British Cathedrals

285 Pages·1980·23.747 MB·English

by  Paul B. Johnson

.,124.95
BRITCIASTHHE DRALS §,
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PauJlo hnson
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The cathedrals of north-west Europ� are l
the noblest of human artifacts, and the .
',
British cathedrals form a group of
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exceptional interest and distinction. l ,
Paul Johnson begins his survey with the
evolution of the cathedra I from its origins
in Rome and Byzantium. He describes the
coming of Romanesque to England and the
t
astonishing building programme of the
Normans, culminating in their masterpiece I�
at Durham. He traces the emergence of
Gothic at Canterbury, Lincoln and Wells
and describes the first pure Gothic
cathedral at Salisbury. The influence of the
French style in the building of Westminster
and the triumphs of the Decorated style in
the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries
are analysed in detail. From these followed
the most English of all architectural modes,
the Perpendicular, which is traced from its
spectacular beginnings in Gloucester
through its maturity at York, Canterbury
and Winchester to its exotic culmination at
Bath and Oxford. This stylistic analysis
includes the medieval cathedrals of
Scotland and Wales.
The author argues that cathedrals are
shaped chiefly by function and ideology
and places them firmly in their
contemporary social, political, economic
and above all religious setting. He describes
how medieval cathedrals were built and
examines their architects and craftsmen, the
technology and raw materials. He examines
how the cathedrals functioned and the men
and corporations who ran them. There is a
detailed treatment of the cathedral
treasures, in gold and silver, glass, iron a rl
bronze, stone, alabaster and marble, paint
and parchment. The book also includes
an important section on the nineteenth­
century restorations -and the controversies
they provoked -and many unjustly
neglected nineteenth-century cathedrals.
The story is brought right up to date
by a description of all the post-Reformation
cathedrals,Anglican, Catholic and
Episcopalian, including such spectacular
Printed in Great Britai r1
WILLIAM MORROW ANL .�OMP' NY, INC.
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BRITISH
CATHEDRALS
PaJuolh nson
WILLIMAOMR ROW&C OMAPN YI NC.
NEWY ORK
1980
ToH
Thbeo oikds e dictaot ed
Toma nMdi riSatmo ppard
Copyright© Paul Johnson 1980
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the Publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to
William Morrow and Company, Inc., 105 Madison Ave.,
New York, NY 10016.
House editor Anne Dobell
Designed by Sara Komar
First published in Great Britain by
George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Limited
91 Clapham High Street London sw4
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 80-81171
Colour separations by Newsele Litho Ltd
Filmset by Keyspools Ltd, Golborne, Lanes
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Butler & Tanner Ltd
Frome and London
Contents
Acknowled·6g ments
r ThEea rlCiaetshte odfBr railts•7a in
Catheodftr haNelo sr mAagne•
2 23
3 ThCeo mionfGg o th·5i 9c
4 Splenodfot uhDrees c orSatty·el9 de9
5 ThTer uNea tiSvtey Pleer-pend·1i 33c ular
6 Howt hCea thewderraBelu si• l1 t6 5
7 ThCea theCdlrear·l1g 8y7
8 Treasouftr heCesa thed•r als
203
9 RenaisRseafnocrem,aa ntWdir oen·n 5
22
roT hGeo thRiecv iavnaMdlo dern·2i 4s7m
GlososfaT reyc hnTiecram·ls 7 3
2
SelBeicbtl io·g r74a phy
2
Ind·e2 x7 6
But let my due feet never fail
To walk the studious Cloysters pale,
And love the high embowed Roof,
With antick Pillars massy-proof,
And storied Windows richly <light,
Casting a dim religious light.
JOHNM ILT ON,I IP enseroso
Acknowelnetds 1301,311,351,381,401,43r,4 4r,50r5,4r,60r,631,7 71,85,
1931,992,092,1t6o apn bdo tt2o1mt9,o apn bdo tt2o2m3,,
2252,229,3t2op and bottom, 23t3o apn bdo tt2o4m4,, 247,
25r3i g2h5tt4,o 2p5,t6 o apn bdo tt2o5m72,,5 82,632,65,
gm
Thpei ctiuntr hebisos o akr ree prodbuykc ienpdde rmiosfs io2n7 0
thfeo llo(wniunmgbr eerftseop r a gietsa,il nidciscc oaltoeu r MansCeollll ecetnidopna1 p8e3r,s2,2 b7o,t2t3o6m
pictures: NatioMnoanlu meRnetcso1 r54d,7 4,8 r,r 61,2( 3C rown
Copyri1g2ht4to )p1,,5 21,5 31,5 61,6 71,6( 8C rown
ACLB rus(sAenltsw Meurspe u1m7)2 Copyri1g9h22t,0)82,,1 l3e afntrd i g2h1tt4,o lpe afnttd o p
JohBne th4e95l,2tl o p and bottom, 718,9 1,9 11,982,0l5e ft rig2h1tt5,o apn bdo tt2o1mt7,o apn bdo tt2o1m82,,2 2
anrdi g(hpth Bot.Ho .C ox2)1,b4 o ttom (DeaannCd h apotfLe irv erp2o5lo3el f)t,
BiblioNtahteiqouPneaa rl1ie7s,1 ThNea tioTnrau2ls0 t0
BritMiusshe u(mJ oFhrne em2a0n ) PitPkiicnt o(rpihaoSltysod nWe.Ny e wbe2r7y2)
CorpCuhsr iCsotlil Oexgfeo,(r CdC OCx fM.s 1.6 11)8 0 ThReo yIanls toifBt ruitteAi rschh iLtoencdt6os6n,2, 2 023, 6
BritIinsshu lCaatlelde nCdaebrlL'ets2sd 7 1 to2p3,b7 o tt2o3mt7,o p
BritTiosuhrA iustth o8r7bi ottyt 9o3tm o,9p ,52 ,51 WaltSecro2 t0t1
Cooper-BrLiidbgr5ea0-mrray9,n 0 -9r1,2, 3 0-r CrowCno pyritghShect o:t Dteivsehl opDmeepnatr t9m4er,5n 7t,
CourtIanusltd7i tute 235
Deaann Cdh aptWeers,t miAnbsbte1ey2rb 4 o tt1o2m5, EdwiSnm i1t6h2, 73 ,5 4,4 9,79 ,9 1,0 130,5r ,r 51,2 01,2t 5o p,
bottom 1261,331,492,40,2244132,,5b4o tt2o5mt5,o apn d
Deaann Cdh apotfte lrer"C atheCdhruarolcfE h x etrerr bott2o6m62,,6 7
SonHiaal l2i1db2aot yto m TrinCiotlyl Ceagmeb,r i1d9g0e
HerefCoartdh eLdirbarl2a 2r4y VictaonrAdil ab eMruts eu1m8 7
MichHaoellf 1o2r-d17 30,-n ro,- IIII,I DavWiedb s2t6e2r
AngeHloor n6a9k7, 2 r,o 9r1 ,22 ,0 32,0l6 e 2f0tr6,i ght, WeidenafneNdli dc olasrocnh 2i6v6,e3 s
210-2I1It2o,p WelOsffihc (eP hiMliicph 1e5u5)
A.K a1y8 1 YorMki nsLtiebrr 1a9r6y
A.F .K ersftrionngt i5s,1p 8i2,e1 2c,3e 2,,9 3 ,0 3,3 3,4 3,6 3,8 , Thiel lustornpa .1t 7ii6ors ne prodfurcoTemhed C onstruction
39,4r,45335,,645,67 5,,9,65,73,748,27,588,478, 0,8o1f G,othic Cathedrals byJ ohFni tcbhype enr miosfsT ihoen
to9p2,9 ,3b ott9o6m9,,8 r ,o r1,0 71,0 8r,r 41,1 71,2 71,2 9, UniveorfCs hiitcyPa rgeos s.
6
1
The Earliest Cathedrals
of Britain
BRITISH CATHEDRALS
hec atheodfNr oarltsh -EWuersoatpra eem ontghn eo bloefs t
humaanr tiafanwcdit tsht,ih lnia sr cgoelrl etchtBeir oint ish
cathefdorraagm lr soo ufep x cepitnitoenaranedldis stt inction.
L. ,,,-;.· .-,
Buitwf e a rteou nderasntedan njdto oty h feu tlhles spel endid
creatiiitois nm sp,o rtthawanetst h ouglrdaf srpot mhs et art
Wl�'Jdllt hatth ewye rneo ta,n adr neo tp,r imawroirlokyfsa rAt .
cathehdaarss a pli rpiutrupaIolits as es .t ateomffe anitIt th .
declbaerlieiansec fe rctaoinnc eopfmt ai'norsne latitoohn imssah kieaprn i,dan
sociwehtiaycc hk nowltehridesgl east itoobn ets hhceie pn tfraoacflet x istence.
Hentchede e saingfdna borfaic ca theadrsreha alpb eyfd u ncatniidod ne ology,
ratthheaarnr a tn,td h aee stohfte htceia ct headsir stal lo,ew vloyl wvaetsdh ,e
prodouftc htet swefo a ctAolrwsaw.yh sel,no okaiatnc ga thewdemr uassltt, a rt
witthhq eu estwihoadnti: td h owsheom adteh biusi lbdeilnigWe evs eh?a ll,
theresftoutrdhecye,a theodfBr railtisant i hner ierl iagnisdoo ucsci oanlt ext.
iasG reweokr fdoc rh aoirri;g iannakyli lnoydfc habiurlt,a tae r
spectiyfipocefc hauisreb dyr hetoraincpdih ainlso swohpehdnei rssc oursing.
Cathedra
Sucach h awiarus s ebdyt hbei shooftp hsee a rclhyu r-tchhia stt, hm ee nw ho
claidmierdoe fficctid aels cfernottmh A ep os-twlheeisnn strtuhcefltioircn kgs
onf aiatnmhdo raAls st.a tement 'frtohcmeh aciarr'rt,ih heeid g hest
authoirwtia 'tsay p;o sWthoelmnia ck'ii.ntt g,hb ei srheospe mtbhmleae sdot fe r
ex cathedra,
thheo usseea itnte hde orp laocfhe o noourtr h,me a gisitncr oautret ,
whocshea wiaros n a d ariasi asbeodtv here e osftt haet tendAab nicseh.o p's
solium
wapsl aocnea hd i glheevtreh lat nhs ee aotfts hp er esbwyhtowe errse,
grouapbeodhu itim an ccorwdiatRnhec vee la4: t4i-'o5An:nsr d o uanbdo tuhte
cathedra
thrownerefe o uarnt dw ensteyaa tnsud:p otnh see aIst asfw o uarnt dw enty
eldseirtst. .i .An ngdo. u otft hteh rpornoec eleidgehdta nnitdnh gusn derings
anvdo icWeehs a.vh'ee trheee l emoeftn hteesp isccohpuartlchb hei: s sheoapt ed
authoriotnha itrsia viteshlerydio nnt ehc eh oainrtd,h lee scsleerrr agnygi end
staolnel ist shieodrfhe i m.
Theea rlCihersitsb tiisahtnoh pausds o ptthemeda gisrtoeflrreio Ramol m an
cicvoiulrb tutsth; ae lyes coh oJeedwp irsahc btyfi oclel,ot whJieen wgci ussht om
ofr emaisneianwtghe iddl eel ivtehsreei rnmgSo tCn h.r yso(s3t4o7m-w 4a0s7 )
thfier tsopt r efarcohtm h e orp ulipnti htbe,o doyft hceh urbcuhhte, r e
agahiewn a fso llotwhaienn cgi Jeenwtip srha cotfri ecaed tihSnecg r oofltl hse
ambon,
Lawf roamd esOkr.i gitnhabelu liyl wdhientrghe be i shhoeplc do uarntd
pronoujnucdegdew maeosnfs t e conidmaproyr tiawtna mcsee r;et lhye
thceh urocfth he ep isctohpraoBlnu teth. e wraeast endeecwclnehsicia yc,h
naturbaelclammyoe rm ea rkwehde tnh Ceh riscthiuarwnca has c corldeegda l
cathedrae,
staetaurislnt y hf eo ucretnht fuorsryu ,cs hp eccihaulrt coah ceqsu girraen deur,
antdoa ssuasm pee cairficch itfeocrCtmiu.vrp iarcla cptriocveaim doedd-et lh e
basiolrri ocyaha,al lt lob ,ef ouinntd h feo riunem v elrayrt goewI nne. s seintc e
wanso thbiunatmg e etinwgh-ehtrahemle al g,i sdtirsaptejenu sseftdri ochmei s
seoanta d asiusr moubnyat s ehdrw ihniehc ehlt dhe effi goyft heem perTohre.
dawiasas tt hteo opr,h onouernawdb,hl iebc ehc atmhaeep stehb;eo doyft he
halclo nstitthnueat vewedh, i cwhh eenx tenidnettdoh oep e(ni snu nny
countcroinesst)ti htoeup teennd-a aritroh fee axrc lhyu rches.
OVERLEAF The nave of Othreerl isgeicootftus hsR e o maEnm piardeo ptthebeda sifloircm-aut lhae
Westminster Abbey. The
Jewfso trh esiyrn agofgouerex sa,m pIlned.ea er de,c eptiionan n-byhi agl l
vault, 102 feet from the nave
aristohcoruawstaeis ac b asiTlhiecn ao.t iaocnq uiar meodrd ei stinctive
floor, is exceptionally high
for an English cathedral. Chricsotlioanu rhaotwieoavnfe,trC e,or n stapnrteisnetenhc tehe udrw cihtt hh e
8