A Comprehensive History of Norwich

by A. D. Bayne

The Cathedral.

This grand Norman pile is the great ornament to the city, but its situation is so low that its goodly proportions can be seen only from one point of view, namely from Mousehold Heath. From that elevation it presents the dignity of a great work of architecture, and the spire may be seen on a clear day, on the north, at a distance of twenty miles. The noble tower, with its gracefully tapering spire, second in height only to that of Salisbury, the flying buttresses, and the circular chapels at the east end, are objects of interest to the attentive antiquarian observer.

The cloisters on the south side, and the bishop’s palace and grounds on the north, and other premises, shut out from public view most of the exterior, except the west front. A fine view of the splendid effect, produced by a series of unbroken lines, may be obtained opposite the south transept, where the whole pile, comprising the transept, tower, and spire, blend themselves into one harmonious whole. The interior from the west front entrance presents a most imposing appearance, and when surveying the vast length of the nave, we feel that our forefathers

“Builded better than they knew,
Unconscious stones to beauty grew.”

We shall first give, in as complete a manner as our limited space will permit, a sketch of the foundation and progress of the edifice, the erection of which occupied a century, and then we shall describe its different parts, exterior and interior, including the nave, the screen, the choir, the transepts, and the cloisters.

The original structure was begun in 1096 by Herbert de Losinga, the first bishop of the diocese. The portions he built comprise the choir, with the aisles surrounding it, the chapels of Jesus and St. Luke, and the central tower with the episcopal palace on the north side of the church, and a monastery on the south. Bishop Eborard, the successor of Herbert, added the nave and its two aisles, from the ante-choir or rood loft, to the west end. The building, as left by Eborard, remained till 1171, when it sustained some damage by fire, but was repaired by Bishop John de Oxford, about 1197, who also added some alms houses to the monastery. The Lady chapel at the east end, which has long since been destroyed, was the next addition to the building, and was erected by Walter de Suffield, the tenth bishop, who filled the See from 1244 to 1257.

In the year 1271, the tower was greatly injured by lightning during divine service, and in 1272 the whole church was damaged considerably, in the violent warfare which was at that time carried on between the monks and the citizens; but in 1278, having been repaired, the church was again consecrated by William de Middleton on the day he was enthroned Bishop of Norwich, in the presence of King Edward I. and Eleanor his queen, the Bishops of London, Hereford, and Waterford, and many lords and knights. We can now form no idea of the grandeur of such a ceremony in that age.

The tower having been much injured and weakened by fire, a new one, according to Blomefield, was begun and finished by Bishop Ralph de Walpole; but this, says Britton, more properly applies to the spire, the style of which, rather than of the tower, corresponds with that period. Bishop Walpole ruled the diocese from 1289 to 1299. Before his translation to Ely, which took place in the latter year, he commenced the cloister at the north-east angle, and built the chapter house. He only completed a small portion of the east aisles. The chapter house has since been destroyed. The rest of the cloister was built by Richarde de Uppenhall, Bishop Salmon, Henry de Will, John de Hancock, Bishop Wakering, Jeffery, Symonds, and others, and was completed A.D. 1430, in the 133rd year from the first commencement of the work.

In January, 1362, the spire was blown down, and the choir thereby much injured; but under the auspices of Bishop Percy, the present spire was erected and the choir repaired. In 1629, the upper part of the spire was again blown down, and in 1633, at a general chapter, it was ordered to be repaired. In 1843, seven feet were added to its elevation, with the present finial which formed a consistent termination to the crockets.

In 1463, the church was much injured by fire, the wood work in the interior of the tower having been ignited by lightning. Under Bishop Lyhart, however, it was again repaired and ornamented. The splendid stone roof of the nave was added, the cathedral was paved, and a tomb was erected over the founder, which was afterwards demolished during the great rebellion. About the year 1488, Bishop Goldwell built the roof of the choir of similar but inferior work to that of the nave, adding the upper windows and flying buttresses. He also fitted up the choir and the chapels around it, and covered the arched stone work with lead. In 1509 the transepts having been much injured by fire, Bishop Nykke repaired them, adding stone roofs to them in the same manner as the rest of the church.

At the dissolution of the monasteries, the cathedral suffered greatly from the zeal of the Reformers, much curious work being destroyed; and several obnoxious crucifixes, images, niches, tabernacles, and paintings, were removed. In 1643, the fanatics took possession of the church and the adjoining palace, and plundered them of all that was valuable. The Yarmouth people being in want of a workhouse, sent a petition to the Lord Protector, praying that “that great useless pile, the cathedral, might be pulled down, and the stones given them to build a workhouse.” Of course the petition was not granted. Soon after the restoration, the church was fitted up again. In 1740, the nave and aisles were newly paved, the tower was repaired, and the church cleaned. In 1763, the floor of the choir was again repaved, the stalls repaired and painted, and other improvements made, not always in harmony with the original structure.

The edifice was extended, embellished, altered, and repaired by many bishops and by wealthy families till it was completed about 1500. Alternate dilapidations and restorations followed. The dilapidations were sometimes sudden, sometimes gradual, and the restorations have continued at frequent intervals almost to the present day. The entire pile was repaired and beautified on an extensive scale in 1806–7. The decayed ornaments of the west front were restored, and many improvements in other parts were effected in 1818 and following years. The south front was renovated, and several houses which had stood against the walls were removed in 1831. The entire fabric was again restored, on the plan of Edward Blore, about 1840–3; and some portions were repaired, some embellishments were added, and some interesting ancient features were brought into view between the years 1843 and 1868.

The pile as it now stands, comprises a nave of fourteen bays with aisles, a transept of three bays in each wing, a central tower, a steeple, an apsidal sacristy on the north-east side, a choir of four bays with aisles, an apsidal end, and a procession path; also three chapels, in the south side, the north-east side, and south-east side; and a cloister with each alley of eleven panes to the south of the nave. The dimensions of the Cathedral as taken from actual measurement are as follows:—

	Feet.	Inches.
Length of church	407	0
,, nave to choir screen	204	0
,, choir from screen	183	0
,, roof of nave	251	0
,, transept	178	0
Breadth of nave and aisles	72	0
,, choir from back of stalls	27	1
,, aisles of choir	15	0
Height of spire from ground	315	0
,, tower	140	5
,, spire from tower	174	7
,, roof of nave from pavement	69	6
,, roof of choir from pavement	83	6

The Interior.

We shall now proceed with our description of the interior, which contains the finest specimens of Norman architecture in existence, and admired by all men of taste. Nothing can exceed the grandeur of the lofty nave, massive columns, and wide circular arches. The whole pile is chiefly of the early Norman style, wherein the semi-circular arches and massive short columns are the leading features. These are considerably varied in size, moulding, and ornament, in different parts of the edifice.

The Nave comprises fourteen semicircular arches, ornamented with billet and zigzag mouldings, and supported by massive piers. The arches of the triforium are of similar style to those below. The magnificent roof, the work of Bishop Lyhart, the rebus of whose name is of frequent occurrence upon the vault and corbels, is ornamented with 328 historical figures, curiously carved, in a kind of relievo peculiar to itself, being chiefly composed of little figures, most exactly put together, said to be the only work of the kind in existence, being a complete chain of sacred history, beginning at the tower with the Creation of the World; the different days of the creation being disposed of in the several figures in the intersections of the arched work of the roof. The Fall of Man, Noah’s Ark, and incidents in the lives of the patriarchs, are represented in the first seven arches; the rest to the west end represent events narrated in the New Testament. The interior of the nave looks much too long in proportion to the rest of the pile, and the triforium is out of keeping in consequence of its heavy circular arches being too high as compared with those of the tier below, but the piers of the nave, with the grand arches which they support, are splendid specimens of Norman work and decoration.

The south transept is Norman work modified by a few innovations, and is flanked by square turrets, arcaded at the top and terminating in pinnacles. The north transept is of similar character. The side aisles are low, and the roof of plain vaulting. The west window is of unusually large size, and is of the same design, as regards the tracery, with that in Westminster Hall. This window has been filled in with gorgeously coloured glass, being designed as a memorial of Bishop Stanley, who was buried in the middle of the nave.

In the seventh arch of the north side are the remains of a doorway, with a stone bench, formerly leading into the monks’ preaching yard, now part of the bishop’s garden. Even after the Reformation, and up to the time of the great rebellion, sermons were preached here before the Civic Authorities and the Members of the Cathedral. Between the sixth and seventh pillars is an unpretending inscription to the memory of the learned Dr. Prideaux, formerly Dean of Norwich, author of the “Connection of the Old and New Testaments,” who died November 1st, 1724. The tomb between the corresponding pillars on the opposite side is that of Miles Spencer, Chancellor of the Diocese in 1537. Between the seventh and eighth pillars is the low tomb of Bishop Nykke, who died in 1535. At the eighth pillar a pulpit formerly stood. Bishop Parkhurst’s tomb stands in the next space, between the eighth and ninth pillars.

The Screen was originally the division between the rood-loft and the chapel of our Lady of Pity. Bishop Lyhart erected the rood-loft, and upon it the principal rood or cross was placed with the representation of the Holy Trinity, to whom this church was dedicated; together with the images of the Blessed Virgin and St. John, and such other saints as were esteemed here. The rood or crucifix, of full proportions, was made of wood, and in most churches was placed in a loft constructed for the purpose over the entrance from the church into the chancel. The nave represented the Church Militant, and the chancel the Church Triumphant. Those, therefore, who would pass out of the former into the latter, must go under the loft; that is, must go under the cross and suffer affliction. But no rood was complete without the images of the Virgin and St. John on either side of the cross, in allusion to St. John xix. 26,—“Jesus saw His mother and the disciple standing by, whom He loved.”

The Choir contains sixty-two stalls according to the number of the old foundations, namely, a prior, sub-prior, and sixty monks. They are adorned with rich and quaint carvings and canopies, as far as the west pillars of the tower. The “misereres” (projecting brackets on the under side of the seats of stalls in churches), are richly carved and present a great variety of design. Among the stalls the Rev. R. Hart discovered upwards of sixty misereres, and he described them very minutely. In every example that he had seen the space under the ledge is carved in a bold relief, with an ornamented boss on each side to balance, as it were, the centre, whatever it might have been. As may be supposed scriptural or legendary designs are not often found in such a position. There are, however, a few examples.

The interior of the tower, which is raised on four massive arches, presents three arcades, the upper and lower forming galleries, and the former containing the lower windows of the lantern, which are filled with painted glass. The clerestory and roof of the chancel are the work of Bishop Goldwell. Here is an admirable specimen of engrafting a later style upon the Norman architecture, with as little violence to the eye as possible.

The tomb of Bishop Goldwell stands within the chapel, formerly dedicated to St. James, and with its canopy forms a rich specimen of ornamental sculpture and architecture. On the east side of the fifteenth north pillar is the monument to the memory of the learned Bishop Home, author of an excellent “Introduction to the Study of the Bible.” In the space between the seventeenth and eighteenth pillars was the chapel dedicated to St. Anne, and in the next space was the seat occupied by Queen Elizabeth, when she attended divine service during her visit to this city. The monument to the late Bishop Bathurst now occupies the spot, a sitting statue sculptured in white marble. Not only for its intrinsic merits is this statue of great value, but also because it is the last finished work of Sir Francis Chantrey, who visited Norwich for the purpose of fixing it only a few days before his death. Opposite to this monument is the altar tomb of Sir William Boleyn, now despoiled of its brasses. Sir Thomas Browne tells us in his “Repertorium,” that, during the Commonwealth, “more that a hundred” brasses were reeved in the Cathedral alone,—a greater number than the whole county of Norfolk could now supply. Hence our readers may easily understand what an immense number of these interesting memorials must have been lost, independently of the number that have been partially despoiled by the removal of their canopies.

At the foot of the altar steps, in the middle of the chancel, is the tomb of Bishop Herbert de Losinga, erected by the Dean and Chapter, in 1682, in the place of one destroyed during the civil wars. It has been levelled with the pavement and presents a long Latin inscription from the pen of Dean Prideaux. The east windows of the clerestory were the gift of the Bishop, the Misses Morse, and the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, and were erected between 1840 and 1847. The lower one in the triforium is an obituary window to the memory of the late Canon Thurlow, placed there by his friends. This space had before been occupied by a window with a pointed arch, representing the Transfiguration. The window was removed to the south transept, and the arches of both windows have been restored.

The bishop’s throne, ascended by three steps, was originally placed at the east end of the church, behind the altar, and raised so high that before the partition was made between the altar and the entrance to Our Lady’s chapel, the bishop had an uninterrupted view from his throne directly in a line through the whole church. The custos, or master of the high altar, annually accounted for the offerings made there, which produced a large sum; and at the annual processions of the city and country clergy, on the feasts of the Holy Trinity and St. Paul, something considerable was realized.

The stone roof of the south transept, as well as that of the north, was raised by Bishop Nykke, about 1501. At the same time, probably, the old Norman arch leading into the chancel aisle was filled with the rich and numerous mullions and tracery, which characterise the last period of pointed architecture. The adjoining aisle leads to the chapel of our Lady the Less, otherwise called Bawchyn’s Chapel, having been dedicated to the Virgin and all the Saints, by William de Bawchyn, about the middle of the fourteenth century. The founder is buried in an arched vault under the chapel. This chapel is now used as the Consistory Court. Adjoining is St. Luke’s Chapel, sometimes used as the parish church of St. Mary in the Marsh, that church having been demolished. Strictly speaking, the circular part only is the chapel dedicated to St. Luke, but the adjoining aisle, as far as the most eastward point, is now enclosed and fitted up for the use of the parish. It is part of Bishop Herbert’s original foundation. The font was brought from the parish church; it is richly carved with designs of the seven sacraments, &c. Passing round at the back of the altar we come to the Jesus Chapel.

The north transept is similar to the south. From the east wall of it there was a doorway leading to a chapel, said to be the ancient Vestiary. The arch has been filled up, and the entrance is from a small door on the outside. Over the exterior of the door leading to the Bishop’s palace is a niche, containing a figure, said to represent Bishop Herbert, one of the few specimens extant of a Norman statue.

The Exterior.

The exterior of the Cathedral is not very imposing. The west front was the work of Bishop Alnwick, in the reign of Henry VI. It is divided into three compartments, forming the termination of the nave and the aisles. The central division presents the grand entrance doorway, and a large central window filled with coloured glass, which we have already described. It rises into a gable, formerly pierced with a small light, now a niche, flanked by two turrets with spirelets and round-headed single panels, and surmounted by a cross. The doorway is formed by a bold deep-pointed arch, and is much enriched in the spandrels and side fasciæ with mouldings, niches, pedestals, statues, and other decorations. The central window is divided, both horizontally and vertically, into three leading compartments, and subdivided by small mullions; and has good decorations of perpendicular character. Each of the two lateral divisions of the west front exhibits pure Norman work, and is of three stories; the first pierced with the doorway; the second pierced with four windows separated only by small columns; the third displaying three blank arches, and flanked with a small staircase turret. At each side of the great window, and at the extremities of the side divisions, are Norman turrets, lately restored and substituted for very debased cupolas. Engravings are extant representing this front with high and slender pinnacles where the Norman turrets now stand.

The north and south elevations of the nave show a three-storied aisle; and a clerestory and triforium, with an embattled parapet in each, exhibit a great height, and tiers of blank arches or arcades with some later perpendicular windows. On the exterior of the nave will be observed many traces of alterations in times long subsequent to the original building. The lowest tiers of windows are of comparatively modern insertion, and intersect the string course of a billet moulding, all round the exterior of the edifice. Next above is the arcade of blank arches, with semicircular mouldings, having regular bases and capitals, and continuing round the whole structure. Above these was the tier of original windows now closed up, but surmounted by windows of the sixteenth century. The exterior of the side aisles is here terminated by a plain embattled parapet of the same date as the windows before mentioned. The windows of the clerestory are, however, Norman, and have blank arches on each side, and continue the same all round the upper part of the nave and transept. They are surmounted by a parapet similar to that of the side aisles. The exterior of the south transept has been lately restored, and various old houses that blocked up the entrance have been cleared away.

The tower is grandly Norman in four stages, each adorned with arcades, columns, and tracery mouldings. It has, at the corners, square turrets with their angles cut off, and is surmounted by decorated battlements and crocketted pinnacles. The spire is decorated English octangular, elegantly proportioned, enriched with bands, and boldly crocketted in ribs running up its angles. It terminates in a handsome finial, and is the loftiest in England except that of Salisbury. The base of the spire is supported by projecting buttresses at each angle, terminating in a small pinnacle.

The Cloisters.

The Cloisters, which are entered by a tasteful modern door on the south side of the nave, form one of the most beautiful quadrangles in England. They comprise a square of about 174 feet, and are 12 feet wide. They were commenced by Bishop Walpole about 1297, but were not completed by succeeding prelates till 1430. The style of architecture is the decorated, with traces of the perpendicular. The eastern part is the most ancient, and a progressive change may be observed in the tracery of the windows, commencing at the north-east corner, continuing through the south and the west, and terminating with the north sides. The roof is much admired for its exquisitely beautiful groining, and its bold yet elegant bosses, with their sculptured subjects and tasteful foliage. The doorway leading from the eastern aisle of the cloisters to the nave is deserving especial notice, being a pointed arch with four columns on each side, having archwolt mouldings, in front of which are seven canopied niches, with richly-sculptured crockets containing figures. Above the door, at the south-west corner, are carved figures of “The Temptation of our First Parents.” In the first two arches on the west side of the door are two lavatories, where the monks used to wash their hands before going into the refectory or common eating hall. Over each of these are three niches, where images formerly stood. The cloisters are surpassed by none in beauty of architecture and solemnity of effect. They branch off from the south transept, and enclose a square court or area. There are eleven noble windows or arched openings on the western side, twelve on the east, eleven on the north, and eleven on the south. All these windows are divided into three lights by two columns, and are decorated with a variety of beautiful tracery. They are of decorated architecture, except eight on the north side, which have perpendicular tracery in decorated arches. The upper portion of the tracery of all the windows appears to have been once filled with stained glass.

The pavement of the north side of the cloisters was torn up in the great rebellion, and relaid by William Burleigh, Esq. In this alley Queen Elizabeth dined in public when she visited Norwich in 1578. In memory thereof, her Majesty’s arms and those of the nobility who attended her were painted on the wall of the church, and properly blazoned with supporters, etc., but they were entirely effaced a century ago.

The dormitory of the monks adjoined the cloisters on the south. At a short distance from the cloisters are the only remains of the Priory founded by Bishop Herbert, consisting of three massive clustered columns, the capitals of which are curiously carved.

The Bishop’s Palace.

The Bishop’s Palace stands on the north side of the Cathedral Church, to which there was in former times a passage from the door of the north transept, arched over with stone similar to the cloisters. The original palace was founded by Bishop Herbert, but has undergone so many repairs and alterations, that but little of the first building remains, and that part adjoins a new structure, in a similar style of architecture. In the garden there is a fine ruin, said to be remains of the grand entrance into the great hall, which reached to the site of the present episcopal chapel, and was 110 feet long, and 60 broad. This chapel was restored in 1662, and in it are monuments of Bishops Reynolds and Sparrow. The entrance to the episcopal residence is from St. Martin’s Plain, by the palace gate, built by Bishop Alnwyck about 1430. It has a large pointed arch of several mouldings, and the spandrels are filled with tracery; but it has suffered materially from injudicious repairs. Over the arch is a series of pannelled compartments with the letter M crowned. On the west side is a small door, on which, amongst other ornaments, are a heart and mitre, the supposed rebus of Bishop Lyhart.

The Cathedral Precincts.

The Cathedral Precincts include the Upper and Lower Close, and a large portion of garden ground, with good houses on the south side. The Upper Close was formerly used as a play ground to the Grammar School; it is now enclosed with palisades. At the south-east corner is the Audit Room, which contains the library of the Dean and Chapter. The Lower Close was enclosed by Dean Lloyd, in 1782, and converted into a garden. At the extremity of the Lower Close, near the edge of the river, still stands a double arch of black flint, which is considered the roughest bit of picturesque in Norwich, and has been frequently sketched. It was formerly the Water-gate to the precincts, and is now known as “Pull’s Ferry.”

The Free Grammar School.

The Free Grammar School, near the west end of the Cathedral, was founded by Bishop Salmon, in 1325, and annexed to a small Collegiate Chantry. At the dissolution of this college, the Corporation, by their Hospital Charter, were required to find a master and usher, and to remunerate them out of the ample revenues assigned to them by that charter. This trust was transferred, in 1836, from the Corporation to the Charity Trustees. There are generally a little more than a hundred pupils at the school. The celebrated Dr. Valpy was once the head-master; and in addition to many eminent scholars, the celebrated “Norfolk hero,” Lord Nelson; Sir James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak; and other noted characters, were educated here. Opposite the school is a colossal marble statue of Nelson. It was executed by Mr. Milne, of London, and has been highly commended as a work of art. Of this school, and also of the Commercial School, which is under the same trust, we shall have more to say in subsequent pages.

The Gateways to the Cathedral on the west side are deserving of notice.