“The east windows of the choir aisles are filled with glass coloured with enamels in accordance with the practice of the Seventeenth Century instead of glass coloured in its manufacture. They date from the reign of Charles II.; and although it is traditionally said that they were presented by Nell Gwynne, it is more probable that they were the offerings of Henry Glenham, Dean of Bristol from 1661 to 1667, and afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph. The arms of Glemham (Or, a chevron gules between three torteaux) are repeated three times in the window of the south aisle and once in that of the north. The subjects (arranged as type and antitype) in the north aisle are—in the centre, the Resurrection; below Jonah delivered from the whale. On the right, above, the Ascension; below, Elijah taken up to heaven. On the left, above, the Agony in the garden; below, Abraham about to offer up his son.”—(R. J. K.)
In the third bay of the north wall of this north-choir-aisle a doorway opens into a peculiar passage designed by Abbot Knowle to take the place of a triforium. The passage leads to a staircase communicating with the central tower and the belfry.
North of the north-choir-aisle we come to the greatly admired Early English Chapel, the Elder Lady-Chapel.
“The Lady-Chapel (generally called the Elder Lady-Chapel because the altar of the Virgin was removed to the east end of the church after Abbot Knowle had rebuilt the choir) is entered from the north-east corner of the transept. The chapel is Early English, and dates, according to Mr. Godwin, from the time of Abbot John (1196-1215). The chapel is of four bays, the windows in which are triplets with inner arches, of which those at the side are gracefully foliated. The detached vaulting-shafts are of Purbeck marble. The sculpture of the capitals and string-courses is unusually good; and the spandrels of the wall-arcade are filled with grotesque designs which are full of spirit and character, greatly resembling the sculpture in Wells Cathedral, much of which is of the same date. Remember especially—a goat blowing a horn and carrying a hare slung over his back; a ram and an ape playing on musical instruments; and St. Michael with the dragon(?); below is a fox carrying off a foliage. The vaulting of the roof would seem to stamp the English character.”—(R. J. K.)
This chapel was originally detached from the rest of the Cathedral. Beneath the two arches
Bristol: North
