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Chester Cathedral

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Chester Cathedral
Chester Cathedral
Religion
AffiliationAnglican
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusCathedral
LeadershipThe Very Revd.Professor
Dr Gordon McPhate, Dean
Location
LocationChester, Cheshire, England
Architecture
Architect(s)Thomas Harrison
R. C. Hussey
Sir George Gilbert Scott
Sir Arthur Blomfield
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
George Pace
TypeCathedral
StyleNorman, Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Length355 feet (108 m)[1]
Width (nave)75 feet (23 m)
Height (max)78 feet (24 m)
Spire height127 feet (39 m)
MaterialsSandstone
Website
Chester Cathedral

Chester Cathedral is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ406665). It is the mother church of the Diocese of Chester, dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building,[2] which developed from the church of St Werburgh's Abbey. The former monastic buildings lie to the north of the cathedral and are also listed Grade I.[3] Additions and modifications were made to these buildings over the centuries and the cathedral underwent a series of major restorations in the 19th century. A free-standing bell-tower was built in the 20th century. The cathedral continues to be active as a place of worship, and as a venue for concerts and exhibitions. The cathedral and the former monastic buildings are a major visitor attraction.

The cathedral is built in red sandstone,[4] to a cruciform plan. It consists of a nave with a clerestory, a northwest tower, a consistory court at the southwest angle of the nave, a south porch, a central tower, south and north transepts, a choir with clerestory, a high altar, a Lady Chapel and other chapels.[2] Most of the external structure is the result of 19th-century restorations. The tower is in Perpendicular style with turrets and pinnacles added by Scott. The west front is relatively small, and contains a Perpendicular eight-light window over a Tudor doorway.[5] The original plans for the cathedral called for two towers flanking the west entrance, however only the bases of these were built.[6] Much of the west front is hidden by the building which used to be the King's School, now a branch of Barclays Bank.[7] The choir is in transitional Early English to Decorated style and the Lady Chapel is in Early English style.[8] The former monastic buildings consist of the cloisters, an undercroft and St Anselm's chapel on the west side, the refectory on the north side, and the chapter house and the former parlour on the east side.[9]

History

There may have been a Christian church on the site of the present cathedral in the late Roman era,[10] while Chester was controlled by Legio XX Valeria Victrix. Legend holds that the basilica was dedicated to St Paul and St Peter,[11] and there is evidence that in Saxon times the dedication of an early chapel was changed from St Peter to St Werburgh.[10] In the 10th century, St Werburgh's remains were brought to Chester, and her shrine was placed in the church in 907.[12] It is thought that Æthelfleda turned the church into a college of secular canons, and that it was given a charter by King Edgar in 968. The abbey, as it was then, was restored in 1057 by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and Lady Godiva. This abbey was razed to the ground around 1090, with the secular canons evicted, and no known trace of it remains.[13]

In 1093 a Benedictine monastery was established on the site by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, and the earliest surviving parts of the structure date from that time.[10] The abbey became a cathedral church by order of Henry VIII during the dissolution of the Monasteries. Prior to that, from 1075 to 1541, Chester's cathedral was the nearby St. John's Church.[14] The last abbot of St Werburgh’s Abbey, Thomas Clarke, became the first dean of the new cathedral.[15] At the same time, the dedication was changed to Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Additions and alterations were made to the building during each century from the 12th to the 17th.[2]

The earliest existing fabric is Norman, and all periods of Gothic architecture are represented: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. By the 19th century the fabric of the building had become badly weathered, with Mr. Charles Hiatt, a writer at the time, commenting that "the surface rot of the very perishable red sandstone, of which the cathedral was built, was positively unsightly" and that the "whole place previous to restoration struck one as woebegone and neglected; it perpetually seemed to hover on the verge of collapse, and yet was without a trace of the romance of the average ruin".[6] A series of restorations subsequently took place; the most extensive was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who from 1868 "almost entirely recased" the cathedral.[5] In addition to extensive additions and alterations to the body of the church, Scott remodelled the tower, adding turrets and crenellations.[2] Scott chose to use sandstone from the quarries at Runcorn for his restoration work.[16] Thomas Harrison had earlier restored the south transept, in 1818–20, adding corner turrets.[7]

Until 1881 the south transept was the parish church of St Oswald and, although it was attached to the cathedral, it was ecclesiastically separate.[17] R. C. Hussey carried out a limited restoration from 1844 including work on the south side of the nave. Later in the century, from 1882, Sir Arthur Blomfield and his son Charles made further additions and modifications. More work was carried out in the 20th century by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott between 1891 and 1913, and by F. H. Crossley in 1939. In 1973–75 a detached belfry designed by George Pace was erected in the grounds of the cathedral.[2] In 2005 a new Song School was added to the cathedral.[12]

Cathedral

Cathedral layout

The nave dates from the 12th to the 14th centuries, and has arcades of six bays. Richards comments that the design is "very mixed and lacks uniformity".[5] In the northwest corner of the nave is the baptistry which contains a black marble font, dated 1697, consisting of a bowl on a large baluster. The stone pulpit was designed by R. C. Hussey and the lectern, dated 1876, is by Skidmore.[18] The stained glass in the west window, dated 1961, is by W. T. Carter Shapland, and depicts the Holy Family in the middle two lights, flanked by the northern saints Werburgh, Oswald, Aidan, Chad and Wilfrid, and Queen Ethelfleda.[19] Monuments in the nave include those to Roger Barnston, dated 1838, by John Blayney, to Bishop Stratford, dated 1708, to Bishop Hall who died in 1668, to Edmund Entwistle, dated 1712, to John and Thomas Wainwright who died respectively in 1686 and 1720, to Robert Bickerstaff who died in 1841 by Blayney, to Dean Smith who died in 1787 by Thomas Banks, and to Sir William Mainwaring, dated 1671. The north aisle of the nave contains wall mosaics designed by J. R. Clayton and executed by Burke & Co.,[18] depicting Abraham, Moses, David and Elijah, dated 1883–86.[2] The mosaic floor of the tower bay was designed by Dean Howson and made by Burke & Co. The stained glass in the north aisle, dated 1890, is by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.[20] The south aisle includes three stained glass windows, dated 1992, designed and made by Alan Younger to replace windows damaged in the Second World War. They were donated by the 6th Duke of Westminster to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the cathedral.[21] The stained glass in another window in the south aisle is by William Wailes, dated 1862.[22] In the southwest corner of the nave, the consistory court contains Jacobean wood carving.[17] The south porch has two storeys and a fan-vault by Giles Gilbert Scott.[7]

The north transept includes Norman architecture dating from about 1100, with a clerestory from the 15th century. A simple Norman archway leads to the sacristy, which was formerly a chapel.[2] The transept is in three bays, and has retained its original early 16th-century beam roof, divided into small squares with decorated bosses, two of which are carved with the arms of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey.[17] In the transept is a freestanding tombchest monument to Bishop Pearson who died in 1686, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and carved by Nicholas Earp, with a recumbent effigy by Matthew Noble.[2]

Nave looking towards the rood screen and crossing

Other monuments in the transept include one to Samuel Peploe, dating from about 1784, by Joseph Nollekens. The stained glass in the clerestory windows, dated 1853, is by Wailes.[23] The wall monuments include cenotaphs to members of the Cheshire (Earl of Chester's) Yeomanry killed in the Boer War and in the First and Second World Wars. At the corner with the north aisle is a 17th-century whale-ivory Tree of Jesse. A niche contains a rare example of a "cobweb picture", painted on the web of a caterpillar. It depicts Mary and the Christ-Child, and is based on a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder.[24] The sacristy, which lies to the east of the transept, has two bays and dates from about 1200. Its east window depicts St Anselm, and was designed by A. K. Nicholson.[2]

The south transept is unusually long. It has five bays and two aisles,[25] and contains in the south wall the piscina and sedilia from the former parish church.[17] The south window is dated 1887, to a design by R. C. Hussey,[7] and was made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Other stained glass in the transept is by Clayton and Bell, by C. E. Kempe and by Powell. The monuments include those to George Ogden who died in 1781, by Hayward, to Anne Matthews who died in 1793, by Thomas Banks, to John Philips Buchanan who died at Waterloo in 1815, and to the first Duke of Westminster, designed by C. J. Blomfield.[18] On the wall of the southwest crossing pier are monuments which include a cenotaph to the casualties in HMS Chester in the Battle of Jutland in 1916 who included the 16-year-old Jack Cornwell VC. The west wall of the south transept has many memorials, including cenotaphs to the Cheshire Regiment, the Royal Air Force and the Free Czech Forces. On the east wall are four chapels with reredoses; two were designed by Sir Giles G. Scott, one by W. E. Tower, and one by Kempe.[2]

The choir has five bays,[26] and contains wooden carved choirstalls dating from the late 14th century. Richards describes the choirstalls as being "the equal of any in the country",[27] and Pevsner states that they are "one of the finest sets in the country". Above the choirstalls are high, spiky, closely set canopies, with crocketed arches and spirelets.[28] The choirstalls include 48 misericords, all but five of which are original, depicting a variety of subjects, some humorous and some grotesque. The stall ends are carved with poppyheads and other images. The lectern is a wooden eagle dating from the 17th century.[27] The vault is timber, designed by Scott and decorated by Clayton and Bell.[25] The reredos and the floor mosaic are dated 1876, and were designed by J. R. Clayton. The cathedra is dated 1876 and was constructed by Farmer and Brindley to Scott's design. The stained glass at the east end is dated 1884, and is by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The candlesticks are by Censore (d. 1662) of Bologna, and the wooden eagle lectern dates from the first half of the 17th century.[28] The choir screen was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, with gates made by Skidmore. The rood was designed by Sir Giles G. Scott, and made by F. Stuflesser.[2]

Choir stall with canopy and misericord

The south aisle was shortened in about 1870 by Scott, and given an apsidal east end, becoming the chapel of St Erasmus.[2] The stained glass in the apse, dated 1872, is by Clayton and Bell. Below this is a mosaic designed by J. R. Clayton and made by Salviati, and a fresco painting by Clayton and Bell, dated 1874. Other stained glass in the aisle is by Wailes and by Hardman & Co., to a design by Pugin.[23] The aisle contains the tomb of Ranulf Higdon,[29] a monk at St Werburgh's Abbey in the 12th century who wrote the major work of history entitled Polychronicon,[30] a monument to Thomas Brassey, a civil engineering contractor who died in 1870, designed by Blomfield and made by Wagmuller, a monument to Bishop Peploe who died in 1752, and three painted monuments by Randle Holme.[23] The north choir aisle has a stone screen by R. C. Hussey and an iron gate dated 1558 that came from Guadalajara. The stained glass windows are by Wailes, by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, and by Clayton and Bell. The monuments in this aisle include a tablet to Bishop Jacobson, dated 1887, by Boehm to a design by Blomfield.[28] At the east end of the aisle is the chapel of St Werburgh; it has a vault of two bays,[26] and an east window depicting the Nativity by O'Connor, dated 1857. The chapel contains monuments to Bishop Graham dated 1867, and to William Bispham who died in 1685,[31] as well as a piscina dating from the 14th century.[2]

The Lady Chapel at the east end of the cathedral dates from between 1260 and 1280 and has three bays.[2] It contains the stone shrine of St Werburgh which used to contain her relics and which dates from the 14th century.The lower part of the shrine consists of a series of niches and the upper part takes the form of a miniature chapel containing statuettes. During the dissolution of the monasteries it was dismantled. Some of the parts were found during the 1873 restoration of the cathedral and the shrine was reassembled in 1888 by Blomfield. A carving of St Werburgh by Joseph Pyrz was added in 1993.[32] Also in the chapel are a sedilia and a piscina. The carved roof bosses represent the Trinity, the Virgin and Child, and the murder of St Thomas à Becket.[2] The stained glass, dated 1859, is by Wailes and the chapel contains a monument to Archdeacon Francis Wrangham, made by Hardman.[31]

The communion plate includes two flagons dated 1662–63, two small and two large patens dated 1662, a silver chalice dated around 1665, a silver gilt alms dish dated 1669, a chalice spoon of 1691, two small alms dishes dated 1737, two chalices dated 1838, a small chalice dated 1897, a small paten of 1903, two candlesticks dated 1662 and two vergers' maces of 1662.[33]

Former monastic buildings

A Norman doorway leads from the north nave aisle to the cloisters. The cloisters were restored in the 20th century, and the stained glass windows contain the images of some 130 saints.[29] The cloister garth contains a modern sculpture entitled The water of life by Stephen Broadbent.[34] The south wall of the cloister, dating from the later part of the Norman period, forms the north wall of the nave of the cathedral, and includes two sets of three blank arches.[35] In the west range of the cloisters is the undercroft which dates from the early 12th century, and which was originally used by the monks for the storage of their food.[29] It consists of two naves with groin vaults and short round piers with round scalloped capitals. Leading from the south of the undercroft is the abbot's passage which dates from around 1150 and consists of two bays with rib-vaulting.[22] Above the abbot's passage, approached by a stairway from the west cloister, is St Anselm's Chapel which also dates from the 12th century. It is in three bays and has a 19th-century Gothic-style plaster vault. The chancel is in one bay and was remodelled in the early 17th century. The screen, altar rails, holy table and plaster ceiling of the chancel date from the 17th century.[22][29]

Sculpture in cloister garth

Near the south end of the east range of the cloister is a simple blocked Norman doorway, to the north of which is the chapter house, dating from about 1240. Its vault is supported on columns without capitals. It contains an oak cope cupboard from the late 13th century, and houses part of the cathedral library.[36] In the vestibule is a copy of Ranulf Higdon's Polychronicon.[34] The front of the chapter house was rebuilt to a design by Hussey.[37] The stained glass in its east window is by Heaton, Butler and Bayne and the grisaille-style windows in the north and south walls, dated 1882–83, are by Blomfield.[38] Pevsner considers that the interior of the chapter house is "a wonderfully noble room" which is the "aesthetic climax of the cathedral". To the north of the chapter house is the slype, Early English in style, and the warming room, which contains two large former fireplaces.[37]

The north range of the cloisters contains the lavatorium and the refectory. The refectory was built by Simon de Whitchurch in the 13th century and contains an Early English pulpit, approached by a staircase with an ascending arcade. The only other similar pulpit in England is in Beaulieu Abbey. On the refectory's west wall there is a tapestry depicting Elymas being struck with blindness,[29] woven at Mortlake in the 17th century from a cartoon by Raphael. The heraldic paintings on the north wall represent the arms of the Earls of Chester.[39] The east window with its reticulated tracery dated 1913 was designed by Sir Giles G. Scott.[40] The roof is dated 1939 and was designed by F. H. Crossley.[41] The stained glass in the west window, depicting the Creation, was designed by Ros Grimshaw and installed in 2001 to celebrate the Millennium.[39]

Choir and organ

There is no choir school at Chester, so the choirboys come from local schools, the boys joining the lay clerks to form a traditional cathedral choir. Girl choristers have been recruited since 1997, and they sing in some services with the lay clerks; on occasions the boys and girls sing together. There is also a nave choir which sings Evening Prayer on Sundays, and sometimes joins with the cathedral choir on special occasions.[42][43] The nave choir was formed in the middle of the 19th century, and was England’s first cathedral voluntary choir.[44] The director of music is Philip Rushworth and the assistant organist is Ian Roberts.[45]

In 1844, Gray & Davison of London installed a new organ in the cathedral, replacing an instrument with parts dating back to 1626. The organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Whiteley Bros of Chester in 1876, to include harmonic flutes and reeds by Cavaillé-Coll. It was later moved to its present position at the front of the north transept. In 1910 William Hill & Son of London extensively rebuilt and revoiced the organ, replacing the Cavaillé-Coll reeds with new pipes of their own. The choir division of the organ was enlarged and moved behind the choirstalls on the south side. The instrument was again overhauled by Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool in 1969, when a new mechanism and some new pipework made to a design drawn up by Roger Fisher was installed. Since 1991 the organ has been in the care of David Wells of Liverpool.[46] Organ recitals are given weekly.[47]

Bells

Bell tower

Towards the end of 1963 the cathedral bells, which were housed in the central tower, were in need of an overhaul and ringing was suspended. In 1965 the Dean asked George Pace, architect to York Minster, to prepare specifications for a new bell frame and for electrification of the clock and tolling mechanism. Due to structural difficulties and the cost of replacing the bells in the central tower it was advised that consideration should be given to building a detached bell and clock tower in the southeast corner of the churchyard. It was decided to proceed with that plan, and in 1969 an announcement was made that the first detached bell tower since the 15th century was to be erected. Work began in February 1973.[48]

Previously, in February 1969, nine of the ten bells in the central tower had been removed to be recast by John Taylor & Co. as a ring of twelve bells with a flat sixth. Two old bells dating from 1606 and 1626 were left in the tower. On 26 February 1975 the bells were rung for the first time to celebrate the wedding of a member of the Grosvenor family. The official opening on 25 June 1975 was performed by the Duke of Gloucester. The belfry is known as the Dean Addleshaw Tower, after the dean of the cathedral responsible for its construction.[48] Between the bell tower and the south transept is a remembrance garden to the 22nd Cheshire Regiment.[34]

Present activities

The cathedral continues to be used as a place of Christian worship, with services held daily during the week and at weekends.[49] It is a visitor attraction and visitors have to pay an admission charge unless they are attending services.[50][51] The cathedral organises a programme of events, including concerts and exhibitions.[52] The Cloister Room is available to book for meetings and conferences,[53] and the refectory is used as a restaurant, and for receptions and other events.[39] The cathedral library is available for research and for public tours.[54]

Gallery

  • Quadripartite vault of the choir
    Quadripartite vault of the choir
  • Choir
    Choir
  • Cathedra
    Cathedra
  • Carving in the choir
    Carving in the choir
  • Carving in the choir of an elephant and castle; note the feet of a horse, demonstrating that the carver had learnt of elephants by word of mouth.
    Carving in the choir of an elephant and castle; note the feet of a horse, demonstrating that the carver had learnt of elephants by word of mouth.
  • Westminster window. Modern stained glass from the south aisle of the nave
    Westminster window. Modern stained glass from the south aisle of the nave
  • Glass from the south transept
    Glass from the south transept

References

Notes

  1. ^ All dimensions taken from Hiatt, Charles (1911) [1898]. The cathedral church of Chester; a description of the fabric and a brief history of the episcopal see. London: G. Bell. p. 115. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Images of England: Cathedral Church of Christ & the Blessed Virgin Mary, Chester". English Heritage. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  3. ^ "Images of England: Former monastic buildings". English Heritage. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  4. ^ Pevsner, p. 136.
  5. ^ a b c Richards, p. 94.
  6. ^ a b Home, pp. 14-15
  7. ^ a b c d Pevsner, p. 137.
  8. ^ Richards, pp. 94–96.
  9. ^ Richards, pp. 96–97.
  10. ^ a b c Richards, pp. 93–94.
  11. ^ Home, p. 14
  12. ^ a b "History". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  13. ^ Home, pp. 18-23
  14. ^ http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/ch/chsjb/index.htm
  15. ^ "Chester Cathedral". University of London & History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  16. ^ Starkey, H. F. (1990). Old Runcorn. Halton: Halton Borough Council. p. 149.
  17. ^ a b c d Richards, p. 95. Cite error: The named reference "r95" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  18. ^ a b c Pevsner, p. 144.
  19. ^ Sheehan, p. 14.
  20. ^ Pevsner, pp. 144–145.
  21. ^ Sheehan, p. 45.
  22. ^ a b c Pevsner, p. 145.
  23. ^ a b c Pevsner, p. 143.
  24. ^ Sheehan, p. 38.
  25. ^ a b Pevsner, p.140.
  26. ^ a b Pevsner, p. 139.
  27. ^ a b Richards, pp. 95–96.
  28. ^ a b c Pevsner, p. 142.
  29. ^ a b c d e Richards, p. 96.
  30. ^ Burton, Edwin (1913). "Ranulf Higden". The Catholic Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia Press. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  31. ^ a b Pevsner, p. 141.
  32. ^ Sheehan, pp. 32–35.
  33. ^ Richards, pp. 97–98.
  34. ^ a b c "Chester Tourist". Chester Tourist.com. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  35. ^ Pevsner, pp. 145–146.
  36. ^ Richards, pp. 96–97.
  37. ^ a b Pevsner, p. 146.
  38. ^ Sheehan, p. 41.
  39. ^ a b c "The Refectory Restaurant". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  40. ^ Pevsner, pp. 137–138.
  41. ^ Pevsner, p. 147.
  42. ^ "Choir". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  43. ^ "Chester Cathedral Choir". Chester Cathedral Choir. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  44. ^ "Nave Choir". Chester Cathedral Nave Choir. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  45. ^ "Music Staff". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  46. ^ "The Organ". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  47. ^ "Organ Recitals". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  48. ^ a b "Dean Addleshaw Tower". Chester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  49. ^ "Service Times". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  50. ^ "Welcome". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  51. ^ "Admission". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  52. ^ "Concerts & Events". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  53. ^ "Cloister Room". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  54. ^ "Latest News". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 2008-02-28.

Bibliography

  • Home, Beatrice (1925). Gordon Home (ed.). Cathedrals, Abbeys and Famous Churches — Chester, Manchester and Liverpool. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |publishers= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  • Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: Batsford.
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus (2003) [1971]. The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09588-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Sheehan, Bernie (2003). Chester Cathedral. Jarrold Publishing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

See also

External links

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