous. Some painting is observed
on the piers, and there is a figure of St. William of York. In the
_North Aisle_ is part of the _Shrine of St. Amphibalus_, which shares
the history of its neighbour, and has been now partially recovered. It
belongs to the last half of the fourteenth century. On the sides are
the initials of Ralph Whitechurch, sacrist of the Abbey.
The _Ante-Chapel_ and _Lady Chapel_ have been extensively restored.
Indeed, their condition was deplorable. A public path ran through the
former, and the latter was used as a Grammar School, and suffered in
consequence. The story of the architecture is rather complex. The
ante-chapel was begun by De Hertford and finished by his successor,
Roger Norton (1260-1290), who continued to build the Lady Chapel,
which was finished by Hugh de Eversden (1308-1326). The style is
Decorated. The whole of the chapel has been most completely restored
by Lord Grimthorpe. The modern carving is exquisite. We now pass to
the _South Aisle_, which follows the architecture of the rest of the
east end. Here we see an iron trellis screen of thirteenth-century
work. There is here some good arcading, and an interesting panel taken
from the old ceiling of the north transept representing the martyrdom
of St. Alban. At the east end of this aisle was the Altar of St. Mary
of the Four Tapers, and numerous other altars existed in the aisles
and ante-chapel. In the wall above the old poor box is a curious
figure of a pensioner carved by a sexton about 100 years ago.
An ascent of the tower reveals many interesting features of that
ancient structure, and helps one to realise the formidable nature of
the task which the skilful architect and builders of 1870 accomplished
when they saved this massive pile from destruction.
DIMENSIONS
Total length 550 ft.
Length of nave to tower 284 ft.
Length of nave to screen 215 ft.
Width of transepts 189 ft.
Width of tower 144 ft.
Total area 40,000 sq. ft.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING DATES
Saxon--Baluster shafts of windows in triforium of transepts.
Norman (1077-1115)--Nine bays on north of nave, and three bays
on south, transept, and three bays of presbytery.
Early English (1195-1260)--Western end of nave, presbytery,
Saints' Chapel with aisles.
Transition (1260-1290)--Foundations of Lady Chapel and
ante-chapel.
Decorated--Lady Chapel and five bays of nave.
Perpendicular--South buttresses of choir; windows inserted
which have since been removed.
The city possesses many objects of interest:--
The Roman city of Verulamium.
The Churches of St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Stephen.
Sopwell Nunnery.
The old Moot Hall.
And the old inn called the "Fighting Cocks," said to be one of
the oldest inns, and the oldest inhabited house in England, but
this reputation is somewhat legendary.
NOTE
The Welsh Cathedrals of Llandaff and St. David's should be approached
from Gloucester; and Chester is the most convenient starting-point for
St. Asaph and Bangor.
ST. ASAPH'S CATHEDRAL
This Cathedral, like that of Bangor, is small, but its history is not
unimportant. It owed its origin to Kentigern, otherwise called St.
Mungo, the founder and Bishop of Glasgow, who, being driven from his
northern see in the sixth century, found a refuge here, and enjoyed
the protection of Prince Cadwallon. This prince aided him in building
a church and founding a monastery here, and fabulous records tell of
the amazing number of the monks. His biographer assures us that there
was no less than 965 dwellers in this monastery, which number must be
an extraordinary exaggeration. When Kentigern returned to Scotland, he
left one of his followers, St. Asaph, to act as bishop of the diocese.
The chroniclers are silent about the names of the subsequent bishops,
until they record the doings of Norman times. In 1143 one Gilbert was
consecrated bishop. The church in existence during his rule was burnt
down in 1283, during the fierce wars between Edward I. and the Welsh.
Anian II. was bishop during that time, and contemplated the
transferring of the seat of the bishopric to Rhuddlan; but, on the
advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he determined to rebuild the
ruined church, and most of the present building is his work, or that
of his two successors, Leoline and David. The work extended from 1284
to 1350. Owen Glendower, after his fashion, set fire to the church and
burned the roof in 1404, and for a century the church remained in a
roofless ruined state. Bishop Redman, in 1490, began to rebuild and
restore the ruined church. He raised walls, erected a new roof, added
the east window, and placed in the choir the stalls and a throne.
Bishop Owen Jones, in 1631, made some further alterations, and
repaired the steeple and belfry. Then came the disasters of the Civil
War, when terrible desecration ensued, principally caused by a wretch
named Miller, who turned the Palace into a wine-shop, and the church
into a stable and cow-house, and the font into a hog-trough. Since the
Restoration there have been several learned and devout prelates,
amongst others, Isaac Barrow, William Beveridge, Thomas Tanner, author
of _Notitia Monastica_; Samuel Horsley; but they were more learned in
theology and their books than in the study of the correct principles
of architecture. Hence they disfigured the church, and destroyed many
of its most interesting features. In 1780 the choir was remodelled, a
plaster ceiling erected, and much further damage done. "Oh,
_Restoration!_ what evils have been wrought in your name."
The church is cruciform. At the west end is a large Decorated window,
and a deeply-recessed doorway of six orders, with buttresses on either
side, which have crocketed pinnacles; a wooden cross surmounts the
gable. It will be noticed that the shafts supporting the arch of the
doorway have no capitals, the wave moulding making a complete sweep
round the arch, with no capitals intervening. This arrangement we
shall notice in the church. The great central tower was the latest
addition to the mediæval church, and was constructed late in the
fourteenth century. The embattled parapets were added in 1714.
It is 93 feet high. The nave consists of five bays, and at once we
notice the same peculiarity observable in the west doorway. The
mouldings are carried up the piers and round the arches without any
break. They are very plain, and of two orders, and are of the Early
Decorated style, the work of Bishop Anian. Formerly there was a
clerestory, but during one of the tasteless restorations a ceiling was
erected, which shuts it out from view. The windows of the clerestory
were in the Perpendicular style, and exist still in the south.
Grotesque carvings appear on the brackets supporting the roof. The
windows of the aisles have been much restored, and are in the style of
the Early Decorated. The south transept was once the Lady Chapel, the
consistory court and chapter-house. The windows are of five lights,
and were finished about 1336. Here is a much mutilated effigy of a
bishop, which is of great beauty, especially the figures of censing
angels. It is supposed to represent Bishop Anian.
The north transept has the monument of Bishop Luxmore (1830). In the
south aisle are some monuments of the relatives of Mrs. Hemans, the
poetess, and a tablet has been erected to the memory of that lady, who
died in 1835. Under the central tower stand the old finely-canopied
stalls. The throne is modern.
The style of the old choir was almost entirely changed at the
eighteenth-century "restoration." It was of Early English design, and
Sir G. Scott wisely resolved to restore it to its primitive form. This
proceeding was somewhat drastic, but such was the condition of the
choir, and so severe was the treatment it received in 1780, that
perhaps no other course could with advantage have been taken. He
discovered the old sedilia, and the door leading to the old
chapter-house. The east window has entirely modern tracery, and the
reredos is modern. Bishop Barrow's tomb outside the west door is
worthy of notice.
The Bishop's Palace is a large modern building. At the foot of the
hill is the parish church. From the summit of the tower of the
Cathedral a fine view can be obtained of the Vale of Clwyd, with the
Castles of Denbigh and Rhuddlan, and a long line of sea coast. Robert
Montgomery sang sweetly of this wondrous view:--
"Thy heart might beat
In thrilling answer to the strain I sing,
Hadst thou beside me, from the sacred tower,
Beheld this beauteous vale."
BANGOR CATHEDRAL
The early Bishops of Bangor are shadowy beings. We read of Bishop
Daniel in the sixth century, concerning whom the records are misty,
although he was canonised. Godwin says that there were no bishops here
before the Norman Conquest. At any rate Hervey, or Harvé, was
consecrated bishop in 1092, but he was so rigid in his discipline, and
so severe upon the Welsh, that they rebelled, murdered his brother,
and threatened him with a like fate. So he fled for refuge to the
court of Henry I., and was ultimately appointed to the See of Ely. The
early Celtic church was destroyed by the Normans in 1071. A second
church was at once built, and here, in 1188, Archbishop Baldwin
preached the Crusades, and so moved the heart of the Bishop of Bangor
that he joined the army of Crusaders to rescue the Holy City from the
Saracens. This church was destroyed in 1211 by a great fire. It was,
however, partly restored, and again fell a prey to destruction in the
wars of Edward I. and the Welsh. Bishop Anian, however, seemed to have
been a favourite of the king, who helped him to rebuild his church.
This bishop baptised the first Prince of Wales, born at Carnarvon
Castle. He also drew up the Bangor Use, or Service Book, which ranked
highly among the Cathedral uses of the mediæval church.
During the wars of Owen Glendower in 1402 the church was completely
gutted, and for nearly a century it lay in ruins. A new church was
begun by Henry Deane in 1496, who finished the choir, and the
Cathedral was completed by Bishop Skeffington, Abbot of Beaulieu,
Hants, who was appointed to the See of Bangor in 1509. The style of
the architecture was therefore entirely Perpendicular. Though the body
of this benefactor was buried in his Hampshire Abbey, his heart was
conveyed for sepulchre to the church he loved so well. The church
suffered at the Reformation, when the see was held by Bishop Bulkely,
who cared not for his church, and sold its store of vestments, plate,
ornaments, and the bells given by his predecessor. Bishop Rowlands, in
1598, put a new roof on the church, and gave four new bells. In the
Civil War it suffered much; the soldiers destroyed all the woodwork
and broke the glass. At the Restoration the church was renovated and
beautified, and Brown Willis gives a good account of "its lightsome"
appearance. In the early nineteenth century some terrible
"restorations" took place, and the church was divided into two
portions, one for the Welsh and the other for the English service. The
general appearance of the church was stunted and low, and was much
inferior to many parish churches, possessing neither dignity nor
beauty. In 1866 a very thorough restoration was undertaken by Sir G.
Scott, which practically amounted to a rebuilding. He, however,
carefully collected all the old materials found built up in the wall,
and from these he endeavoured to reconstruct the church as it
originally stood.
The plan of the church consists of a west tower, a nave with aisles, a
central tower, transepts and choir, and on the north a muniment room,
and above it the chapter-house. The _West Tower_ was built by Bishop
Skeffington (1509-1533), and is a good example of Late Perpendicular
work. It has three stages, and is 60 feet high. The door is of the
usual character of the style, and above it is the inscription:--
"_Thomas Skevynton, episcopus Bangorie hoc campanele et
ecclesiam fieri fecit, A^o Partus Virginei, 1532._" In each of the
other stages there is a window of three lights. The _Nave_ has six
bays, and the Perpendicular style is evident in the arches, octagonal
piers and characteristic bases. The windows in the south aisle are
Decorated, and those in the north Perpendicular. The masonry of the
walls seems to have survived the various fires and other accidents
which befell this ill-fated Cathedral, and probably are the remains of
Bishop Anian's work. The font was probably erected by Skeffington, and
is good Perpendicular. The _Transepts_ have been almost entirely
rebuilt, and the Perpendicular work, which was much decayed, was
replaced by Decorated, authority for which was discovered by Sir G.
Scott in the fragments of old stone-work built up in the walls. Some
very fine thirteenth-century piers stood at the crossing until an
unfortunate restoration in 1824, when they were replaced by imitation
Perpendicular. These have now been removed, and new piers and arches
constructed in accordance with the conjectured design of the
originals. There was no central tower in the Perpendicular church, but
the relics of earlier work prove that the original church had such a
tower. Hence Scott added this to his design, and when completed it
will enhance the dignity of the building.
The _Choir_ has had a chequered history, which, as Sir G. Scott
states, is of a threefold nature. The Norman choir had an apsidal
termination. This apse was removed, and the length of the choir or
presbytery greatly increased in Early Decorated times. After the
destruction wrought by Owen Glendower, Bishop Deane (1496-1500)
restored it, and the main object of Scott's restoration was to make
the present choir conform to the condition in which Bishop Deane left
it. The Civil War brought much destruction to this excellent work of
the Perpendicular period, and decay had also left its marks upon it;
but during the recent restorations all has been again renewed, and all
that we see conforms as nearly as possible to that produced in the
days of Henry VII. Cromwell's soldiers left none of the fittings
untouched. The stalls were destroyed. Now all has been restored, and
most of the fittings are new. The modern tiles of the floor are worthy
of notice. Some mural paintings have been added at the east end. The
tombs on either side are probably those of Bishop Anian (1328), the
rebuilder of the church, and one Tudor ap Tudor (1365). In the south
transept is recorded the burial of Owen Gwynedh (1169), the son of the
last King of Wales, Gryffydh ap Gynan, who also was buried here. A
rude representation of our Lord upon the Cross appears over the
supposed Royal tomb. In the north transept is a memorial to a Welsh
bard, Gronovil Owen (1722).
Sir G. Scott entirely rebuilt the old chapter-house and muniment room
on the north side of the choir in the Early Decorated style.
The Bishop's Palace is a large mansion, but has no great architectural
merits. The Deanery and some old almshouses and an Elizabethan school
are all near the Cathedral.
LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL
The history of the Welsh sees carries us back to the early days of
British Christianity. When the Saxon tribes swept over the land they
destroyed the churches and monasteries, and drove the British
west-ward, who found a refuge in the hills of Wales, in Devon,
Cornwall and Somerset, and in the regions north of the Mersey, and
there the British Church continued to exist and flourish, though the
rest of England was submerged in the flood of Paganism. When Augustine
came he found in these parts of England a church governed by its
bishops, who did not recognise the authority of the Pope, and whose
customs differed somewhat from those of Rome. He summoned them to a
conference, which was held at a place called "Augustine's oak," where
by his haughty demeanour he offended the representatives of the
ancient native church, who refused to abandon their accustomed usages,
especially in the matter of the time for observing Easter and the
forms of the tonsure.