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THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CARLISLE
A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
by
C. KING ELEY
With Twenty-Nine Illustrations
[Illustration: CARLISLE CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH-WEST.
_A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
[Illustration]
London George Bell & Sons 1900
W. H. White and Co. Limited
Riverside Press, Edinburgh
GENERAL PREFACE
This series of monographs has been planned to supply visitors to the
great English Cathedrals with accurate and well illustrated guide-books
at a popular price. The aim of each writer has been to produce a work
compiled with sufficient knowledge and scholarship to be of value to the
student of Archæology and History, and yet not too technical in
language for the use of an ordinary visitor or tourist.
To specify all the authorities which have been made use of in each case
would be difficult and tedious in this place. But amongst the general
sources of information which have been almost invariably found useful
are:--(1) the great county histories, the value of which, especially in
questions of genealogy and local records, is generally recognised; (2)
the numerous papers by experts which appear from time to time in the
Transactions of the Antiquarian and Archæological Societies; (3) the
important documents made accessible in the series issued by the Master
of the Rolls; (4) the well-known works of Britton and Willis on the
English Cathedrals; and (5) the excellent series of Handbooks to the
Cathedrals originated by the late Mr. John Murray; to which the reader
may in most cases be referred for further detail, especially in
reference to the histories of the respective sees.
GLEESON WHITE.
EDWARD F. STRANGE.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
Amongst the works consulted in compiling this handbook may be specially
mentioned Nicolson and Burn's "History and Antiquities of Westmoreland
and Cumberland," Hutchinson's "History and Antiquities of the City of
Carlisle," Jefferson's "History and Antiquities of Carlisle," Billings'
"Architectural Illustrations, History and Description of Carlisle
Cathedral," "Guide to the Cathedral, Carlisle," by R.H. and K.H.
Much help has also been obtained from the late J.R. Green's historical
works, as well as the various biographies in the "National Dictionary of
Biography."
I also wish to record my thanks to my friend, Mr. A. Tapley, who kindly
read through part of the manuscript; and to Mr. A. Pumphrey for
permission to reproduce the photographs used.
C.K.E.
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I.--History of the Cathedral Church of the
Holy and Undivided Trinity 3
CHAPTER II.--The Cathedral, Exterior 12
The Nave 12
The North Transept 15
The Tower 15
The North Aisle of the Choir 16
The East End 19
The Choir 21
CHAPTER III.--The Cathedral, Interior 25
The Nave 25
The Font and Organ 26, 28
The North Transept 28
The Tower 30
The South Transept 30
St. Catherine's Chapel 32
Monuments in the Transepts 34
The Choir 39
The Triforium 42
The Clerestory 44
The Roof 44
The Hammer-beams 45
The East Window 46
The Salkeld Screen 52
The Bishop's Throne and Pulpit 53
The North Choir Aisle 54
Monuments in the North Choir Aisle 56
Legendary Paintings 58
The Retro-choir 66
Monuments in the South Choir Aisle 68
The Bells 70
The Monastic Buildings 73
The Fratry 73
The Deanery 74
CHAPTER IV.--History of the See 75
CHAPTER V.--The Castle 89
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
The Cathedral from the South-West _Frontispiece_
Arms of the Diocese _Title Page_
The Cathedral from the North-East 2
The Cathedral and Precincts (from an Old Plan) 7
The Exterior from the North 13
The North Door of Nave 15
The South Door 17
Elevation of East End 18
The East End 20
The Nave, South Side 24
Longitudinal Section 27
View across the Transepts in 1840 29
South Transept and St Catherine's Chapel 31
One Bay of the Nave 33
Screen, St Catherine's Chapel 35
The Choir, looking West 37
One Bay of the Choir 41
The Choir, looking East, in 1840 43
The Choir and East Window 49
Miserere in the Stalls 50
North Aisle of the Choir 55
East End of the Fratry and South Transept 63
The Crypt under the Fratry 65
The Fratry 71
The Abbey Gateway 77
Redness Hall 83
Old Plan of the Castle 90
The Castle 91
PLAN OF THE CATHEDRAL 93
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE NORTH-EAST.
From an original Drawing by R.W. Billings.]
CARLISLE CATHEDRAL
CHAPTER I
HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY
The details of the founding of the cathedral of Carlisle are very
precise and clear.
When William Rufus returned southwards after re-establishing the city of
Carlisle, he left as governor a rich Norman priest named Walter. He
began at once to build a church to be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
Mary, which was to have in connection with it a college of secular
canons. Walter did not, however, live to see the building finished, and
Henry I. took it upon himself to complete the good work. It is said that
his wife on one hand, and his chaplain on the other, urged him to do
this. By the beginning of the twelfth century (1123) he founded and
endowed a priory of regular Augustinian canons, making his chaplain the
first prior.
Ten years afterwards--1133--Henry founded the see of Carlisle, and the
priory church became the cathedral. At its endowment Henry laid on the
altar the famous "cornu eburneum," now lost. This horn was given,
instead of a written document, as proof of the grants of tithes. Its
virtue was tried in 1290 when the prior claimed some tithes on land in
the forest of Inglewood, but it was decided that the grant did not
originally cover the tithes in dispute. "The ceremony of investiture
with a horn is very ancient, and was in use before there were any
written charters. We read of Ulf, a Danish prince, who gave all his
lands to the church of York; and the form of endowment was this: he
brought the horn out of which he usually drank, and before the high
altar kneeling devoutly drank the wine, and by that ceremony enfeoffed
the church with all his lands and revenues." (Jefferson, "History of
Carlisle," 171_n._)
Aldulf (or Æthelwulf) was made the first bishop, and he placed
Augustinians in the monastery attached to the cathedral. These were
called "black" canons, their cassocks, cloaks, and hoods being of that
colour. A further difference between them and other monks was that they
let their beards grow and covered their heads with caps. As a
consequence of this order being introduced into the monastery the
Episcopal chapter was Augustinian, other English cathedral chapters
being generally Benedictine.
On some high ground between the west wall of the city, and the road to
the castle the cathedral was built. The site was nearly square in shape,
about five acres in extent, and was the highest part in Carlisle after
that on which the castle stood. This situation was very advantageous
owing to the presence of water near the surface, its frontage to the
city wall, and proximity to the river. A narrow piece of ground of about
half-an-acre, extending along the walls, and upon which the monastic
grounds abutted, was in after years given to the priory by its owner,
Robert de Eglesfield, who was chaplain to Philippa, wife of Henry III.
The church was set out, almost due east and west, diagonally across the
north-west part of the site, the west end being about 100 feet from the
boundary; and was finished about 1130. Its nave consisted of eight bays,
and was about 140 feet long.
There was a very fine west front with a handsome central doorway of four
orders. The western wall was more than 7 feet in thickness, and had four
flat pilaster buttresses nearly 7 feet broad, and 15 inches deep.
The nave was provided with north and south aisles covered with
high-pitched wooden roofs, while the north and south transepts were also
roofed in a similar manner, and a small apsidal chapel projected from
the eastern face of each. The archway of the south transept apse is now
the entrance to St. Catherine's Chapel. With the exception of the
present elaborate entrance to the south transept and the window above
it, the transept is identical with that of the Norman minster.
The choir was only 80 feet long, reaching to the end of the present
stalls. Eastward it terminated in an apse. Its width can be judged from
traces of the original roof, still perceptible in the west wall of the
present choir. In accordance with a frequent arrangement, the ritual
choir extended westward of the crossing, and included the two eastern
bays of the nave.
In the centre was a low square typical Norman tower, 35 feet square, of
which the lower parts of the piers remain. To allow for the extension of
the ritual choir the eastern and western arches of the crossing were
carried on corbels.
White or grey sandstone from quarries in the district was used in the
construction of the minster, perhaps supplemented by stones from the
Roman wall. Stucco was applied to the exterior, red lines marking the
joints. There is no doubt that this stucco has materially helped to keep
the Norman stone-work in a good state of preservation.
It will be seen then that the original church was a Norman minster, of
moderate size, consisting of a nave, with north and south aisles, a
small choir, a low square tower, and north and south transepts.
Thus it remained till about 1250, when, as usually happened, the clergy
became dissatisfied with the smallness of their choir, and a new one was
projected on a much larger scale. Its length was to be equal to the
nave, while in height and breadth it was to be greater. The increased
length allowed room for the ritual choir on the east side of the
crossing.
Any extension of the cathedral on the south was prevented by the
presence of the conventual buildings: therefore the north choir-aisle
was thrown into the choir, and a new one added northward of the former.
One consequence of this alteration is seen by comparing the entrance to
each aisle. That of the south choir aisle is the original Norman arch,
while the entrance to the north aisle is a beautiful late
thirteenth-century arch (Decorated). The corresponding Norman arch of
the north aisle has been blocked up, but is still easily traced.
Another consequence is, that the extension having taken place on one
side only, the eastern arch of the tower fills but a part of the west
end of the choir. The choir arch consequently is symmetrically placed
with regard to the roof of the nave, but not with the choir roof; and
the central line of the choir does not coincide with that of the nave;
for, though the south wall of the choir is in a line with the south wall
of the nave, the choir being 12 feet broader than the nave, the axis of
the former is to the north of the axis of the nave. The view from the
east end looking towards the nave is quite spoiled by this want of
symmetry.
Not very much remains to-day of this thirteenth-century Early English
choir. In 1292, just as it had been roofed in, a terrible fire, the most
disastrous the cathedral has ever experienced, destroyed everything
except the outer walls of the aisles, the graceful lancet windows, and
the beautiful cinque-foiled arcading beneath them. Belfry and bells,
too, shared in the destruction.
One hundred years passed away while a new choir was being built. Bishop
Halton (1292-1325), a very energetic prelate, and a great favourite of
Edward I., began the work, and laboured at it for quite thirty years,
and was followed by Bishops Kirkby, Welton, and Appleby. It was arranged
to rebuild the choir on a still larger scale, a bay being added, and the
east end rebuilt from the foundation. The general plan of the earlier
work of the aisles was followed in the new bay. The glory of the
cathedral--the great east window, which marks a distinct transition in
art--was also projected, but at this time only carried up as high as the
top of the choir arches.
The wall arcade and the lancet windows above were repaired, and later
work of a more elaborate character added. The great arches, and the
groin ribs of the aisle ceilings were underset with new pillars; so that
we get Early English _arches_ of the thirteenth century on Decorated
_pillars_ of the fourteenth century.
After some years interval, building was resumed about 1350. The
Decorated portions of the choir were now put in hand: the triforium,
clerestory, and upper part of the east end, as well as the tracery and
much of the mouldings of the east window and the roof. The carving,
hitherto unfinished, was now completed; but, as the style had developed
in the mean-time, we once more find examples of decidedly early work
with much later work both above and below. The roof inside was finished
with a very fine panelled ceiling. The building was finished 1375-1400,
and in the roof were placed the arms of those who had helped in the
rebuilding--the Lacys, the Nevilles, and the Percys.
The material used for the new choir was red sandstone, both for the
interior and the exterior, giving in some cases a curious patched
appearance to the walls.
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL AND PRECINCTS. From an old Plan in Lyson's
"_Magna Britannia_."]
About 1380-1384 the east window was filled with glass.
In 1392 the cathedral once again suffered from fire, and the damage was
repaired by Bishop Strickland (1400-19). No efforts appear to have been
made to bring the nave into correspondence with the extended choir, and
the end of the thirteenth century marks the close of the cathedral's
history in the direction of its enlargement and beautifying.
On a review of the cathedral we find in the aisles thirteenth-century
work, on a small scale, in its perfection.
The south aisle shows development of window tracery, and the gradual
steps taken towards uniting single lights under one arch.
Tracery carried to its perfection can be seen in the east window.
Early English carving is shown in St. Catherine's Chapel, especially in
the corbels; and the more naturalistic carving which was developed at a
later period, is exhibited in the corbels of the roof of the choir and
the capitals of the piers. The latter afford the most complete
representation of the seasons known to exist. On the south side (from
east to west) are the first six months, and on the north side (west to
east) the remainder.
About 1401, William Strickland being Bishop of Carlisle, the tower was
rebuilt on its original scale, probably because the foundations would
not permit one to be erected proportioned to the size of the choir. It
was capped by a short wooden spire covered with lead; this, however, was
removed in the seventeenth century.
The forty-six stalls in the choir, erected on a plinth of red sandstone,
belong to this period (1401-19). The elaborate tabernacle work by Prior
Haithwaite (1433) was originally gilded and coloured, and the niches
were filled with images.
Prior Gondibour (1484-1507) painted the backs of the stalls. The remains
of some screens he added to the choir may still be seen in St.
Catherine's Chapel.
He had the roof painted in red, green, and gold, on a white ground;
painted the choir pillars white, diapered with red roses nearly 12
inches in diameter, and with the letters I.H.C. and J.M. in gold; and no
doubt finished whatever decorative work of the choir still had to be
done.
Laurence Salkeld, last prior, and first dean, erected the very fine
Renaissance screen on the north side of the choir, near the pulpit. It
bears his initials, followed by the letters D.K. (_Decanus
Karliolensis_), of his new title.
The priory was surrendered to the Crown in January 1540, and the last
prior--Salkeld--was made dean of the chapter founded by Henry VIII. The
revenue was at that time estimated at £ 481 per annum. Five years later,
June 1545, the present foundation was settled, and the dedication
changed to that of the Holy and Undivided Trinity.
We get a glimpse of the cathedral in the first half of the seventeenth
century, in the record left by some officers who visited the English
cathedrals in 1634. Carlisle they curtly speak of as "more like a great
wilde country church" than a fair and stately cathedral.
After the capture of the city in 1645 the parliamentary troops pulled
down part of the nave in order to repair the fortifications. It is very
probable that the Norman church was partly built of stones taken from
the Roman wall; and it is strange to find the western part of the same
church being destroyed nearly six hundred years after in order to repair
the city walls.
George Fox, the intrepid founder of the Society of Friends, came to
Carlisle in 1653 and preached in the cathedral. Some of the congregation
being opposed to him, he was guarded while preaching, by certain
soldiers and friends who had "heard him gladly." At length the "rude
people of the city" rushed into the building, and made a tumult, so that
the governor was forced to send musketeers to quell it.
Fox thus describes the scene, in his "Journal":
"From thence we came to Carlisle.
"On the First-day following I went into the steeple-house: and after the
priest had done, I preached the truth to the people, and declared the
word of life amongst them. The priest got away, and the magistrates
desired me to go out of the steeple-house. But I still declared the way
of the Lord unto them, and told them, 'I came to speak the word of life
and salvation from the Lord amongst them.' The power of the Lord was
dreadful amongst them in the steeple-house, so that the people trembled
and shook, and they thought the steeple-house shook: and some of them
feared it would fall down on their heads. The magistrates' wives were in
a rage and strove mightily to be at me: but the soldiers and friendly
people stood thick about me. At length the rude people of the city
rose, and came with staves and stones into the steeple-house crying,
'Down with these round-headed rogues'; and they threw stones. Whereupon
the governor sent a file or two of musketeers into the steeple-house, to
appease the tumult, and commanded all the other soldiers out. So those
soldiers took me by the hand in a friendly manner, and said they would
have me along with them. When we came forth into the street, the city
was in an uproar, and the governor came down; and some of those soldiers
were put in prison for standing by me, and for me, against the
town's-people.
"The next day the justices and magistrates of the town granted a warrant
against me and sent for me to come before them. After a large
examination they committed me to prison as a blasphemer, a heretic, and
a seducer: though they could not justly charge any such thing against
me."
Fuller, about 1660, describes the building as "black but comely, still
bearing the remaining signes of its former burning."
Further mischief was also done to the building by the Jacobite prisoners
who were lodged in it after the defeat of the Young Pretender.
In the latter half of the eighteenth century some attempts were made at
restoring the cathedral, but they for the most part consisted of hiding
the beautiful choir roof with a stucco groined ceiling, and plentifully
whitewashing the building.
"The roof was 'elegantly' vaulted with wood. But this failing by length
of time, together with the lead roof, the dean and chapter some few
years ago new laid the roof, and the ceiling being totally ruined and
destroyed they in the year 1764 contracted for a stucco groined ceiling,
and for cleaning and whitening the whole church. And finding the new
lead much torn and broken by wind for want of a ceiling underneath, the
upper tire of that was done again, and a coping added to the rigging.
And thus proceeding from one repair to another the whole expence hath
amounted to upwards of £ 1300."[1]
[1] Nicholson and Burn, page 249.
Eastward of the stalls the choir was formerly separated from the aisles
by screens of elaborate tracery work. When the cathedral was "repaired
and beautified" as just described, they were removed to outbuildings,
and by far the greater part lost or destroyed.
The cathedral was restored 1853-7, in good taste, at a cost of about
£ 15,000. Mr. Ewan Christian, the architect of the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners, undertook the work, and happily succeeded in
counteracting the "repairing and beautifying" of 1764.
Carlisle is not a large or notable cathedral, but its delightful Early
English choir with its magnificent east window will ever redeem it from
being insignificant or uninteresting.