Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield / A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See

by A. B. Clifton

The Transepts are earlier than the nave in style, having been built in the beginning of the thirteenth century: the south transept first, and then the north. It must have been for these transepts that Henry III., in 1235 and 1238, granted licences to the dean and chapter of Lichfield to dig stone from the royal forest of Hopwas for the new fabric of the church of Lichfield. Whether these ecclesiastics did more harm than the king liked in digging on the first occasion cannot be said, but on the second occasion they are permitted "fodere petram ad fabricam ecclesiae suae de Lichefeld in quarrera de Hopwas; ita tamen quod hoc fiat sine detrimento forestae nostrae"—that is to say, they were to do as little damage as possible.

The transepts have three bays each, with eastern aisles, the aisle belonging to the north transept being very much the larger. There can be no doubt that when the Norman transepts were standing there were no aisles; nor were any contemplated when the choir was built, for, as Professor Willis says: "The side walls of the choir are continued to the transepts, and had windows in the part looking into the present transept aisles. Probably when the choir was built Norman transepts were standing, and had each an apsidal chapel looking east in the usual manner."

The history of the roof is extremely interesting. We know that "in 1243 King Henry III. issued a commission to Walter Grey, Archbishop of York, to expedite the works at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, in which he orders a lofty wooden roof, like the roof of the new work at Lichfield, to appear like stone work, with good ceiling (celatura?) and painting. The transepts of Lichfield have now stone vaults, considerably later than the walls, and, therefore, may have had a wooden vault at first. The date would suit the transepts better than the choir, and it may be remarked that the early abacus of the vault shaft (at least, in the south transept) is surmounted by a second abacus in the Perpendicular style, which shows the later construction of the springing stones of the present stone vault." The low stone vaulting has destroyed the effect which the original windows in the north and south ends of the transepts must have produced. At the south end was probably a large five-light Early English window, surmounted by a rose window. The rose window still remains, but, being above the present groining, cannot be seen from inside the cathedral; the five lights are replaced by a nine-light obtuse-headed window, which seems much too large for the transept; and this effect is increased by the extreme whiteness and transparency of its glass. At the north end, the five-light window is surmounted with three small lights, but these last again are hidden in the roof.

The windows in the transepts have seen many changes, and are now mostly in the Perpendicular manner, the exceptions being in the west wall of the south transept, and the north window just referred to. Until 1892 this was a large Perpendicular window—which, though early, and prior to the Civil War, was a manifest intrusion on the space originally occupied by an Early English window. The old design, which is not unlike that of the famous window at York, has again taken its place. Canon Lonsdale says that this change is "in every sense a restoration: for, on taking out the Perpendicular window, and removing such of the stone work as was defective on either side, the headings of the five Early English lights, which had unquestionably composed the original window, were discovered, hidden away by the later workmen. The cusps, or headings, of the lights, as they are now seen from the inside, are, with the exception of six stones, the very identical material which the Early English builders carved, and placed in that spot. Of these six missing stones, three have since been discovered during the work going on in the south transept."

There can be no doubt that some of the Perpendicular work in the cathedral is due to the general repair at the Restoration; but Professor Willis declares that many of the changes are earlier, and that they were perhaps effected in the time between Bishops Heyworth and Blythe, 1420 to 1503. The engravings of Hollar, already referred to, were published before 1660, and show Perpendicular windows in the gable of the south transept and in the clerestory; and though from these pictures nothing can be gleaned about the north transept, the character of the Perpendicular work was such that it also, as has just been stated, must have been prior to the Rebellion. It is possible, on the outside western face of the north transept, to trace the old lancet windows, which must have been arranged in groups of three, while the lower windows on the west side of the south transept are still in their old form, though on this side there are only two lancets to each bay. It may be mentioned here that underneath these last windows, on the outside, there is an arcading with simple pointed arches which does not appear on the other transept. Inside the arcading differs in the two transepts; in the south and older one the pointed arches are plain, while on the north they are cusped. This arcading is almost entirely new; what there was of it until recently was principally of plaster.

From the ground plan of this cathedral published by Browne Willis in 1727, we see that the whole of the aisle of the north transept is described as "The Bishop's Consistory Court and St. Stephen's Chapel," while the aisle of the south transept is divided into two parts, the southern being called "The Dean's Consistory Court," the northern "The Vicar's Vestry." St. Stephen's Chapel was in the inner bay of the aisle; and it has been suggested that "the chantry of St. Anne and the image of Jesus" was in the rood loft of the same transept.

In the North Transept are many memorial tablets, but it cannot be said that they are of general interest either from their beauty, age, or on account of the eminence of the persons commemorated. On the west side of the steps down from the north door is the curious monument to Dean Heywood, who died in 1492, and whose benefactions are mentioned in their proper places. The monument is sadly decayed, but there is a print of it in Shaw's "Staffordshire," taken, says Britton, from Dugdale's "Visitation." From this we know that the upper part is now missing; the lower part, which remains, shows the skeleton of the dean—his body after death—while above was his representation in full canonical costume. Similar monuments may be seen at St. John's College, Cambridge, in the chapel, and at Exeter and Lincoln Cathedrals. On the other side of the door is a large modern monument to Archdeacon Iles, who died in 1888: the figure is recumbent. Above the door is a marble tablet to Dean Woodhouse; he gave the glass—now in the Guildhall—which filled the Perpendicular window recently replaced by the present Early English window. The new glass, and indeed the new window, was given by Mr James Chadwick of Hints Hall, near Tamworth; it is known as the Jesse window, and gives the genealogy of our Lord according to St. Matthew. The figures beginning from the west side represent (1) Achaz, Asa, Abia; (2) Ezekias, Solomon, Roboam; (3) the Virgin Mary and Child, Salathiel, David, Jesse; (4) Josias, Josaphat, Joram; (5) Manasses, Joatham, Ozias; with angels in the four side lights. The inscription under the window says: "Hanccine fenestram Jacobus Chadwick de vico Hints reficiendam vitroque picto ornandam impensis suis curavit. A.D. MDCCCXCIII." Messrs Clayton & Bell are responsible for this window.

The whole of the aisle of this transept is taken up with the organ, in front of which a metal screen or gryll was placed in 1881 by the officers and men of the 80th Regiment, in memory of their comrades who fell in the Zulu War. The screen is ornamented with imitations of Zulu shields and assegais. There are many tablets in this aisle, but they are entirely hidden by the organ.