XXIII. The great Norman tower fell in 1175, “a circumstance of such common occurrence that there is some evidence against a tower being Norman work if it had not fallen down[94].” The existing central tower dates from 1374, but the general design alone remained before its restoration (still, 1866, in progress) was commenced. The soft sandstone of which it is built had crumbled away to such an extent, that all the details had perished. The tower, which is 196 ft. in height, is of good proportion. It was by no means improved by the modern parapet and pinnacles which were placed on it in the last century, and somewhat altered in the early part of this. A new peal of ten, or possibly twelve bells will be hung in the tower after its complete restoration.
Close beyond the north-east transept stood an octangular “clocherium,” or bell-tower, which was taken down in 1647. It was of very early character. The east end of the cathedral has been rebuilt, as already described, (§ XIV.,) by Mr. Perkins. The walls of the south-east transept have also been rebuilt, and its very fine buttresses with open turrets deserve special notice. A little west of this transept, and between it and the chapter-house, are the remains of the Guesten Hall. This was a very fine hall of the fourteenth century, built for the entertainment of noble guests of the priory and of the more illustrious pilgrims to the shrine of St. Wulfstan. Like “La Gloriole” at Canterbury, and the guest-chambers of other great monasteries, it closely adjoined the prior’s lodgings. These were assigned to the Dean on the creation of the Dean and Chapter after the dissolution, and the Guesten Hall formed part of the deanery until 1842, when the Ecclesiastical Commissioners made over the episcopal palace to the Dean, and the former deanery was pulled down. The Guesten Hall was then disclosed, and attracted much attention, not only from its own beauty, but as a very interesting historical relic. It was, however, much out of repair, and a considerable sum would no doubt have been required to effect its restoration. Accordingly, in 1860, the greater part of it was pulled down, and the roof was given by the Dean and Chapter to a new church which it is proposed to erect in the city of Worcester.
The Guesten Hall was commenced in 1320 by Wulstan Bransford, then prior of the monastery, and afterwards Bishop of Worcester. The beauty of the Decorated tracery, which still remains in the windows, calls for especial notice; and the oaken roof was a very fine example. It is evident that nothing but absolute necessity could justify the destruction of such a relic. “This magnificent guest-chamber of the fourteenth century was an historical monument of considerable importance, as shewing the splendid hospitality of the clergy of those days, and as illustrating in a remarkable manner the manners and customs of the time of Edward III. It was the last of these structures that we had remaining, and with it we have erased a chapter out of the history of England[95].”
XXIV. The College Green, on the south side of the cathedral, is entered through an archway under the Edgar tower, which tradition asserts to have been erected by Ethelred II., son of Edgar. It may possibly occupy the site of an older building, but the present tower is late work, and of little interest. In a niche on the east front is a much shattered figure of King Edgar. The rooms in the tower are now used as the chapter library, and as offices of the diocesan registry. Among the MSS. of the chapter library is one of great interest—An Epitome of Roman Law by Vacarius, an Italian who was brought to this country by Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, and who introduced the study of Roman or “Civil” Law at Oxford in the reign of Stephen. This is the only copy of the work of Vacarius known to exist in England, and only four copies are known on the continent—in the libraries of Konigsberg, Prague, and Bruges, and one in the possession of the Emperor of Russia[96].
The deanery, north-west of the cathedral, was the episcopal palace until 1842. It contains a fine hall, and some ancient portions. The east front was built by Bishop Hough in 1723.
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL.
PART II.
History of the See, with Short Notices of the principal Bishops.
WORCESTER was one of five episcopal dioceses into which the great Mercian province was divided during the archiepiscopate of Theodorus of Canterbury, (A.D. 668-690). Peada, son of the fierce heathen Penda of Mercia, and son-in-law of the Christian Oswi of Northumbria, had established the first Mercian see at Lichfield (see that Cathedral, Pt. II.) about the year 653. Mercia then comprised not only the whole of central England, but the greater part of Lincolnshire; and in accordance with a design expressed at the Council of Hertford, (673,) but not then carried into execution, Archbishop Theodorus divided the unwieldy diocese, which must still have contained a vast number of heathen, into five. The original see remained at Lichfield. The see of Hereford was established in 676, those of Worcester and Leicester in 680, and that of Lindisse, or Lindsey, in 678. The two latter, Leicester and Lindsey, were afterwards incorporated in the great diocese of Lincoln. (See that Cathedral, Pt. II.)
[A.D. 680-961.] Worcester, (Wigornaceaster,) a “ceaster” or stronghold of the Hwiccas, who occupied Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, had possibly been a Roman station, (although this is uncertain,) and was at all events situated on the line of a Roman road—a matter of no small importance to the earlier Saxon bishops, who, like the Saxon kings, were perpetually moving from manor to manor throughout their diocese[97]. A priest named Tatfrid,—“vir strenuissimus et doctissimus, atque excellentis ingenii[98],”—belonging to the monastery founded by St. Hilda at Whitby (Streaneshalch), had been chosen by Archbishop Theodore to be the first Bishop of Worcester; but he died before his consecration; and Bosel, of whose history nothing is known, was consecrated to the new see, A.D. 680. Before his death he became disabled by illness, (corporis infirmitate depressus,) and Oftfor was consecrated as his coadjutor and successor by Wilfrid of York, who was at that time directing the ecclesiastical affairs of Sussex and of Kent[99]. Oftfor, like Tatfrid, had belonged to St. Hilda’s monastery, but had gone for the sake of study, first to Archbishop Theodore at Canterbury, and thence to Rome. On his return he “turned aside to the province of the Hwiccas, and remained there a long time, preaching the word of faith, and affording a pattern of life to all who saw and heard him[100].” He held the bishopric for one year only. In 693 he was succeeded by Egwin, the founder of the monastery at Evesham. Egwin died in 717. Of his successors, Werefrith (873-915) was a man of considerable learning, a friend and assistant of King Alfred, by whose direction he translated into Saxon the Dialogues of Gregory the Great. St. Dunstan held the see of Worcester between the years 957 and 961.