How to Visit the English Cathedrals

by Esther Singleton

All the stone-work was originally painted.

“The painting may be thus generally described. The hollow of the abacus of the capitals was red, the lower member of the same, green; the whole of the bell red, the leaves alternately green and yellow, with the stalks, running down, of the same colours, into the red bell of the capital. The vertical mouldings between the marble shafts were red and blue alternately; the lower shafts green and blue, with red in the hollows, and the foliage on these also is green and yellow. Some of the horizontal mouldings are partly coloured also. The bosses in the groining are yellow and green, as in the capitals. All the colouring, which was very rich, was effected with water colours; in one instance only has any gold been discerned, and that was upon one of the bosses in the roof.”—(F. S. W.)

Abbot Morwent pulled down the west end of the Nave in 1421-1437 and reconstructed it in the Perpendicular style. It is supposed that the original west front was like that of the Abbey at Tewkesbury.

The west window contains nine lights, filled with modern glass.

The South aisle, originally Norman, was remodelled about 1318. The tracery of the windows is unusual. The ball-flower is seen in great profusion in this part of the Cathedral.

In this aisle there is a monument to Dr. Jenner of vaccination fame, to whom the five-light west window here is also a memorial.

The tracery of the windows of the clerestory is attributed to Abbot Morwent.

The North aisle retains its original Norman vaulting, and the Norman piers, which correspond to the piers in the Nave, are divided into several members. Some of their capitals are richly carved. In each bay there is some Perpendicular tracing. A stone bench along the wall is also Perpendicular.

The door into the Cloister at the west end of the aisle is very fine, and the side niches and canopy work over it deserve study.

The door at the eastern end of the aisle leading to the Cloisters is also Perpendicular. Both doors have fan-vaulted recesses, like the great west door of the Nave.