FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92  
93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>  
s graceful net tracery and very elegant cross above, might suggest an earlier date, yet a glance at the side windows, which are distinctly of transitional character, tells us that 1360 or 1370 may be assigned as the period of erection. About 1404 the abbey gave the materials of the nave of this chapel to the town, to assist in rebuilding the parish church on the present site; but the chancel had been too recently built to be removed. Since the establishment of the Cathedral the chancel seems always to have been used as the Cathedral Grammar School, until the year 1885, when the School was removed to new buildings in the Park Road. It was next used as a museum by the Natural History and Archaeological Society, until their collection outgrew the room and they removed to larger premises in Queen Street (see p. 111). For a time it was a Needlework School of Art, and now it is a Rovers Den in connexion with the Scout movement. All the other ancient buildings on the west, the Plumber's Office, the Sister House, the Treasurer's Office, have long disappeared. The Minster Almshouses, adjoining the wall of the Deanery garden, are the only buildings on the north side. They have no ancient features. [Illustration: Cathedral Gateway, 1791.] The door immediately to the right of the great gateway as we enter the close leads to a vaulted chamber which was once the gaol. A few steps bring us to a very magnificent gateway, leading to the Palace grounds, over which is a chamber, called the =Knights' Chamber=. This is of Early English date, with a fine groined roof. The gates and postern are placed at some distance from the outer archway, adding greatly to the dignity and effect of the whole composition. The delicate arcading of the sides, and the excellent clustered shafts, are good examples of the period: unfortunately the bases of the shafts are now hidden by accumulation of earth. On the north and south faces are long niches with figures: three on the north are said to be King Edward II., and the Abbot and Prior of the period; those on the south are Apostles. The chamber above is used for meetings, etc. Much of the line of buildings to the east of this gateway is modern, but it harmonizes excellently with the ancient work. Near the Cathedral is some mediaeval work, and the office at the end, on the ground floor, has a good stone groined roof. This is believed to have been the Penitentiary. The _Deanery Gateway_, at the north-
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92  
93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>  



Top keywords:

buildings

 
Cathedral
 
period
 

School

 
removed
 
gateway
 
chamber
 

ancient

 

chancel

 

shafts


groined
 

Gateway

 

Deanery

 

Office

 
called
 
immediately
 

Knights

 

Chamber

 

English

 
postern

Illustration
 

distance

 

believed

 

vaulted

 
Palace
 

Penitentiary

 

magnificent

 
leading
 

grounds

 
composition

office
 

Edward

 

figures

 

Apostles

 

mediaeval

 
harmonizes
 

excellently

 

modern

 

meetings

 
niches

delicate

 

arcading

 

effect

 

dignity

 
archway
 

adding

 

greatly

 
excellent
 

accumulation

 

ground