How to Visit the English Cathedrals

“Another distinctive feature in Exeter as in Salisbury, is that the architect produces his effect mainly by architectural means—is not driven to rely on sculpture. All the principal capitals have mouldings not foliage. Only in the great corbels of the vaulting shafts and in the bosses of the vault does he permit himself foliage and sculpture. Wonderful carving it is; the finest work of the best period, when the naturalistic treatment of foliage was fresh and young. Very remarkable these corbels are, with their life-like treatment of vine and grape, oak and acorn, hazel leaf and nut. Unfortunately the corbels, and still more the bosses, are so high up that their lovely detail is thrown away; and they are out of scale.

“And the patterns of the window tracery are wonderfully diverse. It is not, as in Lichfield nave or King’s College Chapel, where every window is like its neighbour; when you have seen one, you have seen all. Here, all down each side of the church every window differs. In dimensions, in general character, they agree; in details they differ; each window is a fresh delight; we have, what even in Gothic architecture we rarely get—diversity within simplicity.”—(F. B.)

“The first view of the NAVE is rich and striking. Its present length is 140 feet. The view looking east is intercepted by the organ, which is placed above the screen at the entrance to the choir; but the general impression, notwithstanding a want of height, is that of great richness and beauty. The roof especially, springing from slender vaulting shafts, studded with delicately carved and varied bosses, and extending unbroken to the east end of the choir, is exceeded in grace and lightness by no other of the same date in the kingdom and by few on the Continent. The carved bosses, all of which retain traces of colour, represent foliage, animals (near the centre of the nave is a sow with a litter of pigs), grotesque figures, heraldic shields, subjects from early ‘bestiaries’ and romances, such as the centaur with a sword, and the knight riding on a lion toward the eastern end, heads of the Virgin and Saviour, the Passion and Crucifixion, and in the centre of the second bay, the murder of Becket. Grandisson wrote a life of the great Archbishop, which remains in MS., but was very popular in its day. The episcopal figure on the adjoining boss may either represent Becket or Grandisson himself. Clustered pillars of Purbeck marble (contrasting well with the lighter stone from Silverton and Bere) of which the walls and roof are constructed, separate the nave from the aisles and divide it into seven compartments or ‘bays.’

“The corbels between the arches, which support the vaulting shafts of the roof, are, perhaps, peculiar to this cathedral, and should be especially noticed. They are wrought into figures, twisted branches and long sprays of foliage, and afford excellent examples of the very best period of naturalism. Every leaf is varied and the character of the different kinds (here for the most part oak and vine) is admirably retained. The second corbel on the south side of the nave exhibits the Virgin treading on an evil spirit, and carrying the Divine Infant. Above is her coronation. The easternmost nave-corbels display on the north side Moses with his hands supported by Aaron and Hur; and on the south the risen Saviour, with cross and banner. The brackets at the foot of these corbels are crowned heads; and possibly represent Edward I. and Edward II., the first beardless as usual, the other more defaced. The second corbel on the north side represents St. Cecilia, with a somewhat grotesque angel listening to her music.

“A blind arcade, taking the place of the triforium, deeply recessed and arranged in groups of four arches under each bay, runs above the nave arches; and in the central bay on the north side projects the Minstrels’ Gallery, an arrangement for the accommodation of musicians on high festivals, which occur in this perfection nowhere else in England. There are, indeed, other examples at Wells and at Winchester, but of far less interest and importance. Each of the twelve niches into which its front is divided contains the figure of a winged angel playing on a musical instrument and surmounted by a rich canopy. The instruments beginning from the west are, a cittern, bagpipes, flageolet, crowth or violin, harp, an unknown or unseen instrument (the fingers are put close to the mouth), trumpet, organ, guitar, wind instrument, tambour and cymbals. The two corbelled heads below, supporting niches, are possibly those of Edward III. and Philippa. The manner in which the hands and arms are raised above the heads is unusual. Above the arcade and minstrels’ gallery is the clerestory, along which a gallery is pierced in the thickness of the wall.

“The windows of the nave, all of the best and purest (geometrical) Decorated, are said to exhibit a greater variety of tracery than can be found in any other building in the kingdom. They are arranged in pairs, on opposite sides of the cathedral; so that no two side by side will be found to resemble each other. The varied and graceful patterns of the lead-work should also be noticed. The stained glass in the great west window is, for the most part, modern and worthless (it dates from 1766) injuring the beauty of the window itself by its entire want of harmony and meaning. The ruby glass in this window is said to be some of the latest that was manufactured in England before M. Bontemps revived the art.”—(R. J. K.)

“constructed in the thickness of the screen by Bishop Grandisson for the place of his own sepulture. His tomb formerly existed here, but it was destroyed by Elizabeth’s visitors and the high-born prelate’s ashes scattered ‘no man knoweth where.’”—(R. J. K.)

“The Peter bell was crazed on Nov. 5, 1611, most probably from a too violent ringing in commemoration of the Gunpower Plot, and was recast in 1676. Its diameter at the mouth is 6 feet 3 inches; its height nearly 4 feet 8 inches. It is, of course, never rung, but the hours are struck on it by an enormous hammer. The visitor who happens to be in the tower at the time of striking will experience a new sensation,—the humming of the great mass of metal lingers for many minutes among the huge beams and rafters. A superb view of the city surrounded by trees and gardens, of the river and of its junction with the sea at Exmouth, is obtained from the top of the tower, the upper part of which (of Perpendicular character) was raised and adapted by Bishop Courtenay for the reception of Great Peter, which he brought from Llandaff.”—(R. J. K.)

“High as this praise was, the beauty of the vaulted roof and the extreme grace of the details are proofs that it was scarcely exaggerated. The roof bosses and corbels are of the same character as those in the nave; but the latter are even more admirable in design, and far more varied in foliage. Maple, oak, ash, the filbert with its clusters of nuts, and the vine with fruit and tendrils, could hardly be reproduced more faithfully. On the corbel above the organ-screen, on the north side, is a Coronation of the Virgin and on that beyond it a Virgin and Child with censing angels.”—(R. J. K.)

“We approach the choir, entered by a door in the beautiful screen supporting the organ. This was the old rood-screen, on which formerly stood the rood, or figure of our Lord on the Cross. It was erected in the Fourteenth Century.

“The bosses of the vaulted roof are worthy of especial examination, so remarkable are they for the delicacy of the carved foliage. The choir has been carefully restored in recent years, and the stalls, pulpit and reredos are modern and were designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. Notice the old misereres, which are very remarkable and probably the oldest and most curious in England. The foliage denotes the Early English period and they were probably designed by Bishop Bruere (1224-1244). Notice the mermaid and merman on the south side, the elephant, knight slaying a leopard, a minstrel, etc. The lofty bishop’s throne was erected by Stapledon, and is said to have been taken down and hidden away during the Civil War period. The painted figures represent the four great bishops—Warelwast, Quivil, Stapledon and Grandisson. The sedilia by Stapledon are very fine. Notice the carved lions’ heads and the heads of Leofric, Edward the Confessor and his wife Editha. The east window is Early Perpendicular, inserted by Bishop Brantingham in 1390, and contains much old glass.”—(P. H. D.)

“They are fifty in number and their subjects are of the usual character,—foliage, grotesques, animals (among which is an elephant) and knights in combat, whose heater shields, flat helmets and early armour are especially noticeable. Remark, on the south side of the choir a mermaid and a merman holding some circular instrument between them, the elephant mentioned above and a knight sitting in a boat drawn by a swan, an illustration of the romance of the Chevalier au Cygne. On the north side a knight attacking a leopard, a monster on whose back is a saddle with stirrups, a minstrel with tabor and pipe, a knight thrusting his sword into a grotesque bird and a mermaid holding a fish. The Early English character of the foliage, as well as its graceful arrangement, should be noticed throughout.”

“On the south side, the superb Bishop’s Throne towering almost to the roof. This was the gift of Bishop Bothe (1465-1478). It is said to have been taken down and hidden during Monmouth’s Rebellion.”—(R. J. K.)

“The Bishop’s Throne (A.D. 1316), intended for his Lordship with a chaplain on either side; ‘a magnificent sheaf of carved oak, put together without a single nail, and rising to a height of 57 feet. The lightness of its ascending stages almost rival the famous sheaf of fountains of the Nuremberg tabernacle. The cost of this vast and exquisitely carved canopy (about twelve guineas) is surprisingly small, even for those days. The carved work consists chiefly of foliage, with finials of great beauty, surmounting tabernacled niches, with a sadly untenanted look, however, for lack of their statuettes. The pinnacle corners are enriched with heads of oxen, sheep, dogs, pigs and monkeys.’ Next came what is perhaps the most exquisite work in stone in England, as the throne is unparalleled in woodwork—the SEDILIA; the seats of the priest to the east and to the west of him, those of the Gospeller and Epistoler. The sedilia have been preferred even to the shrine of Beverley and the Lady-Chapel of Ely. ‘The canopy of the seat nearest the altar,’ says Mr. Garland, ‘deserves particular attention. It is adorned with a wreath of vine leaves on each side, which meet at the point and there form a finial; and never did Greek sculptor of the best age trace a more exact portrait of the leaf of the vine, nor design a more graceful wreath, nor execute his design with a more masterly finish.’ It is regrettable that the carving of the sedilia is attributed to a Frenchman.”—(F. B.)

“Quivil first transformed the Lady-Chapel; to him are due the shafts, sedilia, double piscina, and the vaulting, the rib-mouldings of which are of earlier character than those of the choir; and the windows, which closely resemble those of Merton College, Oxford, which we know was commenced in 1277. In the centre of the Lady-Chapel Bishop Quivil is buried; he died in 1291. The chapels on either side may have been remodelled or partly remodelled by Bronescombe; but the east windows are later in style, and are Quivil’s. The piers hereabout are very interesting. Those of the Lady-Chapel looking into the side chapels are composed of four columns. The north-east and south-east piers of the choir have clusters of eight shafts instead of four; while in the pier between them the cluster of eight is developed into a cluster of sixteen columns. Finally notice that these piers are set diamond-wise, with four flat faces, and the angles to the north, west, south and east.”—(F. B.)

“The east window is early Perpendicular and was inserted by Bishop Brantingham about 1390. The stained glass with which it is filled is for the most part ancient and very fine. Much of it dates apparently from the first half of the Fourteenth Century (temp. Edward I. and II.) and was removed from the earlier window; the shields below are those of early bishops and benefactors; the figures of saints above, most of which are to be recognised by their emblems, deserve careful notice. Beginning with the lowest row, and at the left hand, are St. Margaret, St. Catherine, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Barbara, the Virgin and Child, St. Martin, St. Peter, St. Paul and St. Andrew. All these figures are under very rich and varied canopies. The first three and the last three are of the first period; the others of Brantingham’s time. In the middle row are St. Sidwell, or Sativola, believed to have been a British lady of noble birth, and contemporary with St. Winifred of Crediton (first half of the Eighth Century). Her legend asserts that she was beheaded by a mower at the instigation of her stepmother, who coveted her possessions, near a well outside the walls of Exeter. In the window St. Sativola appears with a scythe in her left hand, whilst at her right is a well with a stream of water flowing from it. These emblems may either form a rebus of her name (scythe-well) or refer to her martyrdom. Beyond St. Sidwell are St. Helena, St. Michael, St. Margaret, St. Catherine, Edward the Confessor and St. Edmund. All the figures in this row are of Brantingham’s period. The three figures in the uppermost row are Abraham, Moses and Isaiah. These are of the first period. The tone of colour throughout this window is very fine and solemn. The heraldry in the upper part of the window is modern. In the north clerestory windows of the central bay are four headless figures of early Decorated character. The beautiful running pattern forming the ground on which they are placed should be noticed.”—(R. J. K.)

“The Tudor work (1485-1519) is exceptional in importance. It includes the north entrance and other late portions of the western screen, two exquisite chapels both built by Bishop Oldham—his own chantry (St. Saviour’s) on the south side of the retro-choir, the Speke chantry (St. George’s) on the north—and in addition, Prior Sylke’s chantry on the north transept. All this work is admirable in design and execution. In Oldham’s chantry is a charming series of owls with the scroll Dam, a rebus on his name, proceeding from the beak of each little owl. To Bishop Oldham also (1504-1519) is due the grand set of stone screens—one of the glories of the cathedral—no less than ten, which veil all the nine chapels and Prior Sylke’s chantry, and add fresh beauty to the beautiful choir.”—(F. B.)

“Whatever else the student and lover of Gothic architecture omits, he must not omit to visit Exeter. He will find it fresh and different from anything he has seen before. Its unique plan, without central or western towers, the absence of obstructive piers at the crossing, the consequently uninterrupted vista, the singleness and unity of the whole design, the remarkable system of proportions, based on breadth rather than height, the satisfying massiveness and solidity of the building, inside and outside, and at the same time the airiness and lightness of the interior, the magnificence of its piers of marble, the delightful colour-contrast of marble column and sandstone arch, the amazing diversity of the window tracery, the exquisite carving of the corbels and bosses, the abundant and admirable Tudor work, the wealth of chantries and monuments, the superb sedilia, screen and throne, the misereres, the vaults, the extraordinary engineering feats from which its present form results, the originality of the west front and of the whole interior and exterior, place Exeter in the very forefront of the triumphs of the Mediæval architecture of our country.”—(F. B.)

“Seen from a distance, the picturesque group of towers and pinnacles derives increased effect from the beauty and variety of the surrounding landscape. On one side rises the long ridge of the Mendips, with its rocky outliers; whilst in the southern distance the lofty peak of Glastonbury Tor lifts itself above the marches, marking the site of what was generally believed, throughout the Middle Ages, to have been the earliest Christian church in Britain, if not the first in Christendom. The Cathedral itself seems to nestle under its protecting hills; and the waters of the Bishop’s moat, sparkling in the sunshine, indicate the spring or great well which led King Ina to establish his church here, and which had perhaps rendered the site a sacred one as well in the days of the Druids as in those of that primitive British Christianity which disappeared before the heathendom of the advancing Saxons.

“From whatever direction the visitor enters the Close, he must pass under one of the three gatehouses built by Bishop Beckington (1443-1464), all of which display his shield of arms and his rebus,—a beacon inflamed issuing from a tun or barrel. Over the Chain-Gate passes the gallery which connects the Vicars’ College with the Cathedral. The gate, called the Penniless Porch, opens to the Market-place; but the Cathedral will be best approached for the first time through Browne’s gate, at the end of Sadler-street. From this point an excellent view of the west front is obtained, rising at the end of a broad lawn of greensward, bordered with trees. The Cathedral close of Wells is scarcely so picturesque as those of Salisbury or of Winchester. It is more open, however, and its short, bright turf contrasts very effectively with the grey stone of the buildings which encircle it and with the grand old church itself. This, with the exception of its pilasters of Purbeck, is built throughout with stone from the Doulting quarries, about nine miles from Wells.”—(R. J. K.)

“The part which he built, there can be little doubt, included the three western bays of the choir (which then formed the presbytery), the transepts, north porch and the eastern bays of the nave. That is to say, on entering the church, one is looking upon Reginald’s work, and not Jocelin’s; for, although the rest of the nave was completed by Jocelin, it was done in accordance with Reginald’s original plan. It is of great importance to remember this fact, since until recently the nave, with the other parts just mentioned, was attributed by Professor Willis, Professor Freeman, and most authorities to Jocelin.”—(P. D.)

“Late researches have shown that Bishop Reginald began the present church and that the Early English work should be divided into four periods: (1) The three western arches of the choir, with the four western bays of its aisles, the transepts and the four eastern bays of the nave, which are Reginald’s work (1174-1191), and so early as to be still in a state of transition from the Norman. It is a unique example of transitional building, and Willis calls it ‘an improved Norman, worked with considerable lightness and richness, but distinguished from the Early English by greater massiveness and severity.’ The characteristics of this late Twelfth Century work are bold round mouldings, square abaci, capitals, some with traces of the classical volute, others interwoven with fanciful imagery that reminds us of the Norman work of Glastonbury; while in the north porch, which must be the earliest of all, we even find the zigzag Norman moulding. (2) The rest of the nave, which was finished in Jocelin’s time—that is to say, in the first half of the Thirteenth Century—preserves the main characteristics of the earlier work, though the flowing sculptured foliage becomes more naturalistic, and lacks the quaint intermingling of figure subjects. (3) The west front, which is Jocelin’s work, and alone can claim to be of pure Early English style. (4) The chapter-house crypt, which is so late as to be almost Transitional, though, curiously enough, it contains the characteristic Early English dog-tooth moulding which is found nowhere else except in the west window. From this, we reach the Early Decorated of the staircase, the full Decorated of the chapter-house itself, the later Decorated of the Lady-Chapel, the transitional Decorated of the presbytery, and the full Perpendicular of the western towers. Much of the masonry in the transepts, choir, choir aisles, and even in the eastern transepts, bears the peculiar diagonal lines which are the marks of Norman tooling. This does not, of course, prove that any part of Bishop Robert’s church is standing, for mediæval builders were notoriously economical in using up old masonry, but it does show that there are more remains of his work in the building than was generally supposed.”—(P. D.)

“The Chain-Gate, in its association with the Chapter-House and the Vicars’ Close, is unique. The incline of the steps, easily to be distinguished from without, gives the corner a character quite its own. And the entrance to the Green by this gate, with the Cathedral on one side, balanced by the varied gables and roofs of the houses opposite, is particularly striking. The exterior of the Chapter-House comes into full view; the great central tower stands boldly up against the sky; the eastern gable presents its curious apex, and the Lady-Chapel below stands like a thing separate from the rest. Beyond, and under the Chain-Gateway, an arch admits to the Vicars’ Close—a charming street, lined on either side with diminutive dwelling-houses, once the separate residences of the vicars choral. At the top of the close is a small Perpendicular chapel with a library above. The interior is profusely—almost grotesquely—decorated in a manner to remind one to some extent of those strange little oratories so frequently met with in other parts of Europe. But to many it will possess a certain charm, despite its florid adornments, not often realised in this country. The Vicars’ Hall, a considerable portion of which is of the Fourteenth Century, with additions of a tower and other features, probably by Bishop Beckington, stands at the bottom of the street and communicates through the gallery of the Chain-Gate with the Chapter-House staircase, and thus with the cathedral. By this gallery the choristers passed into the church.”—(A. A.)

“consists of a centre, in which are the three lancets of the western window and above them a gable receding in stages, with small pinnacles at the angles; and of two wings or western towers, projecting beyond the nave, as at Salisbury. The upper part of these towers is of Perpendicular character. That to the north-west was completed by Bishop Bubwith (1407-1424), whose statue remains in one of the niches: that to the south-west was the work of Bishop Harewell (1366-1386). Both these towers, fine as are their details, have a somewhat truncated appearance; and it is probable that the original Early English design terminated at the uppermost band of sculpture. The three western doors are of unusually small dimensions, perhaps in order to leave ample room for the tiers of figures which rise above them. Six narrow buttresses at the angles of which are slender shafts of Purbeck marble, supporting canopies, divide the entire front into five portions. The whole of the statues which fill the niches are of Doulting stone.”—(R. J. K.)

“The entrance is doubly recessed and has the zigzag ornament among its mouldings, an indication, if not of its early construction, at least of lingering Norman traditions among its builders. These mouldings deserve the most careful attention. The outer or dripstone, is formed of a very beautiful combination of Early English foliage. Square panels on either side of the arch contain figures of mystic animals, one of which is a cockatrice. The gable above has a blind arcade, in the centre of which a small triplet gives light to a parvise chamber. From the buttress at the angles rise slender spire-capped pinnacles. The buttresses themselves are flat and narrow.

“The interior of the porch is divided into two bays, and its walls are lined with a double arcade, the upper row of arches being more deeply recessed than the tower. The vault springs from a central group of triple shafts. The sculptures of the capitals on the east side possibly represent the death of King Edmund the Martyr (A.D. 870),—bound to a tree as a mark for the Danish arrows and afterwards beheaded. The figures are well designed, and full of life and character. The double doorway leading into the nave displays, like the exterior arch, the Norman zigzag.”—(R. J. K.)

“Undoubtedly the first thing that the stranger notices in Wells Cathedral, and the last that he is likely to forget, is the curious contrivance by which the central tower is supported. Of the three pairs of arches (the upper arch resting inverted upon the lower) which stretch across the nave and each of the transepts, that in the nave is seen at once, and lends a unique character to the whole church. At first these arches give one something of a shock, so unnecessarily frank are they, so excessively sturdy, so very English, we may think. They carry their burden as a great-limbed labourer will carry a child in a crowd, to the great advantage of the burden and the natural dissatisfaction of the crowd. In fact, they seem to block up the view, and to deform what they do not hide.

“That is the first impression, but it does not last for long. Familiarity breeds respect for this simple, strong device, which arrested the fall of the tower in the Fourteenth Century, and has kept its walls ever since in perfect security, so that the great structure has stood like a rock upon the watery soil of Wells for nearly seven centuries, with its rents and breaks just as they were when the damage was first repaired. The ingenuity, too, of these strange flying-buttresses becomes more and more evident; the ‘ungainly props’ are seen to be so worked into the tower they support, that they almost seem like part of the original design of the first builders. One discovers that it is the organ, and not the arches, that really blocks the view, and one marvels that so huge a mass of masonry can look so light as to present, with the great circles in the spandrels where the arches meet, a kind of pattern of gigantic geometrical tracery. Indeed I think no one who has been in Wells a week could wish to see the inverted arches removed.

“To appreciate the work fully, it should be looked at from some spot, such as the north-east corner of the north transept, whence the three great pairs of arches can be seen together. The effect from here is very fine, especially when the nave is lighted up and strong shadows are cast. The extreme boldness of the mouldings, the absence of shafts and capitals and of all ornament, give them a primitive vigour, and their great intermingling curves, which contrast so magnificently with the little shafts of the piers beyond, seem more like a part of some great mountain cavern than a mere device of architectural utility.”—(P. D.)

“Certainly it is an unusual instance of an architect deliberately setting himself to complete the works of an earlier period in faithful accordance with the original plan; and we may well be grateful to him for his modesty.

“All the carving is most interesting and beautiful: the caps and corbels of the vaulting shafts; the little heads at the angles of the arches, which are vivid sketches of every type of contemporary character; and the carvings in the tympana, which are best in the seventh, eighth and ninth bays (counting from the west end), those on the north excelling in design and execution, while those on the south are more grotesque. But the capitals of the piers are the best of all, and the most hurried visitor should spare some time for the study of these remarkable specimens of sculpture, vigorous and lifelike, yet always subordinated to their architectural purpose. Those in the transepts[4] are perhaps the best, but the following in the nave should not be missed:—

North side, Sixth Pier (by north porch): Birds pluming their wings: Beast licking himself: Ram: Bird with human head, holding knife (?).

“Eighth Pier. Fox stealing goose, peasant following with stick: Birds pruning their feathers. (Within Bubwith’s Chapel) Human monster with fish’s tail, holding a fish: Bird holding frog in his beak, which is extremely long and delicate.

“Ninth Pier. Pedlar carrying his pack on his shoulders, a string of large beads in one hand. Toothless monster with hands on knees.

“South side, Seventh Pier. Birds with human heads, one wearing a mitre.

“Eighth Pier. Peasant with club, seized by lion: Bird with curious foliated tail (within St. Edmund’s chapel). Owl: Peasant with mallet (?).”