Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester Part 10

In this, as in the other chapels, the groined edge of the Norman vaulting is carried down the piers.

The reredos in this chapel was more perfect, in point of good repair, than any other in the building, and the chapel was repaired by the late Earl of Ellenborough in 1870, figures by Redfern representing St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Luke being inserted in the niches.

At the back of the reredos are windows (by Burlison & Grylls) representing in the side-lights angels with instruments of music, and in the centre Our Lord in majesty with angels bearing crowns and branches of palm.

On the south side of the chapel is a bra.s.s tablet in memory of Dean Law, who was Dean from 1862-1884. The combination of copper, bra.s.s, and gun-metal is to be regretted, as the workmans.h.i.+p is above the average, and the design is good. It is a mistake to paint heraldic devices on bra.s.s.

Close by the door leading into the north transept will be seen the stone reading-desk, from which it is said addresses were given to the many pilgrims who came to the shrine of the unfortunate Edward II.

The #North Transept.#--This transept, like that on the south, consists of Norman work, which was cased over by Abbot Horton during the last years of his abbacy (1368-1373) with fine Perpendicular panelling, cleverly engrafted into the original wall. It will be noticed that the work is, though Early Perpendicular, much more fully developed than that in the south transept. Angular mouldings of great beauty are used in the place of round mouldings; the mullions run right up to the roof, which again is much richer than that in the south transept. The vaulting of the north transept somewhat resembles in character the fan-tracery of the cloisters, the junction of the main and transverse vaults being rounded rather than angular, and the smaller ribs springing from between the larger ones a little _above_ the union with the capitals of the supporting shafts. This transept is 8 feet lower than that on the south side. It is 2 feet shorter, and 1 foot less in width.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NORTH AMBULATORY OF THE CHOIR, LOOKING EAST.

_Photochrom Co. Ltd., Photo._]

On the north side, "under the north window, is a beautiful piece of Early English work (c. 1240), which is supposed to have been a #Reliquary#."

[Ill.u.s.tration: NORTH AMBULATORY OF THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST.

_S. B. Bolas & Co., Photo._]

It is constructed in three divisions, that in the middle being a doorway. Foiled openings enrich all the arches, and the carving of the foliage is very beautiful. Purbeck marble shafts are placed at the angles, and corbel heads at the spring of the arches, except at the north-east corner, where a stone s.h.i.+eld, with arms of Abbot Parker, are subst.i.tuted. Much of the figure-work on the outside has been mutilated.

In the inside the roof is simply groined, with bosses, one of which in the central division is most beautifully wrought; and there are, too, small heads which, fortunately, seem to have escaped notice altogether, and are almost perfect. In Bonnor's "Perspective Itinerary," 1796, it is described as punishment cells. Mr Bazeley thinks it was part of the Early English Lady Chapel, built in 1227, which, being thought worthy of preservation, was taken down and re-erected here when the present Lady Chapel was built.

Opposite to the reliquary is a #Chapel# between the tower piers, said to be dedicated to #St. Anthony#.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOOR FROM NORTH TRANSEPT INTO NORTH AMBULATORY OF THE CHOIR.

From a Photograph of Miss Dawson of Cardiff]

The wood panelling on the back of the stalls of the choir shows traces of painting, representing the soul of a woman at the mouth of a h.e.l.l or purgatory, praying to St. Anthony, who is depicted with his pig and a bell. Other figures are there, but they are beyond recognition. This chapel is used as the Dean's vestry, and contains some old panelling, re-used, and two old strong-boxes.

Beneath the niche, near the door leading into the North Ambulatory of the Choir, is an inscription, which is now barely legible (even with an opera-gla.s.s)--_Orate pro aia (Magistri Johannis) Schelton_; at least so Brown Willis read it in 1727. On the floor of this transept are some slabs, now bra.s.sless, under which have been buried men of note in the early days of the history of the building. One mutilated slab, 7 feet 1 inch by 3 feet 4 inches, has an inscription, of which some only is now legible in the border. From Brown Willis' "Survey of the Cathedral,"

1727, it can be seen that it is to Robert Stanford.

The inscription was--

_Hic jacet Robertus Stanford quondam serviens hujus monasterii et specialis ac munificus benefactor ejusdem qui obiit vicesimo secundo ..._

A bra.s.s to Wm. Lisle, 1723, has been inserted.

Abbots Horton, Boyfield, Froucester were all buried in this transept, but beyond crediting the stone that shows a trace of a mitre to Froucester, it is a mere matter of speculation to distinguish between the others. The stone next but one to it contains the matrix of a fine cross. The north window was filled in 1874 with gla.s.s by Hardman in memory of Sir Michael Edward Hicks-Beach, Bart., M.P., and his wife. The subjects are episodes in the life of St. Paul.

Under the west window of this transept is a curious painted monument to John Bower and his wife (1615). They had "nyne sones and seaven daughters," who are represented in perspective on the wooden panel against the wall. The tomb is barely characteristic of its date. On the top is an inscription--_Memento mori_; also, _Vayne, vanytie, witnesse Soloman, all is but vayne._

The colour on the tomb has suffered from whitewas.h.i.+ng at various times, and the tomb has been scorched by the heat generated by the warming apparatus in the corner, to the detriment of the painted panel.

The west window of this transept was put up in 1894, in memory of Wm.

Philip Price, M.P. This window is too full of detail, and the canopy work is overdone. The gla.s.s is by Kempe.

The east window contains some old gla.s.s, releaded by Clayton & Bell.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] They have practically been shortened 10 inches by their plinths being concealed by the pavement put down in 1740. Their circ.u.mference is 21 feet 7 inches, and the distance from pier to pier about 12 feet 6 inches.

[2] Similar ornament in windows may be found at Leominster, Ledbury Church, Minsterworth, Hartbury, St. Michael's (Gloucester), and in the tower of Hereford Cathedral.

[3] The abbey at Tewkesbury is a building which every visitor to Gloucester ought to make a point of seeing and studying. It was built on a similar plan, at the same time, and probably by some of the same builders who built Gloucester.

[4] The Crypt is described here because it is, as a rule, entered from the eastern door in the south transept.

CHAPTER IV

THE PRECINCTS AND MONASTIC BUILDINGS

Within the area once contained by the boundary walls of the Abbey (for which see the plan on p. 103) there are remains of four of the original #Gateways#. The finest of these is that which leads into St. Mary's Square, and the best view of it is obtained from the steps of the memorial to Bishop Hooper. It is a very typical specimen of Early English work. "It has a gate porch entered by a wide but low pointed arch, with an inner arch where the doors were hung. The gatehall thus formed also had doors towards the court, and in its south wall are two recesses. The upper storey has, towards the street, an arcade of four arches, and the outer pair have each a trefoiled niche or panel in the back. The other two arches are of larger size and are both pierced with two interesting square-headed lights, also of the thirteenth century, with dividing mullions. In the gable, within a large triangular panel, is a niche of three arches, originally carried by detached shafts, but these are now broken away." (Hope.)

Tradition has it that Bonner watched the burning of Bishop Hooper from the window over this gateway.

The "inner gate gave access to the inner court, known of late years as Miller's Green, where the bakehouse, boulting-house, brew-house, stable, mill, and such-like offices were placed. It was also the way to the later Abbot's lodging. The existing gateway is of the fourteenth century, and has a single pa.s.sage, in the west side of which is a blocked doorway. The pa.s.sage is covered by a lierne vault."

"The gateway on the south side, towards the city, has been almost entirely destroyed, and only a fragment of the west side remains. It was known as 'King Edward's' gate, from its having been built by Edward I.

It was afterwards restored and beautified by Abbot Malverne, _alias_ Parker, 1514-1539. The remaining turret of the gate, on the west side towards the church, is probably part of Parker's work." (Hope.)

On the south side of what is left of this gateway are the arms of King Osric, as King of Northumbria. The stone bearing these arms was dug up some seventy years ago and was placed in its present position.

In College Court, a narrow turning leading from the north side of Westgate Street into the close, is a small gateway, consisting of a flattened archway with canopied niches at the sides. This is also supposed to have been built by Abbot Parker. The upper portion, which was destroyed, has been converted into very commonplace offices.

In the north-west corner of the precincts was the #Vineyard#. The vineyards of Gloucesters.h.i.+re used formerly to be famous. William of Malmesbury, in the twelfth century, writes: "This county (Gloucesters.h.i.+re) is planted thicker with vineyards than any other in England, more plentiful in crops, and more pleasant in flavour. For the wines do not offend the mouth with sharpness, since they do not yield to the French (wines) in sweetness." The Gloucesters.h.i.+re vineyards survived as late as 1701. The curious terraces or step-markings on the Cotswolds in various places, locally called "litchets" or "lyches," are by some supposed to have been portions of the sites of these vineyards.

"The #Dorter# (says Mr Hope) and its _bas.e.m.e.nt_ are now destroyed, and their plan and extent are at present uncertain: but owing to its south wall having been partly that of the chapter-house also, one small fragment has been preserved which ... helps to fix the position of the dorter. This fragment, which may be seen on the north-east corner of the chapter-house, is the jamb of one of the windows built between 1303 and 1313, and its date is clearly shown by the little ball-flowers round the capital of the shaft." The dorter then may be a.s.sumed to have occupied the s.p.a.ce between the chapter-house and the end of the east alley of the cloister.

The #Refectory# (or Prater), "which was begun in 1246, on the site of the Norman one destroyed to make room for it, was a great hall over 130 feet long and nearly 40 feet wide. It was reached by a broad flight of steps, beginning in the cloister and pa.s.sing up through the frater door.

The steps did not open directly into the frater, but ended in a vestibule screened off from the rest of the hall, and covered by a loft or gallery. Into this vestibule would also open the service doors from the kitchen and b.u.t.tery.... The west end and nearly all the north side have been pulled down to the ground, but the south wall, being common to the cloister, remains up to the height of its window sills. The east end is also standing to the same height.... Much of the stonework of the east and south walls is reddened by the fire that destroyed the frater in 1540."

[Ill.u.s.tation: ST. MARY'S GATE.

KING EDWARD'S GATE.

Drawn by F. S. Walker, F.R.I.B.A.]

The #Little Cloisters# consist of an irregular quadrangle, with sides of varying length. The garth wall is a good specimen of Perpendicular work.

There are five openings on each side. In the times of the Great Rebellion the little cloisters were partly unroofed. The western alley is part of an interesting fifteenth-century house which is built over it, and the south alley has a lean-to roof.

The other two alleys, which are now unroofed, were formerly covered by part of a large building which was built over them, and called Babylon.