Sir Thomas Erpingham had two wives, Joan Clopton and Joan Walton, whose arms appear on the gateway.
St. Ethelbert's Gate, to the south, is an early "Decorated" structure. Its elevation is divided into three storeys, in the lowest of which is the gateway, with flat buttresses on each side carried up the height of two storeys, and enriched with pedimented niches in both stages. In the compartment over the arch are seven niches, four of which are pierced with windows. The upper stage is in flintwork. It was built by the citizens as part of the fine imposed on them for their share in the riots and fire of 1272 by the Court of King Henry III., though probably not until some years had elapsed, and when Edward the First had come to the throne. The upper part of the front was restored early in this century. The back elevation is interesting—the window over the arch being typical of the style.
The Gate-House forming the entrance to the bishop's palace, on the north side of the cathedral, was built by Bishop Alnwyck about 1430, and probably replaced an earlier structure; it is an interesting piece of Perpendicular work, and consists, in the lower stage, of a gate and doorway under a deep horizontal band ornamented with plain shields and monograms of the Virgin. The gateway on the left side reaches up to the horizontal bands, and has spandrels on either side; the doorway is smaller. Above are two windows with a niche between, and over all is a parapet of modern work. Flat buttresses flank the entire composition on either side. The wooden gates were added by Bishop Lyhart (1446-72).
Returning to the Erpingham gate, and entering the Close through it, immediately on our left we come to the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist (converted by Edward VI., and still used as a school), founded by Bishop Salmon (1299-1325). This building replaced an older structure, used as a charnel, and provision was made for this need in the new edifice; the vaults under the chapel were used for the same purpose. The porch is a later building added by Lyhart (1446-72).
The West Front of the Cathedral has probably received worse treatment than any other portion of the building, and stands now as the most unsatisfactory part of the whole. The design consists in its width of three compartments, with two separating and two flanking turrets. The centre compartment is of the width of the nave, and those on either side the width of the aisles. In the centre comes the main doorway, flanked on either side with niches, and over these, filling the entire breadth, the great nine-light west window, with the Norman turrets carried up to the base of the gable. The compartments on either side are finished off by horizontal mouldings taken across somewhat below the level of the springing of the archivolt of the main window, and have flanking turrets covered with plain pinnacles. The large west window is disproportionate, and even the assurance cheerfully given by most authorities, that it resembles the window of Westminster Hall, fails to prove that it is of suitable size here. It may be as well to note in order the various changes which have affected the west front. Mr B.W. Spaull, in Dean Goulburn's work on the Cathedral, made reference to the discovery of an alteration to the main entrance which must have been prior to that now existing. It consisted of a small parvise or room added above at some time subsequent to the original foundation. As the details are not now apparent, it is best to refer readers to the work named for fuller information.
The addition, however, of later Perpendicular triforium windows to the nave superimposed over the original Norman lights, which were blocked up, may have affected the west front. This can best be seen by viewing, for instance, the south side of the nave. The Norman roofs sloped down to the original triforium windows, but after the later addition were made almost flat, and must have necessitated some mask wall in the west front.