Southwell Minster
Southwell Minster is a minster and cathedral, in the English town of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, six miles away from Newark-on-Trent. It is the seat of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.
It is considered an outstanding example of Norman and Early English architecture. The distinctive "pepperpot" spires, which uniquely overlap the footprint of the tower walls, are particularly noteworthy.
The earliest church on the site is believed to have been founded in 627 by Paulinus, a missionary of the Archbishop of York, as mentioned by Daniel Defoe, (who visited in 1725) in his journal "A Tour Through the Whole Island Of Great Britain."
The Norman reconstruction of Southwell Minster began in 1108, probably as a gradual rebuilding of the Anglo-Saxon church. Many of the stones of this earlier Saxon church were reused in the construction of the Norman one. The tessellated floor and tympanum in the North Transept are the only pieces of the earlier building remaining intact.
The Minster was built partly as an attached church of the Archbishop of York's Palace (which stood next door and is now ruined). It served the Archbishop as a place of worship and was also a collegiate body of theological learning, hence its designation as a minster. The minster still draws its choir from the nearby school with which it is associated.
The Norman quire was replaced in 1234 because it was too small. The octagonal chapter house was built in 1286, complete with vaulting in Decorated Gothic style. The naturalistic carving of foliage in the Chapter House is a masterpiece of 13th century stonecarving and includes several Green Men. The elaborately carved "pulpitum" or quire screen was built in 1350.
Later history
Southwell is where King Charles the First was captured during the English Civil War. The fighting saw the church seriously damaged and the nave actually used as stabling. The adjoining palace was almost completely destroyed with only the hall of the Archbishop remaining as a ruined shell.
The 'pepperpot' spires are the only example of their kind in the U.K. In danger of collapse they were removed in 1805 and only re-erected in 1888. At this time the nave roof was also considered unsuitable due to its flatness and was completely rebuilt in the current peaked version.
In 1884 Southwell Minster finally became a cathedral proper for Nottinghamshire (excluding the City of Nottingham) and a part of nearby Derbyshire: the Diocese included the City of Derby until it was divided in 1927. Its creation as a cathedral has lead to confusion over the civic status of Southwell. Traditionally it was considered to be a city because of the presence of the cathedral, but in more modern times the traditional definition has not been recognised by government (see City status in the United Kingdom).
Gallery
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The Nave -
Stonework -
The famous Presepe Window -
INRI
