THE EXTERIOR
On examining the north side of the cathedral, it is apparent that more
than one plan has been followed in the construction of the building as
it stands.
There are the remains of a Norman nave whose roof is lower than the
choir roof. The choir is Early English with clerestory windows, and the
easternmost bay (the retro-choir) Late Decorated; while the tower is
Perpendicular. In the north window of the north transept we have a
specimen of work of the nineteenth century. Thus the cathedral supplies
examples of architecture from the Norman period down to the present
time.
The moderate height of the #Nave# (65 ft.), and the treatment of its
details, are quite characteristic of the best work of the period when it
was erected.
The bays of the aisle are separated by flat buttresses about five and a
half feet wide projecting nearly one foot beyond the wall, and the
parapet wall in which they terminate is supported above the windows by a
corbel table of shields and trefoil heads.[2]
[2] These date from about 1400.
Upon the string-course which runs along the wall unbroken by the
buttresses there is in each bay a window with a circular head, flanked
by single columns. A ring-like ornament is used as a decoration for one
of the mouldings of the arch.
These windows, except the one above the doorway, are restorations. The
doorway itself, which leads into the nave, is modern, imitated from the
Norman window.
The Clerestory in each compartment has a window which differs from the
aisle windows in having the billet as decoration of its outer moulding.
The string-course at the spring of the round head runs without a break
from one to the other.
There is also an unbroken corbel table above the windows, of very
expressive, life-like heads, no two of which are alike.
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE NORTH. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
#North Transept.#--The north window is Debased Gothic, the tracery of
the previous window having been similar to that of the great east
window, while the west window is early English.
[Illustration: NORTH DOOR OF NAVE. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
The #Tower#, the latest part of the cathedral, was the work of Bishop
Strickland early in the fifteenth century. He erected it upon the piers
of the ancient Norman tower. Its height is not much over 100 feet, and
is very disappointing, because in England "cathedral towers are apt to
be good, and really make their mark" (Pater). In fact, it does not at
all give the impression of being part of such an important building as a
cathedral. This is caused by its having been rebuilt on the scale of the
Norman nave, and not on that of the enlarged choir. It takes up only
about two-thirds of the width of the choir, and to mask this defect a
turret rising to the top of the third stage of the tower is introduced
on the north side, and another turret is added at the north-east angle.
The tower rises in four stages above the transepts. The second storey is
pierced with loopholes. The third has two pointed windows lighting a
room immediately below the belfry. Between these, in a niche with a
canopy, is the figure of an angel holding a drawn sword. On his head is
fixed a tablet to support another figure. There is only one window in
the fourth storey, which gives light to the belfry, and is very large.
Its labels are ornamented with very vigorously carved heads, and the
cornice above is decorated very much like that of the clerestory. The
tower terminates in an embattled parapet.
All the windows have been thrown out of centre by the addition of the
lower turret.
Originally the tower was crowned by a leaden spire about fifteen feet in
height, but this was removed at the end of the seventeenth century on
account of its decayed condition.
On the east side of the tower there is a single window in the third
storey. In place of a second window there is an opening into the roof of
the choir. This leads into a passage running from the tower to the east
end.
The bold attempts to veil the inadequate size of the tower by the
addition of two turrets can be best studied from this side.
The North Aisle of the #Choir# consists of eight bays, all Early
English, except the easternmost one (the retro-choir), which is Late
Decorated; while the western bay has a Perpendicular window.
Sometime in the fifteenth century the third bay from the east, in each
aisle, was altered and a large Perpendicular window inserted in order to
admit more light to the sanctuary. During the restoration of the
cathedral these later windows were removed, and replaced by careful
copies of the other Early English windows.
The basement is composed of bold mouldings with a plain wall equivalent
in height to the internal wall arcade. Over this, a string-course runs
uninterruptedly round the choir just below the windows.
[Illustration: THE SOUTH DOOR. (See p. 21.) _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
Each compartment has an arcade of four lancet-shaped divisions, the
external ones blank; while the internal divisions (which are wider than
the others) form the window. The slender, banded, shafts are detached,
which is rather unusual, and have moulded bases and capitals. The bands
divide the shafts into unequal lengths, the lower portion being the
shorter. The arch mouldings are good. Owing to the fact that the blank
arches are more acutely pointed, their outer mouldings terminate higher
than the mouldings of the internal arches.
Towards the east end small heads, and bosses of foliage, ornament the
junction of these mouldings. Above these the cornice and parapet rest
upon blocks bearing the nail-head ornament.
[Illustration: ELEVATION OF EAST END.]
The second bay from the east is divided into three equal spaces, with a
very narrow acute angle on the right.
A series of fine gabled buttresses gives relief to the exterior of the
choir on each side.
The windows of the #Clerestory# have very rich mouldings, and also
afford fine examples of flowing tracery. Each bay has an arch with three
divisions, the central one higher and wider than the others. On this
side only--the north--the base is ornamented with trefoils.
There is a cornice above the windows extending from the tower to the
east end. It is richly decorated with heads and the ball-flower ornament
which is characteristic of fourteenth-century work. It is broken here
and there by gargoyles projecting almost three feet from the wall. The
parapet makes but a poor show in comparison with the rich windows and
cornice.
As the choir never had a groined ceiling there was no necessity for
flying buttresses, and their absence gives the clerestory a very
monotonous flat effect. This is further intensified by the window
tracery being level with the wall, the architraves having no depth of
moulding round them.
Some years ago the aisles and clerestory were skilfully refaced, and
consequently the exteriors have a very modern appearance.
East of the retro-choir is the exterior of a staircase leading from the
north choir aisle to the clerestory parapet. It terminates in a
highly-finished octagonal turret whose parapet is enriched with a
running trefoil ornament resembling that on the base of the clerestory
windows. The north-eastern and the small east buttresses terminate just
beneath, in gables richly ornamented with minute crockets. The panelling
of the former is rather like the decoration of the central portion of
the east end.
#East End.#--An irregularity in designing the east end has been covered
by placing the great buttresses so as to make the pediment appear
irregular, and the cross at the apex seems, consequently, not to be in
the centre of the choir; while, in fact, it is the great east window
(with the gable window over it) that is out of position.
The sill of the east window is unusually near the ground, and it is
flanked by substantial buttresses finely pinnacled. Each buttress
contains two niches with beautifully carved canopies: the base of the
lower ones being a trifle higher than the springing of the arch. They
display full-length statues of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. James, and St.
John.
A staircase crossing over the east window in the thickness of the wall
receives light from the triangular window enclosing three trefoils which
appears in the gable. Immediately beneath this Trinity window--as it is
called--is a richly-canopied niche adorned with a statue of the Virgin
Mary bearing in her arms the Holy Child.
The summit of the gable is crowned by a large richly-floriated cross;
and on each side are four smaller ones, with crockets of foliage between
them.
[Illustration: THE EAST END. _Photochrom Co. Ltd., Photo._]
In spite of the fact that the east end has been almost entirely rebuilt,
it is a remarkably good example of Late Decorated work, and it would be
difficult to find its equal in England.
The wall of the north aisle is higher than the south aisle, because of a
passage between the staircases. The buttresses do not rise above the
parapet, and are finished off with richly-panelled gables, ornamented
with crockets and finials.
The end of the south aisle is decorated with corbels and parapet, like
the choir, and with pinnacled buttresses.
On the south side of the #Choir# the first three bays from the east end
are practically the same as those on the north side.
The remaining windows, including those of St. Catherine's Chapel on the
east of the south transept, are Early English, but of later date and not
so pleasing as the others. Instead of two lights they are furnished with
three; some of these have small circular openings in the spandrels over
the mullions filled with stained glass.
The fifth compartment (against which a vestry was formerly built) shows
traces of a door, and over that a passage, probably connected originally
with some of the conventual buildings.
The grotesque gargoyles, "these wild faces, these images of beasts and
men carved upon spouts and gutters," are very vigorously executed.
The windows on the south side of the clerestory are without the trefoil
which ornaments the base of those on the north side.
The blank window next to the tower is also wanting; in other respects
the clerestory presents the same features as on the north.
#South Transept.#--The chapter-house and cloisters formerly adjoined the
south transept, and there was probably an entrance from the
chapter-house leading down a flight of stairs into the transept.
Billings says: "The modern casing at the base of the end of the transept
(about 12 ft. high) shews the height of the #Cloisters#: and the doorway
above, the level of the chapter-house floor. From this it would seem
that the cathedral was entered at the south transept from the
chapter-house by a flight of steps."
The foundation of the south wall having been shaken by the removal of
the remains of the conventual buildings, massive buttresses were added,
and a very richly sculptured doorway inserted between them (1856). It
was designed by Mr. Christian and is the principal entrance to the
Cathedral. Its character is that of the late work of the choir, and is
somewhat out of keeping with this distinctively Norman portion of the
building.
The window over the entrance is of the same date.
The west side of the transept is lighted by two plain round-headed
windows, not quite central.
The outer moulding of the window arch of the south transept clerestory
has billet ornament. Above this is a corbel table of heads and mouldings
which interferes with the upper window mouldings. The transept
compartments differ from those of the nave by the addition of a flat
buttress between each, which consequently breaks the continuity of the
corbel table.
As the side of the nave was covered by the conventual buildings it was
of plainer character than the north, and had no buttresses between the
windows.
The clerestory is exactly the same as on the north.
The foundations of the old west wall are behind one of the prebendary's
houses to the west of the nave.
The west end, as it stands at present, was restored by Mr. Christian.
A local sandstone was used in the construction of the building: grey, or
white in the Norman portion, and red in the other parts. This red
sandstone is not so good for exterior as for interior work, because it
is liable to perish by the action of the weather.
[Illustration: THE NAVE, SOUTH SIDE. _G.W. Wilson & Co., Photo._]