A Guide to Peterborough Cathedral / Comprising a brief history of the monastery from its foundation to the present time, with a descriptive account of its architectural peculiarities and recent improvements; compiled from the works of Gunton, Britton, and original & authentic documents

by George S. Phillips

On the right of us, is the magnificent gateway which leads to the bishop's palace, over which is a chamber, called the knights' chamber. "This gateway is of somewhat peculiar Early English character, having a fine groined roof, springing from very beautiful clustered shafts. A line of arches, each of which contain within them two smaller arches, continues along either side of the interior; which is entered on the north and south sides, through fine and lofty arches supported by clustered columns. The bases of all these columns, like those of many others about the remains of this abbey, are covered with soil which the lapse of years has caused to accumulate around them; this of course much diminishes the height of each shaft. This beautiful gateway is flanked at its angles by square turrets, each ornamented, as also is the apex of the gable, with a fine niche, which has within it a figure of an unusually large size. The niches on the south side, contain the figures of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew; those on the north, contain the representations of King Edward II., Abbot Godfrey de Croyland, and the Prior of the Abbey of that time, in full Benedictine costume.

West Front.

"The splendid front of the building is the most interesting and important of its members. This beautiful and original composition cannot fail to strike the mind of the beholder with awe and admiration; the first sight of it usually makes an impression on the memory which is not easily obliterated. It is indeed one of the finest specimens which the universe can produce, of the Pointed style of architecture. As a west front, scarcely any in this kingdom can be brought into comparison with it for beauty of proportion, and elegance of design. The west fronts of the cathedrals of Wells, York, and Lichfield have been mentioned as surpassing it in some respects; and in point of richness of detail, the two first may be perhaps considered as superior to it; but they all of them fall far short of Peterborough in the grandeur of their general effect.

"The outline of this front forms a regular square of 156 feet, that being the height of the side spires, and also the extreme width of the building. Its plan consists of three lofty arches of the same height, of which that in the middle is considerably the narrowest, the two side ones being of equal dimensions. These rest on triangular piers faced with shafts. At either extremity of this arcade are two lofty turrets, flanked at the angles by clustered columns, instead of buttresses, which run the whole height of the turrets. These turrets connect the arcade with the western wall of the church, from which it is distant fifteen feet, which gives the appearance of great depth and beauty to the arches." [Davys' Guide.]

"There was, perhaps little or no interval between the completion of the nave in the Circular style of architecture, and the erection of the north-west tower, in the Lancet, or first style of the Pointed. The original plan of the front, like that of Lincoln, comprised, no doubt, two towers rising at the western extremity of the side aisles of the nave, having a Norman base with circular lights, and an additional transept, projecting north and south beyond the line of the side aisles. But before this design could be carried into execution, architecture itself had undergone a change; pointed arches were substituted for circular ones, and slender isolated columns for the clustered shaft, or solid cylinder. Hence the difference in style of the tower just referred to: the string moulding at the base of it, together with the superstructure, and the pinnacles and pediment which surmount the adjacent transept, being all of a later order than the work of the nave: and hence also the union of both styles in the transept itself—its lofty arches, parallel to the side walls, being highly pointed, but with the zigzag ornament, and resting on Norman shafts; and the doorways of the front having circular heads, in accommodation to the arches of the nave, but with pointed mouldings and pillars.

"The tower, towards the south, appears never to have been finished, although unquestionably included in the architect's design. The present base, above the transept, is of a comparatively modern date, and altogether inferior to the work of the north-west tower. In the progress of great undertakings it not unfrequently happens that fresh objects present themselves to the mind, which at first were not thought of. Such appears to have been the case in respect of this cathedral, the architect of which, while completing the front, seems to have caught a new idea—that of erecting two lofty turrets beyond the outer angles of the transept, towards the west, and of converting the intermediate space into a sort of piazza, by arches constructed in front of the nave and closed in above by a vaulted roof. This idea so unique and at the same time so splendid, he was enabled to realize: and posterity, at the distance of six centuries, beholds with ineffable delight and admiration, a composition, the outlines and details of which, for their beauty and variety, render it one of the noblest facades in existence. Towards the north and south are two lofty turrets, flanked at the angles by clustered shafts, rising from a projecting base and crowned with spires, the height of which from the ground, makes a square with the breadth of the front. The space between these turrets is occupied by three pointed arches, reaching the whole height of the upper walls of the nave, and resting on triangular piers, which are faced with clustered shafts like those of the turrets, and terminate in octangular pinnacles, resting each upon a square basement, and divided by a moulding into two stages, the upper one of which is perforated with narrow lights, edged with the dog-toothed quatrefoil. The sides of the pier are lined with isolated columns in channelled recesses, each column sustaining a ribbed moulding of the arch above, and the whole series being finished with interlaced and foliated capitals.

"The centre arch is narrower than the outer ones, the reason of which will appear when we look at the situation of the doorways opening into the side aisles of the nave. Had the architect designed the three arches of equal breadth, the piers which sustain the centre arch must have stood immediately in front of these door-ways, or the outer arches must have been so contracted as to bring the turrets within the line of the transept, and thereby conceal, in part at least, the towers behind.

"This circumstance of itself shows that the turrets, piers, and arches, as they now exist, formed no part of the original plan. The interstices between the pillars which sustain the centre arch differ from those of the outer arches, in that they are chequered at regular distances with clumps of foliage, as if exuberance of ornament were designed to compensate for inequality in other respects. This inequality has been still further obviated by the erection of a porch, which, after a minute inspection, appears to have been inserted by way of support to the central piers, both of which had previously swerved from the perpendicular, as may still be seen. Over each arch rises a lofty pediment, bounded by the wave and billet ornaments, and surmounted by a perforated cross. The spandrils formed by the base of the pediment and the arches beneath, severally contain, first, a deeply recessed quatrefoil, above this two trefoil arches, and still higher two pointed arches, resting on slender pillars, and filled with statues,—and also a hexagon, the featherings of which clasp a human head.

"The pediments contain each a large circular light, with other apertures and niches. The circle of the central pediment is divided by mullions into eight lights, under trefoil arches radiating from an orb. Those on the sides are divided into six lights, the featherings of which are very beautiful. The mullions, or radii, are all faced with small pillars and capitals, and lined with the dog-toothed quatrefoil. The outer moulding of the central circle is composed of closely compacted trefoils, that of the others has the wave ornament. At the base of each circle is a series of trefoil arches, rested on isolated columns, four of which admit light into an apartment above the vaulting, and three contain statues. The intermediate spaces formed by the circle and the pediment, contain two niches, one on each side and another above, all filled with statues. The niche in the apex of the central pediment contains a statue, apparently of St. Peter, to whom the church is dedicated, representing the apostle with the mitre, pall, keys, and other insignia of the bishop of Rome.

"The turrets, before mentioned, are divided by the round moulding and string courses into six stages, which are empannelled in front with arches of different forms and dimensions. In the first stage from the ground, and rising from a channelled base, are two lofty pointed arches resting on slender pillars. In the second stage are four trefoil arches similarly supported; this range is continued round the facings of the inner wall immediately over the doorways, and forms the base of the windows. The third stage contains one pointed arch, intersected by a pillar in the centre, with curved mouldings, forming two lesser arches; which last are again subdivided by pillars sustaining one circular arch in the centre, and segments of arches on the sides.