“The west side of the transept (which is of two bays beyond the aisle passage) is entirely filled by two very lofty windows of three lights each. The heads of the narrow lights are sharply pointed; and the tracery above is formed by three circles enclosing trefoils. These windows are set back within triangular-headed arches. On the north side is a double window of the same character divided by a group of banded shafts. The triple lights on either side of these shafts, and the foiled circles above them, precisely resemble the windows on the west side of the transept.
“The vaulting springs from clustered shafts, the corbels supporting which, on the east side, are beautiful and singular, and resemble bunches of reeds, terminating in a small open flower. The small heads below these corbels, at the intersection of the main arches, should also be noticed.
“The eastern aisles, lighted by three very beautiful windows, each of three lights, with three quatrefoils in the tracery, are set back within wider arches, as is the case with the windows in the main transept. In this aisle, in a line with the central pier, is the pedestal of the Cantilupe Shrine. This is a long parallelogram, narrowing toward the lower end, and is entirely of Purbeck marble. It has two divisions; the lower closed, like an altar-tomb, the upper a flat canopy, supported on small open arches. Upon this rested the actual shrine, containing the relics of the saint. Cantilupe was Provincial Grand Master of the Knights Templars in England; and round the lower division of the pedestal are fifteen figures of Templars in various attitudes, placed in the recesses of a foliated arcade. All are fully armed, in chain-mail, with surcoat, shield and sword. All are seated, and tread on various monsters, among which are dragons and swine, muzzled. The spandrels in this arcade, and the spandrels between the arches in the upper division, are filled with leafage of the first Decorated period, retaining some of the stiff arrangement of the Early English, but directly copied from nature. In the lower spandrels it is arranged in sprays; in the upper it is often laid in rows of leaves, among which occur oak, maple and trefoil. The whole of this work will repay the most careful examination. (It should be compared with the foliage of the capitals of the shafts surrounding the central pier of the aisle, which is far more stiff and conventional). On the top of the lower division of the pedestal was a brass of the Bishop, of which the matrix alone remains.
“The position of the shrine in this transept may be compared with that of St. Frideswide at Oxford, and with that of St. Richard de la Wych at Chichester. All had an altar immediately adjoining the shrine, which was dedicated to the saint, and at which the offerings of pilgrims were made. In these cases, however, the usual position of a great shrine—at the back of the high altar—was, for some special reason, departed from. At Hereford, this position of highest honour was probably occupied by the shrine of St. Ethelbert.”—(R. J. K.)
Close by is the interesting monument of Bishop d’Aquablanca, just by the north-choir-aisle. This Early English monument was once richly coloured.
The effigy of this foreign priest—Peter of Savoy—lies under a canopy supported by delicate shafts of Purbeck marble, the gables surmounted by floriated crosses, the central cross bearing a figure of the Saviour. The richly canopied tomb under the great north window bears the effigy of Bishop Thomas Charlton, treasurer of England in 1329 (died 1369).
Under the north-west-window is the canopied tomb of Bishop Swinfield (1283-1317). His effigy disappeared long ago, and some unknown figure lies there. The ball-flower is conspicuous in the mouldings of the canopy and behind the tomb there is a mutilated carving of the Crucifixion, surrounded by vine-leaves and tendrils, quite similar to the leafage of the Cantilupe Shrine. In a neighbouring recess decorated with the ball-flower lies the effigy of an unknown lady of the Fourteenth Century.
The North-choir-aisle is entered through the original Norman arch. In the north wall of this aisle in a series of arched recesses (Decorated) lie the effigies of various ecclesiastics. Beyond the first one, Bishop Geoffry de Clive (died 1120), a door opens upon the turret staircase leading to a typical monastic Library, containing more than 2,000 volumes, MSS. and ancient deeds, the accumulations of eight centuries. These are kept in eighty old oak cupboards and the ancient books are chained.
Descending and passing to the corner of the north-east transept we come to Bishop Stanbery’s Chantry, a rich example of late Perpendicular, with two windows on the north side. The ceiling is richly groined. The capitals at the corners of the chapel are very grotesque. Opposite the chantry, on the north side of the choir, is the alabaster effigy of Bishop Stanbery (died 1474).
In the wall of the aisle above is a Decorated window. The glass is in memory of Dr. Musgrave, Archbishop of York, previously Bishop of Hereford. The subject is St. Paul, the story of whose life is continued in the windows of the chantry.