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

by C. H. B. Quennell

The Easternmost Bay.—No. 1.
(1.) The Creation of Light. (2.) A Figure of the Almighty. (3.) A White Hart. (4.) The Temptation. (5.) A White Swan. (6.) The Death of Cain.
The Second Bay.—No. 2.
(1.) Cain driven out as a Fugitive. (2.) Noah building the Ark. (3.) Noah's Drunkenness. (4.) The Ark on the Waters. (5.) Meaning indefinite. (6.) Noah planting the Vine.
The Third Bay.—No. 3.
(1.) The Building of the Tower of Babel. (2.) The Tower of Babel shown as Feudal Fortress. (3.) Abraham entertaining an Angel. (4.) Abraham sacrificing Isaac. (5.) Jacob deceiving Isaac. (6.) Isaac blessing Esau.
The Fourth Bay.—No. 4.
(1.) Sarah at the Door of Abraham's House. (2.) Jacob going to Padan-Aram. (3.) Jacob wrestling with the Angel. (4.) Jacob pilling the Green Poplar Rods. (5.) Jacob's Ladder. (6.) Jacob making the Covenant with Laban.
The Fifth Bay.—No. 5.
(1.) Jacob sending Joseph to his Brethren. (2.) Joseph journeying to his Brethren. (3.) Joseph stripped of his Coat of Many Colours. (4.) Joseph cast into the Pit. (5.) Joseph sold to the Ishmaelite Merchants. (6.) Joseph set up over the Egyptians.
The Sixth Bay.—No. 6.
(1.) Joseph selling corn. (2.) Moses in the Ark of Bulrushes. (3.) The Angel appearing to Moses in the Burning Bush. (4.) The Overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. (5.) The Ark of the Covenant. (6.) Samson rending the Lion.
The Seventh Bay.—No. 7.
(1.) Samson taking the Gates of the City of Gaza. (2.) David smiting Goliath. (3.) David cutting off Goliath's Head. (4.) David crowned. (5.) David charging Solomon. (6.) Solomon enthroned.
The Eighth Bay.—No. 8.
(1.) Solomon enthroned. (2.) The Annunciation. (3.) The Presentation in the Temple. (4.) The Nativity. (5.) The Visitation. (6.) Herod decreeing the Massacre of the Innocents.
The Ninth Bay.—No. 9.
(1.) The Flight into Egypt. (2.) Christ in the midst of the Doctors. (3.) The Marriage in Cana of Galilee. (4.) The Baptism of Our Lord. (5.) The Raising of Lazarus. (6.) The Supper in Bethany.
The Tenth Bay.—No. 10.
(1.) Christ's Entry into Jerusalem. (2.) Circular Hole for Descent of Thurible. (3.) Our Lord sending forth the Disciples. (4.) The Last Supper. (5.) Disciples preparing for the Foot-washing. (6.) Our Lord washing Peter's Feet.
The Eleventh Bay.—No. 11.
(1.) Our Lord in Gethsemane. (2.) Christ crowned with Thorns. (3.) Christ led to Pilate. (4.) Christ before Pilate. (5.) Christ Blindfolded. (6.) Christ Betrayed.
The Twelfth Bay.—No. 12.
(1.) Christ taken to the House of the High Priest. (2.) Christ nailed to the Cross. (3.) The Soldiers casting Lots. (4.) The Crucifixion. (5.) The Entombment. (6.) Christ in Hades.
The Thirteenth Bay.—No. 13.
(1.) Soldiers watching the Holy Sepulchre. (2.) The Resurrection. (3.) Three Apostles. (4.) The Ascension. (5.) The Virgin praying. (6.) The Day of Pentecost.
The Fourteenth Bay.—No. 14.
(1.) A Miracle of Exorcism. (2.) The Jaws of Hell. (3.) The Drunkard's Doom. (4.) The Last Judgment. (5.) St. Peter. (6.) The Holy Trinity. (7.) Bishop Lyhart, the Builder of the Vault.

To all those who take an interest in early stone cutting, this vault of Norwich is a store of inexhaustible treasure; the bosses, rudely cut as they are, tell their own tales with singular truth and directness. Their sculpture may not display the anatomical knowledge of the work of the Renaissance; yet it has a distinct decorative value that has been seldom equalled in the later decadent period. The fourteen large central bosses on the main longitudinal ribs present in themselves an epitome not only of Bible history, but of the connecting incidents forming the theme of Christian teaching. In the tenth bay, on the longitudinal rib, there is, in place of a boss, a circular hole through the vault. It is supposed to have been formed to allow a thurible to be suspended therefrom into the church below. Harrod, quoting from Lambard's "Topographical Dictionary," says: "I myself, being a child, once saw in Poule's Church at London, at a feast of Whitsontide, wheare the comyng down of the Holy Gost was set forth by a white pigeon that was let to fly out of a hole that is yet to be seen in the mydst of the roof of the great ile, and by a long censer which, descending out of the same place almost to the very ground, was swinged up and down at such a length that it reached at one swepe almost to the west gate of the church, and with the other to the queer [quire] stairs of the same, breathing out over the whole church and companie a most pleasant perfume of such sweet things as burned therein."

It is probable that the hole in the nave vault at Norwich was used for a similar purpose; and its position would seem to agree with such use, situated as it is about midway between the west end and where the front of the mediaeval rood loft occurred.

The West Window, added, as we have already noted by Bishop Lyhart, to light the vault, resembles that of Westminster Hall in the lines of its tracery; the glass by Hedgeland constitutes a memorial to Bishop Stanley (d. 1849).

West Door.—The original Norman arch remains over the doorway on the inside.

The North Aisle of Nave, the Norman windows of which were entirely replaced by Decorated ones, is covered by plain quadri-partite vaults. In the triforium over, as previously noted in description of exterior, the side walls were raised, the original Norman windows blocked up and Perpendicular ones placed over, the roof being at the same time raised on the outside to the necessary height, and made of a shallower pitch; this is clearly noticeable from the triforium walks.

In the easternmost bays, two windows were raised still more to gain additional light for the choir.

In the seventh bay from the west end occurs the door once leading to the green yard.