Peterborough Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom
– is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough
, dedicated to Saint Peter
, Saint Paul
and Saint Andrew
, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Founded in the Anglo-Saxon
period, the architecture is mainly Norman
, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham
and Ely Cathedral
s, it is one of the most important 12th century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic
West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed, but this is only visible from a distance, while the effect of the West Front upon entering the Cathedral Close is overwhelming.
", was founded in the reign of the Anglo-Saxon
King Peada
of the Middle Angles
in about 655 AD, as one of the first centres of Christianity in central England. The monastic settlement with which the church was associated lasted at least until 870, when it was supposedly destroyed by Viking
s.
In the mid 10th century monastic revival (in which churches at Ely
and Ramsey
were also refounded) a Benedictine Abbey was created and endowed in 966, principally by Athelwold
, Bishop of Winchester
, from what remained of the earlier church, with "a basilica [church] there furbished with suitable structures of halls, and enriched with surrounding lands" and more extensive buildings which saw the aisle built out to the west with a second tower added. The original central tower was, however, retained. It was dedicated to St Peter, and came to be called a burgh
, hence the town surrounding the abbey
was eventually named Peter-burgh. The community was further revived in 972 by Dunstan
, Archbishop of Canterbury
.
This newer church had as its major focal point a substantial western tower with a "Rhenish Helm" and was largely constructed of ashlar
. Only a small section of the foundations of the Saxon church remain beneath the south transept but there are several significant artefacts, including Saxon carvings such as the 'Hedda Stone', from the earlier building.
In 2008, Anglo-Saxon grave markers were reported to have been found by workmen repairing a wall in the cathedral precincts. The grave markers are said to date to the 11th century, and probably belonged to "townsfolk".
Although damaged during the struggle between the Norman
invaders and local folk-hero, Hereward the Wake
, it was repaired and continued to thrive until destroyed by an accidental fire in 1116. This event necessitated the building of a new church in the Norman
style, begun by Abbot John de Sais on 8 March 1118 (Old Style). By 1193 the building was completed to the western end of the Nave, including the central tower and the decorated wooden ceiling of the nave. The ceiling, completed between 1230 and 1250, still survives. It is unique in Britain and one of only four such ceilings in the whole of Europe It has been over-painted twice, once in 1745, then in 1834, but still retains the character and style of the original. (The painted nave ceiling of Ely Cathedral
, by contrast, is entirely a Victorian
creation.)
The church was largely built of Barnack
limestone
from quarries on its own land, and it was paid annually for access to these quarries by the builders of Ely Cathedral and Ramsey Abbey
in thousands of eels (eg 4,000 each year for Ramsey). Cathedral historians believe that part of the placing of the church in the location it is in is due to the easy ability to transfer quarried stones by river and then to the existing site allowing it to grow without being relocated.
Then, after completing the Western transept and adding the Great West Front Portico in 1237, the medieval masons switched over to the new Gothic style. Apart from changes to the windows, the insertion of a porch to support the free-standing pillars of the portico and the addition of a ‘new’ building at the east end around the beginning of the 16th century, the structure of the building remains essentially as it was on completion almost 800 years ago. The completed building was consecrated in 1238 by Robert Grosseteste
, Bishop of Lincoln
, within whose diocese it then fell.
The trio of arches forming the Great West Front, the defining image of Peterborough Cathedral, is unrivalled in medieval architecture. The line of spires behind it, topping an unprecedented four towers, evolved for more practical reasons. Chief amongst them was the wish to retain the earlier Norman towers, which became obsolete when the Gothic front was added. Instead of being demolished and replaced with new stretches of wall, these old towers were retained and embellished with cornices and other gothic decor, while two new towers were added to create a continuous frontage.
The Norman
tower was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style in about 1350-1380 (its main beams and roof bosses survive) with two tiers of Romanesque windows combined into a single set of Gothic windows, with the turreted cap and pinnacles removed and replaced by battlements. Between 1496 and 1508 the Presbytery roof was replaced and the 'New Building', a rectangular building built around the end of the Norman eastern apse, with Perpendicular fan vault
ing (probably designed by John Wastell, the architect of King's College Chapel, Cambridge
and the Bell Harry Tower at Canterbury Cathedral
), was added.
From the mid-12th century monk, Hugh Candidus, we have a detailed record of the contents of the Abbey's reliquaries , which included two pieces of swaddling clothes which wrapped the baby Jesus, pieces of Jesus' manger, a part of the five loaves which fed the 5,000, a piece of the raiment of St Mary, a piece of Aaron's rod, and relics of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew - to whom the church is dedicated.
Most famous, however, was the supposed arm of St Oswald
, which disappeared from its chapel, probably during the Reformation
, despite a watch-tower having been built for monks to guard its reliquary
), and various contact relics of Thomas Becket
, brought from Canterbury in a special reliquary by its Prior Benedict (who had witnessed Becket's assassination) when he was 'promoted' to Abbot of Peterborough.
All of these created an aura of great importance around what is today Peterborough Cathedral, making it at the zenith of its wealth just before the Reformation the sixth largest monastery in England in terms of income with 120 monks at it and departments including an Almoner, an Infirmarian, a Sacristan and a Cellarer.
, the relics were lost but the church survived by not being sold off and instead being selected as the cathedral of the new Diocese of Peterborough. This may have been related to the fact that Henry's former queen, Katherine of Aragon, had been buried there in 1536. Her grave can still be seen and is nowadays honoured by visitors and often decorated with flowers and pomegranates (her symbol). It carries the legend "Katharine Queen of England", a title she was denied at the time of her death.
In 1587, the body of Mary, Queen of Scots, was also buried here after her execution at nearby Fotheringhay Castle
, but it was later removed to Westminster Abbey
on the orders of her son, King James I of England
.
The cathedral was vandalised during the English Civil War
in 1643 by Parliamentarian troops. As was common at the time, almost all the stained glass
and the medieval choir stalls were destroyed, and the high altar and reredos
were demolished, as were the cloisters and Lady Chapel
. All the monuments and memorials of the Cathedral were also damaged or destroyed.
Some of the damage was repaired during the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1883, extensive restoration work began, with the interior pillars, the choir and the west front being completely rebuilt under the supervision of John Loughborough Pearson
, and new hand-carved choir stalls, cathedra (bishop's throne), choir pulpit and the marble pavement and high altar being added. A stepped level of battlements was removed from the central tower, reducing its height slightly.
In the early evening of 22 November 2001 the cathedral was hit by a fire thought to have been started deliberately amongst plastic chairs stored in the North Choir Aisle. Fortunately the fire was spotted by one of the verger
s allowing a swift response by emergency services. The timing was particularly unfortunate as a complete restoration of the painted wooden ceiling was nearing completion. The oily smoke given off by the plastic chairs was particularly damaging, coating much of the building with a sticky black layer. The seat of the fire was close to the organ
and the combination of direct damage from the fire, and the water used to extinguish necessitated a full-scale rebuild of the instrument, putting it out of action for several years.
An extensive programme of repairs to the west front began in July 2006 and has cost in excess of half a million pounds. This work is concentrated around the statues located in niches which have been so badly affected by years of pollution and weathering that, in some cases, they have only stayed intact thanks to iron bars inserted through them from the head to the body. This enabled people to "sponsor" a stone.
The sculptor Alan Durst
was responsible for some of the work on the statues on the West Front.
s dating from the 14th century. However, only three now survive.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
– is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
, dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Founded in the Anglo-Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
period, the architecture is mainly Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
and Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
s, it is one of the most important 12th century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed, but this is only visible from a distance, while the effect of the West Front upon entering the Cathedral Close is overwhelming.
Anglo-Saxon origins
The original church, known simply as "MedeshamstedeMedeshamstede
Medeshamstede was the name of Peterborough in the Anglo-Saxon period. It was the site of a monastery founded around the middle of the 7th century, which was an important feature in the kingdom of Mercia from the outset. Little is known of its founder and first abbot, Sexwulf, though he was himself...
", was founded in the reign of the Anglo-Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
King Peada
Peada of Mercia
Peada , a son of Penda, was briefly King of southern Mercia after his father's death in November 655 until his own death in the spring of the next year.In about the year 653 Peada was made king of the Middle Angles by his father...
of the Middle Angles
Middle Angles
The Middle Angles were an important ethnic or cultural group within the larger kingdom of Mercia in England in the Anglo-Saxon period.-Origins and territory:...
in about 655 AD, as one of the first centres of Christianity in central England. The monastic settlement with which the church was associated lasted at least until 870, when it was supposedly destroyed by Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s.
In the mid 10th century monastic revival (in which churches at Ely
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
and Ramsey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
were also refounded) a Benedictine Abbey was created and endowed in 966, principally by Athelwold
Æthelwold of Winchester
Æthelwold of Winchester , was Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984 and one of the leaders of the tenth century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England....
, Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, from what remained of the earlier church, with "a basilica [church] there furbished with suitable structures of halls, and enriched with surrounding lands" and more extensive buildings which saw the aisle built out to the west with a second tower added. The original central tower was, however, retained. It was dedicated to St Peter, and came to be called a burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
, hence the town surrounding the abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
was eventually named Peter-burgh. The community was further revived in 972 by Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
This newer church had as its major focal point a substantial western tower with a "Rhenish Helm" and was largely constructed of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
. Only a small section of the foundations of the Saxon church remain beneath the south transept but there are several significant artefacts, including Saxon carvings such as the 'Hedda Stone', from the earlier building.
In 2008, Anglo-Saxon grave markers were reported to have been found by workmen repairing a wall in the cathedral precincts. The grave markers are said to date to the 11th century, and probably belonged to "townsfolk".
Norman and medieval architectural evolution
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invaders and local folk-hero, Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake , known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England....
, it was repaired and continued to thrive until destroyed by an accidental fire in 1116. This event necessitated the building of a new church in the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style, begun by Abbot John de Sais on 8 March 1118 (Old Style). By 1193 the building was completed to the western end of the Nave, including the central tower and the decorated wooden ceiling of the nave. The ceiling, completed between 1230 and 1250, still survives. It is unique in Britain and one of only four such ceilings in the whole of Europe It has been over-painted twice, once in 1745, then in 1834, but still retains the character and style of the original. (The painted nave ceiling of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, by contrast, is entirely a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
creation.)
The church was largely built of Barnack
Barnack
Barnack is a village and civil parish in the City of Peterborough unitary authority of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located in the north-west of the district, only four miles south-east from Stamford in Lincolnshire. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 851 people. Barnack's...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from quarries on its own land, and it was paid annually for access to these quarries by the builders of Ely Cathedral and Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
in thousands of eels (eg 4,000 each year for Ramsey). Cathedral historians believe that part of the placing of the church in the location it is in is due to the easy ability to transfer quarried stones by river and then to the existing site allowing it to grow without being relocated.
Then, after completing the Western transept and adding the Great West Front Portico in 1237, the medieval masons switched over to the new Gothic style. Apart from changes to the windows, the insertion of a porch to support the free-standing pillars of the portico and the addition of a ‘new’ building at the east end around the beginning of the 16th century, the structure of the building remains essentially as it was on completion almost 800 years ago. The completed building was consecrated in 1238 by Robert Grosseteste
Robert Grosseteste
Robert Grosseteste or Grossetete was an English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian and Bishop of Lincoln. He was born of humble parents at Stradbroke in Suffolk. A.C...
, Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
, within whose diocese it then fell.
The trio of arches forming the Great West Front, the defining image of Peterborough Cathedral, is unrivalled in medieval architecture. The line of spires behind it, topping an unprecedented four towers, evolved for more practical reasons. Chief amongst them was the wish to retain the earlier Norman towers, which became obsolete when the Gothic front was added. Instead of being demolished and replaced with new stretches of wall, these old towers were retained and embellished with cornices and other gothic decor, while two new towers were added to create a continuous frontage.
The Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
tower was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style in about 1350-1380 (its main beams and roof bosses survive) with two tiers of Romanesque windows combined into a single set of Gothic windows, with the turreted cap and pinnacles removed and replaced by battlements. Between 1496 and 1508 the Presbytery roof was replaced and the 'New Building', a rectangular building built around the end of the Norman eastern apse, with Perpendicular fan vault
Fan vault
thumb|right|250px|Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a [[Victorian restoration]] of the original roof of 1608....
ing (probably designed by John Wastell, the architect of King's College Chapel, Cambridge
King's College Chapel, Cambridge
King's College Chapel is the chapel to King's College of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the finest examples of late Gothic English architecture, while its early Renaissance rood screen separating the nave and chancel, erected in 1532-36 in a striking contrast of style, has been called...
and the Bell Harry Tower at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
), was added.
Monastic life
Most famous, however, was the supposed arm of St Oswald
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
, which disappeared from its chapel, probably during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, despite a watch-tower having been built for monks to guard its reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
), and various contact relics of Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, brought from Canterbury in a special reliquary by its Prior Benedict (who had witnessed Becket's assassination) when he was 'promoted' to Abbot of Peterborough.
All of these created an aura of great importance around what is today Peterborough Cathedral, making it at the zenith of its wealth just before the Reformation the sixth largest monastery in England in terms of income with 120 monks at it and departments including an Almoner, an Infirmarian, a Sacristan and a Cellarer.
Tudor
In 1541, following Henry VIII's Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the relics were lost but the church survived by not being sold off and instead being selected as the cathedral of the new Diocese of Peterborough. This may have been related to the fact that Henry's former queen, Katherine of Aragon, had been buried there in 1536. Her grave can still be seen and is nowadays honoured by visitors and often decorated with flowers and pomegranates (her symbol). It carries the legend "Katharine Queen of England", a title she was denied at the time of her death.
In 1587, the body of Mary, Queen of Scots, was also buried here after her execution at nearby Fotheringhay Castle
Fotheringhay Castle
Fotheringhay Castle was in the village of Fotheringhay 3½ miles to the north of the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire .King Richard III was born here in 1452 and it was also where Mary, Queen of Scots, was tried and executed in 1587....
, but it was later removed to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on the orders of her son, King James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
Civil War to present
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1643 by Parliamentarian troops. As was common at the time, almost all the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and the medieval choir stalls were destroyed, and the high altar and reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
were demolished, as were the cloisters and Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
. All the monuments and memorials of the Cathedral were also damaged or destroyed.
Some of the damage was repaired during the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1883, extensive restoration work began, with the interior pillars, the choir and the west front being completely rebuilt under the supervision of John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
, and new hand-carved choir stalls, cathedra (bishop's throne), choir pulpit and the marble pavement and high altar being added. A stepped level of battlements was removed from the central tower, reducing its height slightly.
In the early evening of 22 November 2001 the cathedral was hit by a fire thought to have been started deliberately amongst plastic chairs stored in the North Choir Aisle. Fortunately the fire was spotted by one of the verger
Verger
A verger is a person, usually a layman, who assists in the ordering of religious services, particularly in Anglican churches.-History:...
s allowing a swift response by emergency services. The timing was particularly unfortunate as a complete restoration of the painted wooden ceiling was nearing completion. The oily smoke given off by the plastic chairs was particularly damaging, coating much of the building with a sticky black layer. The seat of the fire was close to the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and the combination of direct damage from the fire, and the water used to extinguish necessitated a full-scale rebuild of the instrument, putting it out of action for several years.
An extensive programme of repairs to the west front began in July 2006 and has cost in excess of half a million pounds. This work is concentrated around the statues located in niches which have been so badly affected by years of pollution and weathering that, in some cases, they have only stayed intact thanks to iron bars inserted through them from the head to the body. This enabled people to "sponsor" a stone.
The sculptor Alan Durst
Alan Durst
Alan Durst was a British sculptor and wood carver. A member of the London Group of artists. Three of Durst's work are held in the permanent collection of Tate Gallery.-Career:...
was responsible for some of the work on the statues on the West Front.
Misericords
It is believed that Peterborough Cathedral originally had a set of over 30 misericordMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s dating from the 14th century. However, only three now survive.
Other burials
- William Connor MageeWilliam Connor MageeWilliam Connor Magee was an Irish clergyman of the Anglican church, Archbishop of York for a short period in 1891.-Life:...
- Alexander of Holderness, 12th century AbbotAbbotThe word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Peterborough. - John Hinchliffe, Bishop of PeterboroughBishop of PeterboroughThe Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
(1769-1794) - John Towers (bishop)John Towers (bishop)John Towers was an English churchman, Bishop of Peterborough from 1639, a royalist and a supporter of the ecclesiastical policies of William Laud.-Life:...
, Bishop of Peterborough (1639-1649) - Francis Dee (bishop)Francis Dee (bishop)-Life:He was the son of the Rev. David Dee of St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, who held the rectory of St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield from 1587 to 1605, when he was deprived. Francis Dee was born in London, and was admitted a scholar of Merchant Taylors' School on 26 April 1591. He proceeded to...
, Bishop of Peterborough (1634–1638) - Richard HowlandRichard HowlandRichard Howland was an English churchman and academic, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and of St John's College, Cambridge and bishop of Peterborough.-Life:...
, Bishop of Peterborough (1584–1600) - John Chambers (bishop)John Chambers (bishop)John Chambers was an English Benedictine, the last Abbot of Peterborough and first Bishop of Peterborough.-Life:He was born at Peterborough, and was sometimes called Burgh or Borowe. He became a monk in the abbey there, and was elected its abbot in 1528. He was studied both at Oxford and...
, first Bishop of Peterborough (1541–1556) - Ælfric Puttoc, medieval Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
and Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury... - CynesigeCynesigeCynesige was a medieval Archbishop of York for nine years between 1051 and 1060.- Life :Cynesige perhaps came from Rutland, as he owned the manor of Tinwell there later in life...
, medieval Archbishop of York
Organ
Details of the organ from the National Pipe Organ RegisterMasters of the Music
- 1540 Richard Storey
- 1569 John Tyesdale
- 1574 Richard Tiller
- 1584 John Mudd
- 1631 Thomas Mudd
- 1632 David Standish
- 1643 Vacant
- 1661 David Standish
- 1677 William Standish
- 1691 Roger Standish
- 1714 James Hawkins
- 1750 George Wright
- 1773 Garter Sharp
- 1777 James Rogers
- 1784 Richard Langdon
- 1785 John Calah
- 1799 Samuel Spofforth
- 1808 Thomas Knight
- 1812 Edmund Larkin
- 1836 John Speechley
- 1870 Haydn KeetonHaydn KeetonHadyn Keeton was an cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral.-Background:Hadyn Keeton was born on 26 October 1847 in Mosborough. He was a chorister at St...
- 1921 Dr Richard Henry ColemanRichard Henry ColemanRichard Henry Coleman was an cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral.-Background:Richard Henry Pinwill Coleman was born on 3 April 1888 in Dartmouth...
- 1944 Charles Cooper FrancisCharles Cooper FrancisCharles Cooper Francis was an cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral.-Background:Charles Cooper Francis was born on 20 December 1884 in Peterborough.He was an articled pupil of Haydn Keeton at Peterborough Cathedral.-Career:...
- 1946 Douglas Edward HopkinsDouglas Edward HopkinsDouglas Edward Hopkins was an cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral.-Background:Douglas Edward Hopkins was born on 23 December 1902 in London....
(later Organist of Canterbury CathedralCanterbury CathedralCanterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
) - 1953 Dr Stanley VannStanley VannWilliam Stanley Vann FRCO, ARCM was an English composer, organist, choral conductor, and choir trainer, primarily in the Anglican cathedral tradition.-Early life:...
- 1977 Christopher Gower
- 2004 Andrew Reid (Director of Music)
Assistant Masters of the Music
- Samuel Round
- H. M. Goodacre 1900 - 1902
- Arthur Griffin ClaypoleArthur Griffin ClaypoleArthur Griffin Claypole was an cathedral organist, who served in Derby Cathedral.-Background:Arthur Claypole was born in 1882 in Peterborough....
1902 - 1903 - Charles Cooper FrancisCharles Cooper FrancisCharles Cooper Francis was an cathedral organist, who served at Peterborough Cathedral.-Background:Charles Cooper Francis was born on 20 December 1884 in Peterborough.He was an articled pupil of Haydn Keeton at Peterborough Cathedral.-Career:...
1905 - 1910 (later appointed Master of the Music) - Malcolm SargentMalcolm SargentSir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
1911-1914 (Articled Pupil/Assistant to Haydn Keeton) - Thomas Armstrong 1915 - 1917 (Articled Pupil/Assistant, later Principal of the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
) - Eric John Fairclough 1918 - 1925
- J. Durham Holl 1930 - 1931
- R. Shield 1932 -
- Derek John Clare ca. 1938
- Desmond Swinburn ca. 1948
- John Malcolm Tyler 1950 - 1953 (later Assistant Organist at Canterbury CathedralCanterbury CathedralCanterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
) - Philip Joseph Lank 1954 - 1955 (later Organist of St. Wulfram's Church, GranthamSt. Wulfram's Church, GranthamSt Wulfram's Church, Grantham is a parish church in the Church of England in Grantham in Lincolnshire.In his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins describes St Wulfram's Church as having the finest steeple in England.-Spire:...
) - Malcolm Ernest Cousins 1956 - 1959 (later Organist of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, MansfieldSt. Peter and St. Paul's Church, MansfieldSt. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Mansfield is a parish church in the Church of England located in Mansfield, Nottingham.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest....
) - Eric Wayman (later Organist of St Botolph's Church, Boston)
- Eric Howard Fletcher 1960 (later Professor of Music in USA)
- Richard Latham (later Assistant Organist at Gloucester CathedralGloucester CathedralGloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...
) - Barry Ferguson 1964 - 1971 (later Organist of Rochester CathedralRochester CathedralRochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
) - Andrew Robert Newberry 1971 - 1980
- Simon Lawford 1980 - 1986 (later Director of Music at St George's Cathedral, PerthSt George's Cathedral, PerthSt George's Cathedral is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth, Western Australia and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Perth. It is located in St Georges Terrace in the centre of the city.- History:...
) - Gary Sieling 1986 - 1992? (later Director of Music at St Peter's Church, Nottingham and Bromley Parish Church)
- Simon Bowler 1993 - 1995
- Mark Duthie 1994 - 2007 (later Organist of Brecon CathedralBrecon CathedralBrecon Cathedral, in the town of Brecon, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon...
) - Thomas Moore 1998 - 2002 (Assistant Organist, later Director of Music at Wakefield CathedralWakefield CathedralWakefield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of All Saints Wakefield is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of Wakefield and is the seat of the Bishop of Wakefield. The cathedral has Anglo Saxon origins and the tallest cathedral spire in Yorkshire...
) - Oliver Waterer 2002 - 2007 (Assistant Organist, later Assistant Director of Music at Chelmsford CathedralChelmsford CathedralChelmsford Cathedral in the county town of Chelmsford, Essex, England is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford....
) - Francesca Massey 2007 - 2011 (Assistant Director of Music, later Sub Organist of Durham CathedralDurham CathedralThe Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
) - David Humphreys 2011 -
See also
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- List of bishops of Peterborough
- List of deans of Peterborough
- List of abbots of Peterborough
- Peterborough ChroniclePeterborough ChronicleThe Peterborough Chronicle , one of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, contains unique information about the history of England after the Norman Conquest. According to philologist J.A.W...
- The King's School, PeterboroughThe King's School, PeterboroughThe King's School is a Voluntary Aided Church of England comprehensive secondary school in Peterborough, England. On the 1st January 2011, the School became an academy and changed its name from 'The King's School, Peterborough'...
- Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of EnglandArchitecture of the medieval cathedrals of EnglandThe medieval cathedrals of England, dating from between approximately 1040 and 1540, are a group of twenty-six buildings which together constitute a major aspect of the country’s artistic heritage and are among the most significant material symbols of Christianity. Though diversified in style, they...
- English Gothic architectureEnglish Gothic architectureEnglish Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
- Romanesque architectureRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
- Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
- BotwineBotwineBotwine was a Northumbriaa saint venerated at Ripon and Peterborough. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recension E, recorded his death in the 780s in one of three Ripon abbatial obits derived from a chronicle of Northumbrian origin.The late 10th- and early 11th-century writer Byrhtferth of Ramsey in...
Further reading
- Peterborough Cathedral, 2001- 2006 : from devastation to restoration, (2006), ISBN 1903470558
- Peterborough Abbey, (2001), ISBN 0712347100
External links
- Peterborough Cathedral The cathedral's website
- The Cathedral Church of Peterborough, by W.D. Sweeting, at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- The New Guide to Peterborough Cathedral, by George S. Phillips, at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- Peterborough Cathedral - The Complete Geometry 1100-1500
- Pictures of Peterborough
- Bill Thayer's site
- Peterborough Cathedral on Skyscrapernews.com
- Adrian Fletcher’s Paradoxplace Peterborough Cathedral Pages – Photos
- Flickr images tagged Peterborough Cathedral