The second bell was cast in 1885.
S. Margaret's Parish Church is situated on the steep hill called Crossgate. It is opposite to and across the river from the Castle, and from its churchyard a fine western view of the cathedral is obtained. The church was built during the early part of the episcopate of Bishop Pudsey (1154) and was formerly a chapel under the church of S. Oswald. Here again alterations and restorations have obliterated much that originally existed. The church at present consists of a nave and aisles, a chancel with aisles, a western tower, and north and south porches. The existing portions of the original church are the chancel arch, and the south arcade of four bays, together with part of the clerestory and the north wall of the chancel. The arcade consists of low massive circular piers, with cushion capitals and plain chamfered abaci, which support semi-circular arches of one order also chamfered.
The north arcade is also Norman, and very similar in character to that of S. Oswald. No doubt it is of the same date, and probably built by the same architect. The chancel arch has two orders, recessed square and chamfered, with a plain chamfered hood mould. On both north and south sides of the arch is a squint. With the exception of two which are Norman, the windows are nearly all of modern date. One is in the north wall of the chancel and is widely splayed. It is not seen on the outside owing to the vestry which now covers it. The other, a very interesting specimen, is situated over the western bay of the south arcade, and is a portion of the original clerestory and the earliest known clerestory window in the county. The roof of the nave is of oak, and a good specimen of Perpendicular work. The tower is of fifteenth-century date, and exceedingly plain externally, but vaulted in the interior. It opens on to the church by an arch which has been inserted in the west wall. There is an interesting font of Frosterley marble, which is apparently of the same date as the chancel. The vestry which is raised above the level of the church floor is of the fifteenth century, and has on its gable the original gable cross.
The Parish Church of S. Giles occupies a very elevated position at the north-east end of the city, and commands one of the finest views of the cathedral, castle, and city, which it is possible to obtain. It was built by Bishop Flambard and finished as early as 1112; but the north wall of the nave, containing two small Norman windows, widely splayed inwards, and a walled-up doorway is all that remains of this early church. The chancel is of later Norman of the time of Pudsey. Both within and without a bold chamfered string course runs round the chancel. On the south side is a semi-circular headed window, with a carved dripstone and nook shafts, the capitals of which bear a similar character to those in the Galilee Chapel of the cathedral. In the north wall of the chancel is the priests' door, now walled up, and the corbels and springers of the original chancel arch built by Pudsey. The present arch was erected in 1876. In 1414 considerable alterations were made during the episcopate of Bishop Langley, when the walls of the nave were raised, the upper stage of the tower built, and the west window inserted. The font is a fine stone bowl resting on a shaft, and is undoubtedly of the time of Flambard. The chancel contains some monuments of the Tempest and Heath families, who were the ancestors of the Marchioness of Londonderry, patroness of the church and parish of S. Giles. The tower contains three bells, the first and second of which are pre-Reformation and the third bears the date 1646.
On the north side of Gilesgate near to the North-Eastern goods station, are the ruins of the little Chapel of S. Mary Magdalen, of which only a small portion remains. At the west end of the north and south walls are two doorways, the latter walled up. Portions of the east window are still in position, but it would appear to have been of earlier date than the surrounding walls, and probably had been brought from some other building. In the interior are the remains of a Frosterley marble font, and a gable cross of thirteenth-century date is in the custody of the dean and chapter. The chapel was 43 feet by 16-1/2 feet wide. It is supposed to have been founded by Sir John Fitz Alexander. In 1370 it was almost entirely rebuilt, and again in 1449, on a site near the original one. The reason for this was the moisture of the ground, which caused the foundations to become insecure. The government was in the hands of the almoner of the cathedral, who distributed doles to the poor. The chapel was used as a place of worship until nearly the end of the seventeenth century, when, owing to its ruinous condition, services were finally discontinued.
| PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS OF THE CATHEDRAL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feet | Inches | |
| Length of Nave | 201 | 0 |
| Width of Nave | 39 | 0 |
| Width of Nave Aisles | 21 | 0 |
| Length of North Transept | 66 | 0 |
| Length of South Transept | 66 | 0 |
| Width of Transepts | 37 | 0 |
| Length of Choir | 132 | 6 |
| Width of Choir | 39 | 6 |
| Width of Choir Aisles | 19 | 0 |
| Length of Nine Altars Chapel | 131 | 0 |
| Width of Nine Altars Chapel | 38 | 6 |
| Height of Vaulting of Nine Altars Chapel | 77 | 0 |
| Height of Vaulting of Choir | 74 | 6 |
| Height of Vaulting of Nave | 72 | 0 |
| Height of Vaulting of Lantern | 155 | 0 |
| Width of Lantern E. to W. | 40 | 6 |
| Width of Lantern N. to S. | 39 | 0 |
| Height of Tower Arches | 68 | 6 |
| Length of Galilee Chapel | 77 | 0 |
| Width of Galilee | 49 | 0 |
| Height of Western Towers | 144 | 6 |
| Height of Central Tower | 218 | 0 |
| Total length of Church (interior) | 469 | 6 |
| Thickness of Wall at West End | 8 | 0 |
| AREA: | 44,400 sq. ft. | |