Exterior sculpture of Guildford Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Whilst it was first resolved to build a new Cathedral in 1928 and Edward Maufe
was appointed as cathedral architect in 1932, work on building stopped during the Second World War and with both funds and building materials being in short supply at the end of that war, it was not until 1955 that a start was made on construction of the nave. The cathedral was finally consecrated in May 1961 although at that time the building was not complete, with the Western Porches, the Sacristy, the Lady Chapel and the Chapel House still to be built and with the tower unfinished, but these were all finished by 1966.
Whilst there are many admirable sculptures and other features to be seen inside the cathedral which also has some splendid glass engravings and stained glass windows the cathedral exterior has work by some of England’s finest sculptors and craftsmen of the 1950s and 1960s.
At the West Door are three central windows and at the top of these is the carving “The Hand of God” by Alan Collins
a sculptor who was responsible for much of the sculpture of the cathedral. The hand is surmounted by the sun,moon and stars- an invitation from God to be part of the Christian Community.
Beneath these central windows and above the West Door are several carvings by Charles Gurrey. These were dedicated by the Very Reverend Alex Wedderspoon, Dean Emeritus, on Whit Sunday in 2004. The figures are carved from Clipsham stone. Below the central figure of the Transfigured Christ are figures of men and women whose lives were thought to reflect the Holy Spirit. Four of these figures are from the past- St Bernard, St Benedict, St Columba and Dame Julian of Norwich and the other four feature contemporary Christians- Evelyn Underhill, Bede Griffiths, Reginald Somerset-Ward and Archbishop Michael Ramsey.
Two of Gurrey’s carvings are shown below:-
On either side of the West Door are the North and South Garth which have been described as two welcoming arms.
Above the South Garth is a work by Alan Collins
. This is a carving which shows a scallop shell held by two hands symbolizing the Paten with Communion bread. The scallop shell was traditionally a sign that a pilgrim had paid a visit to the shrine of St James at Compostella
in North West Spain where scallop shells were abundant on the beaches.
On the other side of the South Garth there is another Alan Collins carving this an open book with the words “Veni, Creator, Spiritus”– “Come Holy Spirit”, words which appear often throughout the cathedral.
’s wishes; he wanted even the mundane drainpipe to reflect “The Glory of God”. They bear Roman Numerals being the dates they were installed and some bear the inscription “Veni, Creator, Spiritus”.
. The statue “Faith” was incidentally a gift from the Women’s Royal Army Corps.
In the gallery below are some photographs of the statues representing the Seven Christian Virtues:-
John Cobbet incidentally executed a fine “Madonna and Child” and “St Francis” both of which can be seen inside the cathedral.
which bears the arms and emblem of Canada and states:-
“THE LAND ON STAG HILL ABOUT THIS CATHEDRAL WAS THE GIFT OF THE RT HON RICHARD BEDFORD VISCOUNT BENNETT OF CALGARY AND MICKLEHAM PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA 1930-1935 TO COMMEMORATE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CANADA AND THE DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD IN TWO WORLD WARS 1914-1918 AND 1939-1945”
The Gilded Angel at the top of the tower was the work of Hurst,Franklin & Co of Islington and the 12 bells were made at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
’s figure of St John the Baptist. There is a small maquette used for this work near the pulpit inside the cathedral.
The reliefs on the two bronze doors set under two arches here are the work of Vernon Hill
and are depictions of various occupations, some of men, others of women. The men’s occupations are on the right side door- woodcutting, fishing, hunting, sowing, shepherding and ploughing and on the left side door we have the occupations accredited to women- milking, harvesting, nursing, teaching, spinning and motherhood.
In the gallery below are some of the Vernon Hill
reliefs:-
Vernon Hill
was also responsible for carving the angels on the Sedilia
inside the cathedral, as well as the “tongues of flames” on the pulpit and lectern. He also carved the Arms of Bishop Greig over the inside of the Sacristy Door and St Ursula over the inside of St Ursula’s Porch
’s carving over it of the Diocesan Coat of Arms and by the side of the porch is a plaque carrying the name “MAUFE” and a crest above it. This is the signature stone of Edward Maufe
. This door is also known as the “Bishop’s Entrance” and the door handles are shaped like a bishop’s crozier.
In the gallery below we see the Diocesan Coat of Arms and Maufe's signature stone:-
and portrays the crucifixion, illustrating the text- “The eternal god is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms”
Eric Gill
died before he was able to carve this piece and the carving was done by Anthony Foster
Gill’s assistant. Foster died at the young age of 47 in 1957 and had taught stone-carving at Camberwell School of Art.
These are shown below:-
The statues of St Cecilia and Lady Margaret Beaufort are the work of Dennis Huntley
and those of St Martha of Bethany and St Catherine are by Alan Collins
.
Also at the eastern end of the cathedral is a wooden cross which came from HMS “Ganges”. This is made from Burma Teak and was placed there in 1933 to mark the site of the new cathedral. There is also a “Garden of Remembrance” in this area and next to it the “Seeds of Hope” garden opened in 2008, created as “a way of exploring our experience of loss”. There are some sculptures in the “Seeds of Hope” garden by Christine Charlesworth.
Dennis Huntley
also carved two of the limewood figures on the ceiling of the children’s chapel inside the cathedral. The other two limewood figures are the work of Mary Spencer Watson.
these representing the “Seven Gifts of the Spirit”- “Wisdom”, “Understanding”, “Counsel”,“Fortitude” and “Knowledge” all by Alan Collins
, “Piety” by Dennis Huntley
and “Fear of the Lord” by Karin Jonzen. Sadly the later is partly obscured by a new building.
Photographs of six of these works are shown below:-
and on the other side is another Collins carving of a chalice filled with Communion wine, this juxtaposed with the carving at the front of the South Garth which represented the Communion bread or wafer. Thus the two “welcoming arms” of the two garths show the two features of the Eucharist; the Communion wine and the Communion bread.
Edward Maufe
Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe KBE, R.A, F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect and designer, noted chiefly for his work on places of worship and remembrance memorials. He was a skilled interior designer and designed many pieces of furniture...
was appointed as cathedral architect in 1932, work on building stopped during the Second World War and with both funds and building materials being in short supply at the end of that war, it was not until 1955 that a start was made on construction of the nave. The cathedral was finally consecrated in May 1961 although at that time the building was not complete, with the Western Porches, the Sacristy, the Lady Chapel and the Chapel House still to be built and with the tower unfinished, but these were all finished by 1966.
Whilst there are many admirable sculptures and other features to be seen inside the cathedral which also has some splendid glass engravings and stained glass windows the cathedral exterior has work by some of England’s finest sculptors and craftsmen of the 1950s and 1960s.
The West Door
Alan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
a sculptor who was responsible for much of the sculpture of the cathedral. The hand is surmounted by the sun,moon and stars- an invitation from God to be part of the Christian Community.
Beneath these central windows and above the West Door are several carvings by Charles Gurrey. These were dedicated by the Very Reverend Alex Wedderspoon, Dean Emeritus, on Whit Sunday in 2004. The figures are carved from Clipsham stone. Below the central figure of the Transfigured Christ are figures of men and women whose lives were thought to reflect the Holy Spirit. Four of these figures are from the past- St Bernard, St Benedict, St Columba and Dame Julian of Norwich and the other four feature contemporary Christians- Evelyn Underhill, Bede Griffiths, Reginald Somerset-Ward and Archbishop Michael Ramsey.
Two of Gurrey’s carvings are shown below:-
The South Garth
Above the South Garth is a work by Alan Collins
Alan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
. This is a carving which shows a scallop shell held by two hands symbolizing the Paten with Communion bread. The scallop shell was traditionally a sign that a pilgrim had paid a visit to the shrine of St James at Compostella
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
in North West Spain where scallop shells were abundant on the beaches.
On the other side of the South Garth there is another Alan Collins carving this an open book with the words “Veni, Creator, Spiritus”– “Come Holy Spirit”, words which appear often throughout the cathedral.
The Cathedral Drainpipes
As one walks around the cathedral one sees many quite distinctive drainpipes. This was one of Edward MaufeEdward Maufe
Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe KBE, R.A, F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect and designer, noted chiefly for his work on places of worship and remembrance memorials. He was a skilled interior designer and designed many pieces of furniture...
’s wishes; he wanted even the mundane drainpipe to reflect “The Glory of God”. They bear Roman Numerals being the dates they were installed and some bear the inscription “Veni, Creator, Spiritus”.
The Seven Christian Virtues
Having passed through the South Garth there are seven figures carved at the base of the windows and these represent the Seven Christian Virtues- “Charity”, “Hope”, “Faith”, “Courage”, “Temperance”, “Prudence” and “Justice”. The statue of “Prudence” is it seems based on Prudence Maufe, the wife of the architect; even the shoes are in the style of shoes which she wore. “Hope” and “Justice” were the work of the sculptor Richard Browne, “Faith” was the work of John Cobbet and “Charity”, “Courage”, “Temperance” and “Prudence” were the work of Alan CollinsAlan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
. The statue “Faith” was incidentally a gift from the Women’s Royal Army Corps.
In the gallery below are some photographs of the statues representing the Seven Christian Virtues:-
John Cobbet incidentally executed a fine “Madonna and Child” and “St Francis” both of which can be seen inside the cathedral.
Commemoration of the association between Canada and Guildford
In the area of the cathedral exterior near to the representations of the Seven Christian Virtues is a tablet, carved by Vernon HillVernon Hill (sculptor)
Vernon Hill was a sculptor, lithographer and Illustrator.-Biography:Vernon Hill was born in Halifax and undertook formal training in print-making from an early age, being apprenticed as a lithographer in his early teen....
which bears the arms and emblem of Canada and states:-
“THE LAND ON STAG HILL ABOUT THIS CATHEDRAL WAS THE GIFT OF THE RT HON RICHARD BEDFORD VISCOUNT BENNETT OF CALGARY AND MICKLEHAM PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA 1930-1935 TO COMMEMORATE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CANADA AND THE DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD IN TWO WORLD WARS 1914-1918 AND 1939-1945”
The statue of St Hubert and the Cathedral Tower
The cathedral tower is 156 feet high (47.5 metres) and holds 12 bells weighing in total some 6.5 tons. Above the balcony is the sculptor Dennis Huntley’s St Hubert which was carved by Huntley “in situ”, notwithstanding the height!The Gilded Angel at the top of the tower was the work of Hurst,Franklin & Co of Islington and the 12 bells were made at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
The South Door
Above the South Door is Eric GillEric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
’s figure of St John the Baptist. There is a small maquette used for this work near the pulpit inside the cathedral.
The reliefs on the two bronze doors set under two arches here are the work of Vernon Hill
Vernon Hill (sculptor)
Vernon Hill was a sculptor, lithographer and Illustrator.-Biography:Vernon Hill was born in Halifax and undertook formal training in print-making from an early age, being apprenticed as a lithographer in his early teen....
and are depictions of various occupations, some of men, others of women. The men’s occupations are on the right side door- woodcutting, fishing, hunting, sowing, shepherding and ploughing and on the left side door we have the occupations accredited to women- milking, harvesting, nursing, teaching, spinning and motherhood.
In the gallery below are some of the Vernon Hill
Vernon Hill (sculptor)
Vernon Hill was a sculptor, lithographer and Illustrator.-Biography:Vernon Hill was born in Halifax and undertook formal training in print-making from an early age, being apprenticed as a lithographer in his early teen....
reliefs:-
Vernon Hill
Vernon Hill (sculptor)
Vernon Hill was a sculptor, lithographer and Illustrator.-Biography:Vernon Hill was born in Halifax and undertook formal training in print-making from an early age, being apprenticed as a lithographer in his early teen....
was also responsible for carving the angels on the Sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
inside the cathedral, as well as the “tongues of flames” on the pulpit and lectern. He also carved the Arms of Bishop Greig over the inside of the Sacristy Door and St Ursula over the inside of St Ursula’s Porch
St Ursula’s Porch
After the South Door entrance is St Ursula’s Porch with Eric GillEric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
’s carving over it of the Diocesan Coat of Arms and by the side of the porch is a plaque carrying the name “MAUFE” and a crest above it. This is the signature stone of Edward Maufe
Edward Maufe
Sir Edward Brantwood Maufe KBE, R.A, F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect and designer, noted chiefly for his work on places of worship and remembrance memorials. He was a skilled interior designer and designed many pieces of furniture...
. This door is also known as the “Bishop’s Entrance” and the door handles are shaped like a bishop’s crozier.
In the gallery below we see the Diocesan Coat of Arms and Maufe's signature stone:-
The Lady Chapel
The bell and weathervane are part of the Lady Chapel and the bell was first rung in December 1947 on the occasion of the dedication of the Crypt Chapel. Here the large sculpture above the round window is to the design of Eric GillEric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
and portrays the crucifixion, illustrating the text- “The eternal god is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms”
Eric Gill
Eric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
died before he was able to carve this piece and the carving was done by Anthony Foster
Anthony Foster
Anthony Foster , of Collon, Co Louth, was an Irish politician.He was the son of John Foster of Dunleer and Elizabeth Fortesque. He was Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer of Ireland and represented Dunleer in the Irish House of Commons from 1738 to 1761 and subsequently Louth from 1761 to 1767.He...
Gill’s assistant. Foster died at the young age of 47 in 1957 and had taught stone-carving at Camberwell School of Art.
The Buttress
At the eastern end of the cathedral are the buttresses of the Lady’s Chapel with statues of St.Cecilia, St Martha of Bethany, St Catherine and Lady Margaret Beaufort.These are shown below:-
The statues of St Cecilia and Lady Margaret Beaufort are the work of Dennis Huntley
Dennis Huntley
-Career:Dennis Huntley is a British sculptor born at Weybridge in Surrey. He studied Fine Art & Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art and Furniture Design at The Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore and was Head of the Sir John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel for several years...
and those of St Martha of Bethany and St Catherine are by Alan Collins
Alan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
.
Also at the eastern end of the cathedral is a wooden cross which came from HMS “Ganges”. This is made from Burma Teak and was placed there in 1933 to mark the site of the new cathedral. There is also a “Garden of Remembrance” in this area and next to it the “Seeds of Hope” garden opened in 2008, created as “a way of exploring our experience of loss”. There are some sculptures in the “Seeds of Hope” garden by Christine Charlesworth.
Dennis Huntley
Dennis Huntley
-Career:Dennis Huntley is a British sculptor born at Weybridge in Surrey. He studied Fine Art & Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art and Furniture Design at The Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore and was Head of the Sir John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel for several years...
also carved two of the limewood figures on the ceiling of the children’s chapel inside the cathedral. The other two limewood figures are the work of Mary Spencer Watson.
The Seven Gifts of the Spirit
Along the north side of the cathedral are another seven figures at the bases of the seven windowsthese representing the “Seven Gifts of the Spirit”- “Wisdom”, “Understanding”, “Counsel”,“Fortitude” and “Knowledge” all by Alan Collins
Alan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
, “Piety” by Dennis Huntley
Dennis Huntley
-Career:Dennis Huntley is a British sculptor born at Weybridge in Surrey. He studied Fine Art & Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art and Furniture Design at The Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore and was Head of the Sir John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel for several years...
and “Fear of the Lord” by Karin Jonzen. Sadly the later is partly obscured by a new building.
Photographs of six of these works are shown below:-
The North Garth
Above the inside of the archway of the North Garth is a carving of a hand holding a dove representing the Holy Spirit, this by Alan CollinsAlan Collins
Alan Collins is an English-born sculptor noted for his work at Guildford Cathedral. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School and then the Wimbledon School of Art...
and on the other side is another Collins carving of a chalice filled with Communion wine, this juxtaposed with the carving at the front of the South Garth which represented the Communion bread or wafer. Thus the two “welcoming arms” of the two garths show the two features of the Eucharist; the Communion wine and the Communion bread.
Links
- http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Eric_Gill Article on Eric Gill on The National Archives website
- http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Collins%2C_Alan_%281928-_%29%2C_Sculptor Article on Alan Collins on The National Archives website
- http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Hill%2C_Vernon_%281887-_%29_Lithographer%2C_Sculptor_and_Illustrator Article on Vernon Hill on The National Archives website.
- http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Maufe%2C_Sir_Edward_%281883-1974%29_Knight_Architect Article on Edward Maufe on The National Archives website.