THE CATHEDRAL--EXTERIOR
Norwich Cathedral does not tell to great advantage from the outside: its
chief charm is undoubtedly the interior. It stands in a hollow, on what
is probably the lowest ground in the city. The best view of the
cathedral is obtained from the low ground to the eastward near the
river, and close to Pull's Ferry; here the extreme length of the nave,
which Fergusson remarked justified the addition of western towers, is
lost partly by foreshortening, and by the projection forward of the
south transept, over which the old Norman tower, with its later
battlements and spire, rises grandly above the sweep of the apse, with
the still remaining circular chapels below.
#The Cathedral Precincts#, or Close, running from Tombland eastward to
the river, are entered by two gates to the precincts and one to the
bishop's palace.
#The Erpingham Gate#, opposite the west front of the cathedral, was
built by Sir Thomas Erpingham, and as an architectural compilation "is
original and unique." In elevation it consists of one lofty
well-proportioned arch supported on either side by semi-hexagonal
buttresses taken up as high as the apex of arch; above comes a plain
gable, in which, centred over the arch below, is a canopied niche with
the kneeling figure of Sir Thomas Erpingham.
Built probably about 1420, and while yet some of the noble simplicity of
the thirteenth had not passed into the over-wrought richness of the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it presents a type of the best
Perpendicular work we have in England.
The form of the arch is lofty, and may have been suggested by the wish
to preserve a view through of the cathedral.
The arch moulding is enriched on the outer part with figures of fourteen
female saints, and on the inner with twelve male saints; the
semi-hexagonal panelled buttresses are covered with the shields of the
families of Erpingham, Clopton, and Walton, and each has a seated figure
of an ecclesiastic on the top.
[Illustration: The Erpingham Gate.]
The richness of this lower arch stage tells against the plain gable
over, and is quite admirable in effect and defensible as a method of
design; it is ornament decorating construction pure and simple, and not
what later work generally was and is, constructed ornament, suggesting
over-elaborate construction thereby made necessary. It will be noticed
that labels with the word "Yenk" (think) sculptured thereon are placed
between the shafts on either side of the archway; this has been
construed "pend" by some writers, and from this the view was taken that
Sir Thomas Erpingham was made to build the gate as a penance for
favouring Lollardism, and that the figure of himself in the gable over
the archway represents him as praying pardon for the offence.
This interpretation, however, amusing as it is, is probably erroneous,
and the gate, with its shields of allied families, stands to the memory
of its founder. Sir Thomas Erpingham was at Agincourt in 1415, and
Shakespeare, in Act iv. of Henry V., remarks of him that he was "a
knight grown grey with age and honour." Sir Thomas Browne also (p. 9 of
his "Repertorium") says: "He was a Knight of the Garter in the time of
Henry IV. and some part of Henry V., and I find his name in the list of
the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports."
Sir Thomas Erpingham had two wives, Joan Clopton and Joan Walton, whose
arms appear on the gateway.
[Illustration: St. Ethelbert's Gate.]
#St. Ethelbert's Gate#, to the south, is an early "Decorated" structure.
Its elevation is divided into three storeys, in the lowest of which is
the gateway, with flat buttresses on each side carried up the height of
two storeys, and enriched with pedimented niches in both stages. In the
compartment over the arch are seven niches, four of which are pierced
with windows. The upper stage is in flintwork. It was built by the
citizens as part of the fine imposed on them for their share in the
riots and fire of 1272 by the Court of King Henry III., though probably
not until some years had elapsed, and when Edward the First had come to
the throne. The upper part of the front was restored early in this
century. The back elevation is interesting--the window over the arch
being typical of the style.
[Illustration: The Gate-House of the Bishop's Palace.]
#The Gate-House# forming the entrance to the bishop's palace, on the
north side of the cathedral, was built by Bishop Alnwyck about 1430, and
probably replaced an earlier structure; it is an interesting piece of
Perpendicular work, and consists, in the lower stage, of a gate and
doorway under a deep horizontal band ornamented with plain shields and
monograms of the Virgin. The gateway on the left side reaches up to the
horizontal bands, and has spandrels on either side; the doorway is
smaller. Above are two windows with a niche between, and over all is a
parapet of modern work. Flat buttresses flank the entire composition on
either side. The wooden gates were added by Bishop Lyhart (1446-72).
Returning to the Erpingham gate, and entering the Close through it,
immediately on our left we come to the #Chapel of St. John the
Evangelist# (converted by Edward VI., and still used as a school),
founded by Bishop Salmon (1299-1325). This building replaced an older
structure, used as a charnel, and provision was made for this need in
the new edifice; the vaults under the chapel were used for the same
purpose. The porch is a later building added by Lyhart (1446-72).
#The West Front of the Cathedral# has probably received worse treatment
than any other portion of the building, and stands now as the most
unsatisfactory part of the whole. The design consists in its width of
three compartments, with two separating and two flanking turrets. The
centre compartment is of the width of the nave, and those on either side
the width of the aisles. In the centre comes the main doorway, flanked
on either side with niches, and over these, filling the entire breadth,
the great nine-light west window, with the Norman turrets carried up to
the base of the gable. The compartments on either side are finished off
by horizontal mouldings taken across somewhat below the level of the
springing of the archivolt of the main window, and have flanking turrets
covered with plain pinnacles. The large west window is disproportionate,
and even the assurance cheerfully given by most authorities, that it
resembles the window of Westminster Hall, fails to prove that it is of
suitable size here. It may be as well to note in order the various
changes which have affected the west front. Mr B.W. Spaull, in Dean
Goulburn's work on the Cathedral, made reference to the discovery of an
alteration to the main entrance which must have been prior to that now
existing. It consisted of a small _parvise_ or room added above at some
time subsequent to the original foundation. As the details are not now
apparent, it is best to refer readers to the work named for fuller
information.
The addition, however, of later Perpendicular triforium windows to the
nave superimposed over the original Norman lights, which were blocked
up, may have affected the west front. This can best be seen by viewing,
for instance, the south side of the nave. The Norman roofs sloped down
to the original triforium windows, but after the later addition were
made almost flat, and must have necessitated some mask wall in the west
front.
[Illustration: West Front of the Cathedral.]
In Britton's "History of Norwich" is a drawing which is reproduced at p.
15. It will be seen that the turrets at each side of the west window are
shown finished with stone cupolas, the tops of which were level with the
apex of the gable. The two outside flanking turrets are shown finished
by circular drums above the parapet, and covered with leaden cupolas;
these, with the Perpendicular battlements, were probably added as the
mask before referred to, and necessitated by the imposition of an
additional storey at the triforium level. Certainly the west front, as
shown then, was better far than now. However, in 1875, "_restoration_"
set in, and these cupolas were removed, and stone "pepper-box" pinnacles
imposed on the turrets in their stead. The gable was restored, and the
character of the work wholly destroyed, crocketted where before plain,
and the niche added in the place of the small light over the vault shown
in Britton's plate. In the side compartments the Perpendicular
battlementing was removed and the round cannon ball holes gratuitously
inserted.
The two pinnacles at the sides of the west window have since been
removed.
The earlier change in the central compartment of the front from Norman
to Perpendicular was effected by the additions of the door and window
still remaining. Bishop Alnwyck, who was translated to Lincoln in 1436,
added the doorway during his episcopate, and it was probably built right
over and covering the original Norman door and arcading. He also left
provision in his will for the west window, and this was added by Bishop
Lyhart (1446-72), to throw additional light on to the vaulting and
sculptures of the nave; from the inside it will be seen that it
completely fills the width of the nave, and follows the line of the
vault up.
The north side of the cathedral lies within the gardens of the bishop's
palace, which can be entered from the interior of the cathedral, through
a small door in the north aisle of the presbytery; the eastern end of
the cathedral also lies within a private garden, but permission to enter
it can usually be obtained.
#Exterior of Nave.#--Those portions of the precincts near the western
end of the cathedral are known as the Upper Close; and, walking round
the exterior of the cloisters, we come to the Lower Close. The nave on
the south side can be seen well either from the upper or lower Close,
and can be better examined in detail from the interior of the cloisters.
Its elevation consists of fourteen bays divided by flat Norman
buttresses. In height it is composed of what, at first sight, appears a
bewildering confusion of arches, arcades, and windows. Over the aisle
windows, hidden by the north walk of cloisters, comes a Norman wall
arcading; and over this the Norman triforium windows blocked up, and
again, above the later Perpendicular triforium, superimposed on the old,
and finished with a battlemented parapet. Behind this come the triforium
roof, and then beyond the original Norman clerestory, each bay with a
triple arch formation, the centre arch pierced for a window. And then
above all, the lead roof over nave vault.
The radical changes that have taken place since the nave was built by
Bishop Eborard (1121-45) consist of the insertion in the aisles of later
"Decorated" traceried windows in place of the original Norman ones, and
of the superimposition, before referred to, at triforium level of a
whole range of "Perpendicular" windows over the old Norman work, which
were blocked up at this period. The pristine aspect, then, of this
elevation of the nave would have shown a sloping roof over the aisles
where now the later addition occurs. The battlementing, too, over the
clerestory to the nave is later work, to correspond with battlementing
over the triforium windows. It will be noticed that the two bays next
the transept in the triforium are higher than the others, in order to
throw additional light into the choir.
Also on this same south side, in the seventh and eighth bays from the
west end, two very late windows occur, inserted in the Norman arcading
under the original triforium windows; these were inserted by Bishop
Nykke to light the chapel he built in two bays of the south aisle of the
nave.
The curious raking of the lead rolls to the nave roof is noticeable; the
mediæval builders did this with a view of counteracting the "crawl" of
the lead. Lead, under the variations of temperature of the atmosphere,
expands and contracts considerably; and from its own weight, and the
steepness of the roofs, the contraction takes place in a downward
direction, and starts the joints, letting in the weather. This raking of
the vertical rolls was a device whereby the old builders in some measure
got over their difficulty by inducing a fixed expansion and contraction.
[Illustration: The Clerestory and Triforium of Choir (South Side).]
#The South Transept# projects boldly forward from under the tower;
without aisles, its ridge and parapet correspond in height to those of
the nave; this narrowness, with the tower and spire showing over
behind, gives it an appearance of height, as approached from the lower
close. This effect of height is emphasised by the partition of the
design in its width, by flat Norman buttresses, with shafts in the
angles, and by the flat faces of the flanking turrets. The work,
however, is without interest, from the fact that, though the _ensemble_
in some measure has been retained, the whole of the exterior face of the
stonework was re-cased by Salvin, 1830-40, during which period various
restorations were effected. Before these alterations, the Norman
flanking turrets finished with a "Perpendicular" battlementing, enriched
with shields and quatrefoils, and with crocketted pinnacles set at the
four angles; this battlementing was removed, and the present
uninteresting pepper-boxes took their place. No doubt they have it in
their favour that they _may_ be more like the original Norman
terminations than were those they replaced, which were, however, real
"Perpendicular," and these are only sham Norman. Originally, from the
eastward side of the south transept, projected a semi-circular chapel,
shown on plan by dotted lines, and corresponding to that still remaining
on the north side of the cathedral. It was part of the original plan,
and though we believe no record exists of its destruction, it can safely
be premised that its fate came about through the _cultus_ of the saint
to whom it was dedicated declining, and consequent neglect and ruin
following made its destruction cheaper than its reparation. It was
replaced by a sacristy in the fifteenth century, the lines of roof to
which can still be seen over on the stonework. This later sacristy was
destroyed by the fire of 1509, that burned as well the wooden roofs of
the transepts, and necessitated the stone vaults added by Bishop Nykke.
#The Diocesan Registry Offices# now occupy the space on which once stood
the Norman chapel, and later the Sacristy.
The building projecting eastward, south of this space, and marked A on
plan, was once a chapel, said by Blomefield to have been dedicated to
St. Edmund. It is now used as the #Dean's Vestry# in the lower storey,
and as the #Chapter Clerk's Office# in the upper.
At the same time that the later restorations were effected to the south
transept, the groined #Slype# and singing-school above it were
destroyed, and the present door in the south transept from the lower
close was opened. A pre-restoration view is published of the east end
of the cathedral, showing the slype, in Britton's "Norwich." The visitor
should also bear in mind that this space immediately in front of the
south transept was originally occupied by the #Chapter-House#, situated
as shown by dotted lines on plan, and separated from the cathedral by
the slype. The entrance arches to the chapter-house from the east walk
of the cloisters still remain and fix definitely its position; it
projected eastward about eighty feet.
#The Tower and Spire# mark the crossing of the choir and transepts, the
tower only being Norman, and square on plan, with flat Norman
buttresses, covered with vertical shafts on the face of each. These
buttresses start from the level of the parapets to Nave, Transept, and
Presbytery, and rise right up until, well over the parapet of the tower,
they are finished by crocketted pinnacles. Between these buttresses are
horizontal bands of design: the lowest, a Norman arcade of nine arches,
three of which are pierced as windows; then, above this, a smaller wall
arcade with interlaced arches; and then, above again, the principal
feature, an arcading of nine arches, three pierced for windows, and the
others filled with wall tracery of diamonds and circles; then, between
this last and the battlemented parapet, occur five vertical panels, each
comprising two circles, the upper pierced for a window. Above, soaring
upward, rises the later crocketted spire. Herbert, the founder, provided
the foundations of tower, and probably carried up the walls to the level
of the nave roof; the rest of the tower was finished during the reign of
Henry I., and is a beautiful specimen of the work of that time; but here
again our sentiment and sympathy experience a shock when we learn that
the stonework was almost entirely refaced in 1856. The tower was crowned
by a wooden spire from 1297; this was blown down in 1361, and probably
brought away in its fall some part of the Norman turrets of the tower.
It fell eastward, damaging the presbytery so badly that the clerestory
had to be rebuilt. The wooden spire was reconstructed probably at the
same time, though no record exists of such work, and the present Early
Perpendicular turrets were added. The spire, we know, was again
overtaken by misfortune in 1463, when it was struck by lightning, and
again falling eastward, went through the presbytery roof. The present
spire was then constructed in stone by Bishop Lyhart (1446-72), and
was finished by his successor, Bishop Goldwell (1472-99), who added the
battlements.
[Illustration: The Tower in 1816.]
It will hardly be necessary to enlarge on the beauty of this spire of
Norwich, as the dominant feature, seen from the south-east, rising above
the curved sweep of the apse, and strongly buttressed by the south
transept, it stands up, clearly defined against the western sky, and
points upward, significant and symbolical at once of the ends and
aspirations of the church below.
#The Eastern Arm of Cathedral or Presbytery# takes its history from the
tower. Here, as in the nave, there are the original triforium windows
blocked up, and a range of Perpendicular work superimposed on the old.
Above and beyond this, supported between each bay by flying buttresses,
comes the transitional Decorated to Perpendicular clerestory,
considerably higher than the original Norman clerestory remaining to the
nave. At the base of each flying buttress are figures of saints. The
roof and Norman clerestory were damaged by the falling tower in 1361,
but were rebuilt by Bishop Percy, 1355-69. This work is transitional
Decorated to Perpendicular. The presbytery was then re-roofed with a
framed timber construction, which was consumed by the falling of the
burning spire, struck by lightning in 1463. The present stone vault was
added in its place by Bishop Goldwell, 1472-99. This necessitated the
addition as well of flying buttresses to take the thrust of the vault.
The battlementing to the presbytery also was added at the same time as
the flying buttresses.
It will also be noted that here, as in the nave, an addition was made in
the way of a range of later "Perpendicular" windows superimposed over
the original Norman triforium, which was blocked up.
#The Chapel of St. Mary-the-Less#, marked B on plan, projects southward
from the presbytery, and dates from the fourteenth century. Between this
and the circular Norman chapel of St. Luke, was Bishop Wakeryng's
chapel. It has long since disappeared, but the doorway of Perpendicular
design remained until about 1841, when it was removed and the
compartment Normanised--a piece of wanton vandalism and the destruction
of an historical link.
The circular Norman chapels, of which two remain, are very interesting.
In the original plan of the founder there were three; but the
easternmost was superseded by Early English structure, which in its turn
was demolished.
#The Chapel of Saint Luke#, marked C on plan, flanking the south side of
the apse, was much restored in the sixties; in Britton's "Norwich,"
published in 1816, late "Decorated" windows are shown; these were
replaced by _modern_ Norman. Its form is peculiar; on plan, that of two
circles interpenetrating. On elevation, in the lower stage, are the
modern Norman windows, with shafts in jambs, over which occur two tiers
of arcading, in the higher of which window openings are pierced. The
position of the Norman Lady Chapel is shown by dotted lines, as well as
the rectangular shape of the Early English chapel built by Walter de
Suffield (1245-57) about 1250. The line of the roof of the later chapel
can still be seen plainly traced on the stonework over the arches which
once gave entrance to it. This later chapel was destroyed by Dean
Gardiner in Queen Elizabeth's reign. The foundations of both chapels
have been laid open quite recently but a few feet under the level of the
garden.
[Illustration: Exterior of the Chapel of St. Luke from the East.]
#The Jesus Chapel#, marked D on plan, on the north side of the apse,
retains the early "Perpendicular" windows inserted in the Norman work;
its other characteristics are as those described to St. Luke's Chapel in
the south.
On the north side of the presbytery, and to the west of the Jesus
Chapel, were other chapels, shown on the plan by dotted lines; the
positions of their roofs are clearly marked yet on the stonework. One
must have been the #Reliquary Chapel#; the bridge chapel in the north
aisle of presbytery formed its ante-chapel.
#The North Transept#, and generally the north side of the cathedral, are
more conveniently examined from the gardens of the bishop's palace,
whence this portion of the exterior of the cathedral can best be seen.
The details of the fabric on the north side are essentially the same as
those described to the south side of cathedral; though here the work has
been less restored, and consequently is of more interest to the student.
The original Norman chapel, now used as a store-house, projects eastward
from the north transept; a corresponding feature occurred in the south
transept, but has long since vanished.
#The Bishop's Palace# stands to the north of the cathedral, and was
formerly connected with it by a vaulted passage, Herbert, the founder,
built the first palace, of which portions are incorporated in the
present building. Bishop Salmon (1299-1325) in 1318, according to the
patent rolls of the twelfth year of the reign of Edward II., obtained
licence to buy a piece of land 47 perches 4 feet in length, and 23
perches 12 feet in breadth, to enlarge and rebuild thereon the palace of
Herbert. He also built a chapel, and the great hall, measuring 120 feet
from north to south, and 60 feet wide, with kitchen, buttery, and
offices at the west end. The grand ruin somewhat to the east of the
palace now is supposed to have formed part of the entrance to this hall.
It was, however, too large to keep up, and so was leased by Bishop
Nykke, just before his death in 1535 to the mayor, sheriff, and
citizens, so that the Guild of S. George might hold their annual feast
there. Later on it became a meeting-house. The present private chapel of
the bishop was built by Bishop Reynolds in 1662 across part of the south
end.
To the north of the nave of the cathedral, and on the west side of the
palace, was an open area called the _green-yard,_ and in Sir Thomas
Browne's "Works," vol. iv. p. 27 (London, 1835) is an account of the
_combination sermons_ which were preached here in the summer prior to
the Reformation.
"Before the late times the combination sermons were preached, in the
summer time, at the Cross in the Green Yard where there was a good
accommodation for the auditors. The mayor, aldermen, with their wives
and officers, had a well-contrived place built against the wall of the
Bishop's palace, covered with lead, so that they were not offended by
rain. Upon the north side of the church, places were built gallery wise,
one above another, where the dean, prebends and their wives, gentlemen,
and the better sort, very well heard the sermon: the rest either stood
or sat in the green, upon long forms provided for them, paying a penny
or half-penny a-piece, as they did at S. Paul's Cross in London. The
Bishop and chancellor heard the sermons at the windows of the Bishop's
palace: the pulpit had a large covering of lead over it, and a cross
upon it; and there were eight or ten stairs of stone about it, upon
which the hospital boys and others stood. The preacher had his face to
the south, and there was a painted board of a foot and a half broad and
about a yard and a half long hanging over his head, before, upon which
were painted the names of the benefactors towards the Combination Sermon
which he particularly commemorated in his prayer...."
On the north side of the cathedral, in the seventh compartment of the
aisle from the west end, the walled-up entrance to the _green-yard_ is
to be noticed.
There is no doubt that this space was originally the cemetery of the
monks, and Harrod quotes from the _Chronicle_ of John de Whethamsted to
that effect. A stone coffin lid found here in 1848 goes to confirm this.