CATHEDRAL AND PRIORY
Oswald was appointed to the
bishopric of Worcester in 961, and
he built a new church, hallowed in
honour of our Lady, with monastic
buildings. (fn. 1) Oswald's church was burnt by the Danes
in a general sack of the city in 1041, (fn. 2) but the walls
were little injured, as will be shown below. No
foundations of this building have ever been found,
and the only remains of it are the capitals and bases
of the wall arcade on the north side of the parlour,
which are old material used up in the later work.
Bishop Wulstan began to build a new church in
1084. (fn. 3) In 1089 the monks entered the new quire, (fn. 4)
and before 1092 the church, probably only the
eastern part, had been hallowed by the founder. (fn. 5)
A new shrine was made for St. Oswald at a cost of
72 marks of silver. (fn. 6) Ultimately the remains of the
old church of St. Oswald were pulled down. (fn. 7) Wulstan's church, besides the crypt, was completed as far
as and including the crossing and possibly two bays
of the nave to include the quire. The parlour was
also of the same date, and the great dorter of the
monks with the south side of the cloister, if not
actually of Wulstan's work, must be very little later.
The damage to the church in the fire of 1113
seems to have been confined to the roofs, of which
the lead was melted, the planks converted into
charcoal, and beams as large as whole trees fell to the
pavement, but in the midst of this the tomb of
Wulstan remained uninjured. (fn. 8) The repairs and
new works following this fire may with certainty be
identified by having green and white stone used in
alternate bands. The presbytery would be quickly
mended, so as not to interfere with the services, and
the transepts were repaired and the angle turrets
added. The nave was continued up to the west end,
as shown by the vaulting shafts at the seventh pair of
pillars and the jambs of the north doorway. The
chapter-house is also of the same date. The next
building to be undertaken was the frater, of which
the subvault remains with the cloister entry, which
shows the work to be of about 1140.
The west end of the church seems to have been
built on bad foundations, if not on made ground, and
in consequence, as shown by the northern of the
remaining vaulting piers of the old church, had settled
considerably, if not actually fallen. To this reason
must be ascribed the complete rebuilding of the two
western bays with their aisles and the passage to the
infirmary. This work could hardly have been
finished when a further catastrophe occurred, for in
1175 the new tower fell. (fn. 9) This must have been
a collapse of the upper works of the central tower,
owing to the failure of the south-west pier. Both
transepts were damaged, and the repairs in consequence included inserting vaulting shafts, rebuilding
most of the south gable and the side walls, including
the triforium, of the south transept. The subvault
of the reredorter is of about the date of these
repairs.
Another fire occurred in 1202, which included the
church with all its adjuncts and a great part of the
city. (fn. 10) Nothing whatever shows in the present
buildings of this conflagration or the consequent
repairs, though it is almost certain, on account of the
important dedication sixteen years later, that some
considerable works were necessary.
In 1218 the cathedral church was dedicated in
honour of our Lady, St. Peter, and the confessors
Oswald and Wulstan, that is to say, the high altar in
honour of St. Mary and St. Oswald and the lower
altar in honour of St. Peter and St. Wulstan, by
Bishop Silvester in the presence of the young king,
ten bishops, seventeen abbots and many nobles.
The same day the bones of St. Wulstan were placed
in a new shrine. (fn. 11) Two years later a great storm of
wind on the feast of St. Andrew cast down two
of the lesser towers of Worcester (fn. 12) ; these, if of the
cathedral at all, were certainly not at the west end,
but might possibly have flanked the apse.
Worcester Cathedral from the South-west
As the fame of St. Wulstan increased, the repaired
church of 1218 appears to have been inconvenient
for the numbers of pilgrims which had to be dealt
with, for in 1224 Bishop William of Blois laid the
foundation of the new east front. (fn. 13) This building was
begun far eastward of the old front, and was completed
up to the earlier work, as shown by the straight joints
in the presbytery and aisles. The old presbytery
was then taken down and the new building completed
up to the crossing; but curiously no record occurs
of the finish or hallowing of this noble work. In
consequence of the new building being on the site
of the monks' cemetery many graves were disturbed,
and to accommodate the bones the bishop made
a bone-hole and founded a chapel above. (fn. 14)
In August of 1225 the prior, William of Tynemouth, began to build himself a house, which was
finished in December of the same year, (fn. 15) from which
it would seem to have been constructed with timber.
In 1280 Nicholas, Bishop of Winchester, who held
the see of Worcester from 1266 to 1268, left 60 marks
towards rebuilding the central tower. (fn. 16) 'On the
second Ides of July, 1302, the greater part of our
dorter fell, which fall had threatened for some time
and showed our negligence.' (fn. 17) This is the last entry
in the annals relating to the buildings.
It is stated that Wulstan de Braunsford, while
prior, built the great hall commonly called the Guesten
Hall, 1320. (fn. 18) Upon the same authority Bishop
Cobham is accredited with vaulting the north aisle
of the nave beneath which he was buried in 1327. (fn. 19)
Both of these works, however, are distinctly later.
The north aisle of the nave was finished and the building of main wall of the nave above was stopped by the
Black Death in 1349. Another interesting stoppage
of the same date occurs in the great gate, the lower
part of which is of early 14th-century work, but the
upper story seems later and was probably part of the
work following the licence to crenellate in February
1368–9. (fn. 20) The rebuilding of the frater was begun by
the same hand which built the north aisle, and the
alleys of the cloister were finished before 1372.
The central tower, which took seventeen years to
build, was finished in 1374, (fn. 21) but whether this was
the direct successor of that which fell in 1175 there
is no evidence to show. In 1375 the new vault and
windows were put over the chapel of St. Mary
Magdalene, (fn. 22) which appears to have been the north
transept, as no other part of the church was so treated
at that date. The new dorter was begun the same
year. (fn. 23) The year following (1376) the vaulting
under the new tower and over the quire was made;
also the vaulting and windows over St. Thomas's altar,
which was in the south transept. (fn. 24) In 1377 the vaulting
of the nave was made, the new dorter was finished,
as well as the treasury and library. (fn. 25) The next year
the water-gate above the Severn was built, the new
stalls put in the quire, and the quire, with the chapels
of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Thomas, was paved. (fn. 26)
During the next year a screen was made between the
quire and presbytery, also the bishop's stall, and
screens were put to the altars of St. Edmund,
the archbishop, and the Holy Cross. The great
window was inserted in the west gable. (fn. 27) In 1381
a screen was made round the chapel of our Lady
near the red door, also a new pulpitumwas added
in front of the quire. (fn. 28) In 1386 the north porch
was finished; this work completed the structure of
the church, (fn. 29) to which no addition has since been
made.
In the 15th century new windows were inserted
in the Lady chapel and presbytery, and in 1502
Prince Arthur's chantry was built.
At the Suppression the monastery was turned into
a college. (fn. 30) To the dean was allotted the prior's
house, to the first prebend the sacrist's, the second
the tumbary, the third the sub-prior's, the fourth
the hosteler's, the fifth the infirmarer's, the sixth the
pittancer's and part of the cellarer's, the seventh the
kitchener's, the eighth and ninth the master of the
chapels, the tenth the almoner's and part of the
prior's. (fn. 31) The sites of these houses are known, as
well as their respective appropriations, and will be
referred to later.
In 1551 the quire stalls and bishop's seat were
taken down, and five years later new stalls were set up
in the position of those now existing, with a 'goodly
loft to read the gospel' under the eastern arch of the
crossing. (fn. 32) At this time the floor of the old quire
under the tower was removed, and a flight of steps
extending from end to end of the transepts was placed
immediately in front of their eastern wall. (fn. 33) In 1614
'the goodly loft' was altered or replaced by a new
one, to contain a large organ, which had the parapet
decorated with the arms of those who contributed
towards the work. (fn. 34)
During the Civil War great damage was done to
the buildings by the removal of lead and timber from
the roof, which in the case of the belfry-tower and
dorter caused the ultimate ruin of the buildings themselves. The value of the lead and timber removed
was estimated at £8,204, and included the lead and
timber from the belfry, lead off the roof of the east
cross and lead and timber of the pinnacle, the lead
and timber from Mr. Boughton's house (that at the
west end of the frater), lead from the dean's hall,
lead and timber from the dorter, the gate-house, and
the queen's chamber, 2,140 yards of water-pipes, the
whole of the conduit-houses and the lead cisterns. (fn. 35)
In the time of Bishop Hough (1717–43) the dean
and chapter spent several thousands in repairs and
new casing the outside of the walls; they also
'rebuilt four neat pinnacles on the top of the tower
and greatly beautified the church with several ornaments.' (fn. 36) These repairs included the tall pinnacles
so conspicuous in old views of the church, and which
are said to have been removed about 1832. (fn. 37) Great
flying buttresses were erected round the east end of
the church between 1764 and 1789. (fn. 38) The west
window was made in 1789 and one at the east end
in 1792. (fn. 39) The tower had the decayed faces dressed
off about this time, thus destroying the whole of the
external features. (fn. 40) A new organ gallery was put up
in 1812 and had the old misericordes re-used as
ornaments on its face (fn. 41) ; also a screen was added at
the back of the altar, made out of those across the
eastern transepts. (fn. 42) ' Finally in 1857 the 'complete
restoration' of the church was begun under the
direction of Mr. Perkins, a Worcester architect, who
carried on the work until 1864, when Mr. G. G.
Scott was employed. The church was reopened in
1874 after an expenditure of £114,296. Between
that date and 1885 £5,362 was spent. (fn. 43) Externally
the whole has been made new, new windows put at
the east and west ends and at the north and south ends
of the main transept; all the 15th-century tracery
was taken from the windows of the eastern part of
the church, while internally the quire screen has
gone, the fine 16th-century stalls are no more, and
the monuments have been shuffled about to no purpose.
The cloister has been furnished with new windows
of a misleading character, the chapter-house has been
recased as well as the frater, and the guest hall was
demolished in 1862. (fn. 44)
The precinct contains about 12 acres, and is
roughly in the form of a rectangle with its west side
on the Severn bank. The chief entrance was on the
east side, but there was another gateway on the north
to the cemetery and another on the west to a ferry
across the river. The buildings occupy the greater
portion of the area, the church being in the middle.
On the south side of the church is the cloister, having
on the east side the chapter-house, on the south the
frater, and on the west the dorter. The infirmary
was at the west end of the church, the kitchen south
of the frater, and the prior's lodging with the guesthouse eastward of the chapter-house. On the north
side of the church was the belfry, opposite the eastern
transept, and the charnel opposite the north porch.
The original southern boundary of the precinct
appears to have run direct east from the south side of
the water-gate to a point 50 ft. south of the great gate.
Outside this on the south was the castle of which the
northern half was given to the convent in 1217, and
this additional area was thrown into the precinct.
Along the north and east sides of the precinct, outside
the wall next Lich Street and Friar Street, are, and
apparently always have been, tenements and shops.
The great gate-house, commonly called Edgar
Tower, was built in the 14th century, and not a
vestige of its predecessor remains. It is of two stories,
of which the ground floor consists of an outer porch
and an inner gate-hall, having rooms on either side
and octagonal turrets at each angle. The east face
has a wide pointed arch with a series of niches over
the apex, on either side of
which is a two-light window,
and there are other large
niches between the windows
and the angle turrets. The
west side is similar, but has
no side niches. The porch
and gate-hall are both vaulted
and divided from each other
by the usual pair of doors for
horse and foot traffic respectively. On the south side is
the porter's lodge, and the
corresponding projection on
the north contains a narrow
room vaulted in two bays.
The vice to gain the upper
floor is in the north-west
turret, and is vaulted at the
top. The upper floor is
arranged in four chambers of
like size to the lower divisions, and was doubtless used
for the housing of guests.
The almonry adjoined the
gate on the north and the
almoner's lodging was appropriated at the Suppression to
the tenth prebend.
Within the gate was the
great court of the monastery,
having the main group of
buildings on the north side.
The south side, now covered
with houses, would be occupied by the stables, bakehouse, brew-house, malthouse, granaries, and other
necessary buildings.
From the great gate the
precinct wall is traceable to
the south-west angle on the
river bank, and thence some
yards northward to the watergate. This gate was built in 1378, and has two
stout side walls and is vaulted in two bays; the
upper part is now a cottage, but probably follows the
lines of the original building. Northward of this
gate the wall has been rebuilt for some yards, but
continues again further north to the north-west angle
of the precinct, where it turns east and runs up to
and includes the north side of the charnel chapel.
The rest of the wall has been destroyed, but in the
middle of its northern side is a timber-built archway,
with a chamber above, which was the entrance to
the lay folks' cemetery, precisely similar to the like
structure remaining at Evesham.
The present church consists of a Lady chapel with
aisles, an eastern transept, presbytery with aisles and
a southern chapel, a main transept with a great tower
over the crossing, a nave with aisles, a north porch and
a chapel on the north side. Under the presbytery
and aisles is a crypt entered by steps from the south
transept.
Worcester City: The Edgar Tower
The crypt extended under the whole of the eastern
part of Wulstan's church, and as it remains almost
entire shows the plan of the superstructure. This
consisted of a presbytery of three bays with aisles and
an apse of seven divisions round which the aisle was
taken as an ambulatory. There was apparently a
chapel to the east beneath the present high altar
platform and a chapel on either side in the form of
towers, of which remains of the foundation of the
southern one were found in 1860. (fn. 45) On either side
of the presbytery next the transept was a chapel of two
bays with apsidal ends.
The crypt in the main span is formed of three
rows of eight monolithic columns with cushion capitals
carrying vaulting with only rubble cross ribs. The
aisles are similar, but with one row of columns down
the middle of each, and the side chapels were of the
same design. In the 13th century the east end of
the southern chapel was squared, but in the floor were
the foundations of an apse, which seems to have been
a half octagon with a flat side to the east. This
chapel has recently been filled up with the organ works;
in like manner its companion is filled with earth.
The Norman presbytery has left a few traces in the
superstructure. In the south aisle, adjoining the
tower pier, is one of the original columns of the
respond of the main arcade with a cushion capital
which is at a slightly higher level than the nave arcade.
On both sides of the main span against the tower are
remains of Norman work which show that the triforium
consisted of a large round arch filling the whole bay
and that the clearstory passage above was at the same
level as that of the nave. Under the aisle roofs on
both sides are the responds with a chamfered impost
and the springers of the triforium arches.
The whole of the church eastward of the main
crossing, with the above exceptions, is of the work
begun in 1224 by Bishop William of Blois, which
internally is one of the most beautiful 13th-century
buildings remaining, and Purbeck marble is used
throughout for bases, columns and string-courses.
Externally the whole work is quite modern save for
a few yards of plain walling beneath the windows on
the north side of the Lady chapel and eastern transept.
The main roof together with the eastern transept is
at one level from the east end to the tower, and 'the
lead pinnacle' destroyed in the Civil War may have
been at the intersection. The east end is entirely
modern. The main walls are divided into three
stages by string-courses considerably higher than those
of the Norman period and continuous from end to end.
The bays of the Lady chapel are well-proportioned.
The main arches are of three deeply-moulded members
resting on moulded piers having eight marble columns
to each and richly carved capitals. The triforium
has a pair of arches in each bay, each containing a
pair of smaller arches with a carved figure in the
spandrels; there is a wall passage behind having a wall
arcade at the back in which no marble is used. The
clearstory has a group of three arches in each bay, of
which the middle is kept much higher than the sides,
resting on marble columns, and there is a wall passage
behind. The vault is original and has large bosses
richly carved at the intersection of the diagonal ribs.
The aisles have a wall arcade of trefoiled arches
with sculptured spandrels without marble, and the
windows have triple arches internally resting on
marble columns with carved capitals. The easternmost bay, having no side aisles, differs from the rest
by having two tall lancets one above the other and
wall panelling, like the aisles, carried beneath. The
eastern transept is treated similarly to the last, but has
a group of three lancets in two tiers at the ends and in
the free bays; the panelling is also carried round the
walls. In the south arm the spandrels of the south
and west sides are original.
The floor of the presbytery, owing to the crypt
beneath, is 3½ ft. above the Lady chapel, and this
with the wider spacing of the bays renders the western
half of the building not nearly so pleasing as the
eastern, though the design is similar. The three
western arches on each side, built after the destruction
of the Norman presbytery, have a leaf pattern ornament on the outer members and the mouldings differ
slightly from the others. The aisles of the presbytery
have no wall arcade, and except the third on the north
side the windows differ from those of the Lady chapel.
The first on the north and both on the south have a
large rear arch containing the whole of the window.
In the second and fourth on the north the rear arches
are feathered and could originally, as now, have only
had two lancets.
Most of the original lancets were removed in the
15th century and replaced by three-light windows in
the aisles and clearstory of the Lady chapel, four-light
windows in the aisles of the presbytery, save in the
two narrow windows, which had three lights and
tracery with mullions inserted in the lancets of the
eastern transept. This work was repaired in the
18th century and removed altogether in the 19th.
The chapel on the south of the presbytery is
separated from the aisle by arches and pillars of
similar character to the main arcades. It has triple
rear arches to the south windows and a wide rear arch
to the east window. At the west end is an early
12th-century arch, of which the jambs are of Wulstan's work, with large cushion capitals, carved in later
days, but the arch is of the repairs after the fire of
1113. (fn. 46) The chapel was converted into vestries
apparently in the 14th century, when all three arches
towards the church were walled up and a doorway
inserted in the south-west angle which leads by steps
to the treasury.
The Norman church had a corresponding chapel
on the north side, but it was done away with in
Bishop Blois' scheme, and in the 15th century another
building was erected on its site to house the sacrist,
with a doorway from the church inserted in the
presbytery aisle. Just over this doorway is a small
corbelled bay window with cusped heads and panelled
base, through which the sacrist commanded a view of
the presbytery with the high altar and the two shrines.
The sacrist's lodging was appropriated to the first
prebendary, when rooms were added over the north
aisle of the presbytery. The house was pulled down
about 1717 and a new house built for his use at the
corner of College Green opposite the Deanery, (fn. 47) but
the raised aisle remained till 1860.
The main transept is the same size as first set out
by Wulstan, and still retains in each arm some of the
original work. Both arms were repaired after the fire
of 1113, again after the fall of the tower in 1175, and
the upper parts were once more rebuilt when the
vaulting was added in 1375–6.
The north gable has a tall modern window within
a containing arch of 13th-century work, on the east
side of which the original rubble walling remains to a
considerable height, and in the angle is the vaulting
shaft added after the fall of the tower in 1175. The
east side has an arch into the original chapel similar
to that into the south chapel already described, but it
has been much renewed. To the south of the arch
is the middle of the added vaulting shafts consisting of
a triplet of columns placed in front of a flat pilaster
with rounded angles. The arch into the aisle was
inserted in 1375, at which time the upper works were
rebuilt and the vaulting added. The triforium stage
consists of a series of narrow cusped panels with a
transom above which is a continuous quatrefoiled
band. Above this is the clearstory with pointed
rear arches and a wall passage; the actual windows are
repairs of the 18th-century restoration of the original
tracery. In the north-east angle is a vice in a circular
turret which projects boldly into the transept and is
built in bands of green and white stone for some feet,
above which it is carried up in the work of 1175.
Southward are the jambs of an inserted window of
the same date, on either side of which the original
rubble remains to some height and is not bonded in
any way with the turret. The middle vaulting shaft
is similar to its companion on the east, and the arch
into the nave aisle with the triforium and clearstory is
of the date of the vaulting.
The crossing contains in at least three of its piers
the cores of the work following the fire of 1113. No
sign remains of the work after the fall of the tower in
1175, as each pillar is cased with the work of 1357–74.
Each arch is alike, springing from small capitals, at the
level of the string-course under the Norman clearstory
passage, and having piers unbroken by band or stringcourse, consisting of bowtels and hollows. The tower
above has externally been entirely made new owing
to the peeling of about 1785, but internally the
original work remains. This consists, above the
crossing arches, of three stages, of which the two lower
were intended when built to have been open to the
church. The bottom stage consists on each face of
five pointed arches divided by a stout mullion and
transom and has a wall passage. The next stage is
similar but twice as high and has six arches with two
transoms in front of a wall passage. The top stage
seems to have been always intended for bells. In each
angle of the tower were vices, of which that in the
south-east angle is the only one now used. Though
intended to have been a lantern, the tower was vaulted
at the level of the main vaults in 1376. Externally
between the belfry windows are niches containing
figures, three on each face, which, though all new,
take the places of the original figures illustrated by
Wild. The tower was originally intended to have
been surmounted by a stone spire, for which the
springing stones of the squinches still remain above
the belfry windows.
In the tower is a ring of twelve bells, with hour
bell and three quarter bells put up by Taylor of
Loughborough in 1868. The twelve bells of the
ring are each inscribed with the name of an apostle,
and the tenor weighs 2½ tons. The three quarter or
half-tone bells bear the names of St. Paul, St. Mark
and St. Luke. The hour bell weighs 4½ tons and
the diameter is 6 ft. 4½ in. It is inscribed 'Surge
qui dormis et exsurge a mortuis et illuminabit te
Christus; In Usum Ecclesiae Cathedralis Christi Et
Beatea Mariae Virginis In Civitate Bt Comitatu
Vigorniensi,' and bears the arms of the see, the dean
and chapter, and the city.
In 1220 the great bell was made by W. de Bradwe,
the sacrist, and consecrated by Bishop Blois' in honorem
S. Salvatoris et genetricis ejus' and 'Hauteclere' in
honour of St. John the Evangelist. (fn. 48) In 1374 John
Lyndsey, the sacrist, took the small bell of the three
hanging in the 'clochium' and placed it in the new
tower as a clock bell, (fn. 49) and he seems to have provided a
new bell for that removed. (fn. 50) In 1558 the four bells then
in the 'clochium' were broken up and carried away.
Of the eight bells existing previously to 1868 in
the great tower, one (the second) was stolen, another
(the fifth) is said to have gone to Dewsbury, and a
third (the treble) to Holy Trinity on Shrub Hill;
the tenor was sold. The other four bells were
acquired by Mr. Tyssen-Amherst (afterwards Lord
Amherst of Hackney) and placed by him in Didlington Church, Norfolk. Of these, the third is a very
ancient bell, uninscribed; the fourth is inscribed 'IN
HONOR[em] SCI WVLSTANI EPI,' and was cast by William
Burford of London; the sixth, 'HOC OPVS IMPLETO
IESV VIRTVTE FAVTETO,' by Stephen Norton of Kent.
These two, as the latter inscription suggests, were
placed in the new tower in 1374. The seventh bell,
inscribed 'Missi De Celis Habeo Nomen Gabrielis'
is by John Danyell of London (c. 1460), and has a
remarkably fine initial cross. (fn. 51)
The south transept, like that on the north, contains some of Wulstan's work in the lower parts.
The repairs after the 1113 fire show in the circular
turret, which is precisely similar to that on the north,
the mending of the arch to the eastern chapel, and in
the east facing of the wall over the arch to the presbytery aisle with the north jamb of the triforium above.
After the fall of the tower, vaulting piers were also
added to this transept, and a considerable amount
more of the same work remains. The south wall has
in the lowest stage two round-arched windows with
jamb shafts and cheveron-ornamented arches, above
which is a modern three-light window, but the rear
arch seems to be of the end of the 13th century.
The east wall has in the south bay the arch to the
chapel already described, also remains of the triforium,
consisting of one large semicircular arch ornamented
with large dog-teeth and subdivided with smaller
arches having cheveron ornament. The northern
bay has a 14th-century arch to the presbytery aisle
with remains of a triforium arch similar to that in the
south bay in the roof space above. The triforium
and clearstory have been remodelled to match the
north transept and the vaulting has an additional
lierne rib. The west wall has in the south bay
remains of the 1175 triforium, which on this side
was formed of a series of trefoiled arches on detached
columns with a wall passage behind. It is cut
through by a tall window of four lights, having two
continuous stages beneath the clearstory. The
northern bay has the arch to the nave aisle, with
triforium and clearstory above to match the east side.
The nave is of nine bays. At the seventh pair of
pillars is a vaulting shaft on either side built with
the green and white stones, showing that the western
part of the nave was not completed until after the
fire of 1113. The west end and the two western
bays apparently follow the lines of the earlier Norman
nave. The main arches are slightly pointed and of
four members carried on nook shafts, having capitals
of freely treated Norman patterns. The triforium
in each bay has two pointed arches, each containing
three round arches with cheveron ornament and
scalloped capitals containing smaller round-headed
openings at a lower level. The spandrels of the
outer arches and over the inner openings have carved
bosses. The clearstory has in each bay a large roundheaded arch flanked by two small pointed openings
in front of a wall passage. The window follows the
line of the middle opening, but is now filled with
tracery. The main span was from the first intended
to be vaulted, as shown by the vaulting shafts which
rise from the ground in triplets in front of a pilaster
with rounded angles which was continued as a wall
rib. The wall passage at the clearstory and triforium
levels was in both cases continued across the west end.
The bases and jambs of the west doorway are original,
though the rest of the doorway, the window above and
the great flanking buttresses are all modern.
The south aisle of the two western bays retains its
original vaulting, carried on shafts arranged like those
for the main span, and in each bay is a wide roundheaded window recess which shows the original treatment of the windows on the north side. The north
side has vaulting of the same character as the rest of
the aisle, and windows were inserted at the same
date. Over this side the walls are carried up and
finished by a continuous table course, the space above
the aisle being lighted by large circular windows in
each bay.
The remodelling of the nave was begun in the 14th
century; the work was started at the east end of
the north side and continued westward. In the aisle
and main arcade the whole seven bays up to the late
Norman work were so treated, but the triforium and
clearstory were built for only five bays. The two
remaining bays of the triforium and clearstory are of
a slightly different design, which marks the pause
caused in the work by the Black Death. The whole
of the south wall and aisle are of subsequent work,
but carry on the same scheme. The arcade is quite
different from that on the north, but the triforium
is the same as that of the sixth and seventh bays;
the clearstory is also different, and was probably
finished just before the vaulting was put on in 1377.
Of the north bays the arcade is of three members
carried on clustered pillars having boldly carved
capitals, and, to the first three, rough deep bases, but
to the rest the bases are moulded. The triforium
has two arches in each bay containing two smaller
arches, in the spandrels of which are seated figures,
and there is a wall passage behind. The vaulting
shafts rise from the ground and are finished with
deeply carved capitals at the string-course over the
triforium. At first it was intended to have only cross
and diagonal ribs, but an intermediate rib was afterwards determined upon, which on this north side is
carried by a small arch just above the springing.
The clearstory has a wide opening flanked by a smaller
one on either side, having labels with carved heads;
it has a wall passage behind and the windows are of
three lights.
The north aisle has large triple vaulting shafts
matching those on the main piers and has a continuous string-course. Above this are the windows,
having shafted jambs with carved capitals to the rear
arch, but the tracery throughout is modern. Projecting from the second bay is the Jesus chapel, which
has over it a dwelling-place for a priest, with a fireplace, and is gained from the turret in the north
transept by a wall passage. The chapel has been
recently inclosed by a stone screen surmounted by a
rood and fitted with an altar having a wooden reredos.
The south side of the nave has the pillars formed
of hollows and bowtels, also carried round the arch,
and with small capitals to the latter only. The
triforium is divided, as on the north, but the capitals
are diminutive and occur only to the front moulding.
The clearstory has three openings but no label moulding, and the arches are nearly straight-sided following
the line of the wall rib of the vault. After the new
nave was built the tower seems to have shown signs
of weakness, as on either side the triforium and clearstory are underbuilt by two series of flying buttresses
across the arches. (fn. 52)
The south aisle matches the north save that the
windows are kept high up to escape the cloister roof.
Under the windows, except in the first and seventh
bays, are round-headed recesses, of the same date as
the wall itself, of which the two eastern are filled
with contemporary monuments, having arched recesses
with side pinnacles and a pediment above. The
vaulting of the aisle has cross and diagonal ribs and
an intermediate lierne. In the first and seventh bays
are doorways to the cloister. The eastern is of the
13th century reset in the later wall, and is of two
members with a jamb shaft having moulded capitals
in each jamb. The western doorway is of two
moulded orders with a four-centred arch.
Projecting from the fifth bay on the north side is
the porch finished by Bishop Wakefield in 1386. It
is of two bays of lierne vaulting with richly carved
capitals resting on detached marble columns and has a
seat on either side. The entrance to the church is a
mutilation of the original 12th-century doorway, over
which is a triangular window with flowing tracery.
Externally the whole porch is new, and has in front
over the great arch a row of niches with figures of
the apostles. Above the porch is a parvise fitted up
as a caretaker's lodge and gained by a vice in the
south-west corner.
At this point the monastic arrangements of the
church may be considered. In Norman times the high
altar was in the apse with the shrine of St. Oswald
on the north side and the tomb of St. Wulstan on
the south, between which, but one bay westward, was
buried King John. The quire was placed beneath
the crossing and apparently one bay of the nave,
westward of which was the pulpitumoccupying a whole
bay and having a small altar on either side of the
quire door. At the third pair of pillars was the nave
altar in front of the rood screen. This arrangement
of quire and pulpitumremained until the Suppression,
but considerable alterations were made in the 13th
century, after the completion of the presbytery. The
old high altar seems to have been kept as a quire
altar with the shrines of St. Oswald and St. Wulstan on
either side, and King John's tomb was moved eastward
behind this altar. The new high altar was placed
under the eastern crossing, and had in 1502 the
chantry of Prince Arthur built on its south side. It
is obvious from the size of the 13th-century presbytery that it was intended to have brought the quire
into it, eastward of the main crossing, but for some
reason the scheme was abandoned. Each arm of the
eastern transept had an altar, the steps of which
remained until about 1860, and were separated from
the aisles by 15th-century screens removed in 1812. (fn. 53)
There was an altar at the east end of the Lady chapel
and one at the end of either aisle.
In each main transept was an altar, St. Mary
Magdalene's in the north and St. Thomas's in the
south. The altars on either side of the quire door
were apparently hallowed in honour of the Holy
Cross and St. Edmund the Archbishop respectively.
The nave altar was hallowed in honour of St. Peter
and St. Wulstan, if it can with certainty be identified
with the lower altar of the consecration of 1218.
A number of the monuments have been subjected
to the usual restoration displacement, but fortunately
the principal mediaeval monuments remain in position.
Opposite the altar of our Lady are two 13thcentury bishops in mass vestments supposed to have
been the builders of the eastern part of the church,
William of Blois and Walter Cantilupe. Under
the altar screen is a 15th-century bishop. Along
the Lady chapel aisles are placed effigies, on the
north side (1) a 14th-century bishop in mass vestments, which appears to be Bishop Cobham, removed
from the third bay of the north aisle of the nave,
(2) a fine 13th-century effigy of a lady on a pedestal
with open leafwork round the edges, moved in 1636
from the chapel of the chancel where it stood on
the north side towards the west, (fn. 54) (3) a cross-legged
knight sheathing his sword and having a pointed
shield; on the south side are two 14th-century
ladies. The monuments under the easternmost
arches of Dean Edes (1604) on the south and Bishop
Thornborough (1641) on the north have been shifted
for no reason to similar positions in the eighth bay
of the nave. Under the second pair of arches are
monuments to Lord Lyttelton (1876) on the north
and the Earl of Dudley (1885) on the south. In
the north-east transept is a monument by Chantrey to
Lady Digby (1820). At the south end of this
transept next the presbytery are two monuments; the
eastern is a 14th-century arched recess ornamented
with large ball flowers and holds the effigy of a
bishop much mutilated, the western is a late 14thcentury moulded recess having an Elizabethan
pedestal inserted, upon which lies a fine 15th-century
effigy of a bishop in mass vestments. These two
monuments were left in 1860 with their original
whitewash to show what the church was like before
it was restored.
In the midst of the presbytery opposite the high
altar is the tomb of King John. It consists of a
late 15th-century pedestal, having three divisions on
either side and one at each end ornamented with
quatrefoils containing shields. The effigy of the king
is in Purbeck marble, of a date closely following his
death; the head, upon which is a modern metal crown,
lies upon a pillow supported by small figures of the
Bishops Oswald and Wulstan and the feet rest upon
a lion. The whole effigy has been recently gilded
and the shields painted by error with the arms of
France modern and England. The monument was
opened in 1797 and found to contain the bones of
the king in a stone coffin, (fn. 55) upon which the slab of
the effigy fitted as a lid.
On the south side of the high altar is the chantry
of Prince Arthur, having open traceried sides of five
unevenly spaced bays with a solid bay at each end.
The bays are separated by stout mullions, having
niches containing mourners, and terminating with
tall pinnacles above an open panelled parapet. The
chapel is covered by a nearly flat ceiling, having in
the middle the arms of England with a label of three
points supported by antelopes and the plume of
feathers beneath. The reredos has five mutilated
figures in niches, of which the middle one seems to
be of the prince with angels bearing him to heaven;
the figures on either side are kings, the outermost
figure on the north is St. James the Less, and that
on the south St. George. Between the outer niches
on each side are two little niches, having St. Katharine
on the north with a bishop above, and St. Margaret
on the south, also with a bishop over. The width of
the altar was 4½ ft. and its height 2 ft. 10 in. The
monument of the prince stands in the middle of the
chantry chapel, and is of Purbeck marble, having the
arms of the king's son painted on shields in three
quatrefoils on each side and one at each end. Around
the edge is a painted inscription:—
'Here lyeth buried prince Arthur the fyrst begotten
sonne of the righte renowned Kinge Henry the
Seventhe whiche noble Prince departed oute of this
transitory life att the Castle of Ludlowe in the
seaventeenth yeare of hys fathers reign and in the
yeare of our Lorde God on thowsand fyve hundred
and two.'
The entrance doorway from the altar platform
contains the original open tracery door with the
ironwork. On the south side, owing to the level of
the south-east transept being so much lower than the
chantry, is another stage of panelling enriched with
Tudor badges and inclosing two monumental recesses.
These contain two late 13th-century effigies on
carved pedestals, all in Purbeck marble. The western
figure is of a bishop, supposed to be Godfrey
Giffard, in mass vestments, under a fine pedimented
canopy, which had shafts at the sides supported by
crockets, and the pedestal has six quatrefoils with
seated figures of the apostles. The eastern figure is
of a lady closely related to the bishop, as the pedestal
is similar and bears the remainder of the twelve
apostles. Against the south wall of this transept is
an early cross-legged effigy of a knight in mail,
supposed to be a Harcourt. In the middle of the
transept is a Purbeck marble altar tomb bearing an
inscription to Sir Gryffith Ryce, 1500, but the brasses
on the top are modern. Two or three interesting
monuments (fn. 56) which originally stood in the transept
have disappeared in recent years.
At the extreme west end of the north aisle of the
presbytery is the monument of Bishop Maddox
(1759), removed from the south transept.
In the north transept against the north wall is
a monument to Bishop Fleetwood (1683) and
another to Bishop Stillingfleet (1699), which stood
side by side behind the high altar. Against the west
wall is a large monument to Sir Thomas Street
(1696), and under the restored Norman arch in the
east wall is a monument by Roubiliac to Bishop
Hough (1743).
In the middle of the south transept is a monument
to Bishop Philpott (1892).
In the nave under the fourth arch on the north is
a fine altar tomb, enriched with panelling and arms
of the Beauchamps of Holt, bearing the effigies of a
knight and a lady. In the corresponding position on
the south side is an altar monument to Robert Wylde
and his wife (1607) bearing their effigies. In the
first recess in the south aisle is the effigy of a priest
which has been mended; in the next recess is the
effigy of Bishop Parry (1616), removed from the
north-east transept, but the monument, which was a
good one, was destroyed (fn. 57) ; in the fourth bay is an
Elizabethan altar tomb without any inscription; in
the next bay is an altar tomb with the legend 'Sir
Thomas Lyttleton of Frankly 1481,' it has arms in
panels and originally had a brass; and in the sixth
bay is an altar tomb to Bishop Freke (1591), and
the recess is lined with stone panelling of the same
date. Westward of the cloister doorway is a monument to Bishop Gauden (1662), another of those
originally at the back of the high altar, and in the
western bay is a monument to Bishop Johnson
(1774). In the first bay against the north wall is a
curiously treated effigy of Bishop Bullingham (1576),
only recently moved from its original position in the
Jesus chapel. In the seventh bay is a recessed
monument to John Moore, Ann his wife, and four
children (1613), who are represented as kneeling
figures in couples. In the eighth bay is a fine
monument to Abigail, wife of Bishop Goldsborough
of Gloucester (1613), moved from the north side of
the high altar. There is also a monument to Isaac
Walton's wife.
The church is particularly poor in any fittings.
The misericordes of the quire, now thirty-seven in
number, belong to the stalls erected in 1379, but
have passed through many adventures; for some time
they were thrown into the belfry, then used in the
Elizabethan stalls, again removed and used as
ornamentation to the quire screen of 1812, from
which they were rescued on the destruction of that
screen about 1860. The pulpit, now in the quire,
was moved in 1748 from the seventh pillar on the
north side of the nave, where it was erected after the
Civil War for the City Sermons. (fn. 58) It is all of stone,
circular on plan, has canopied niches with the
emblems of the Evangelists over open books and arms
of France, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the see.
It had an elaborate sounding-board supported by a
stone back bearing a carved panel depicting the new
Jerusalem now retained in the sill of the west
window near by. The font stood, in the 18th
century, against the second pillar on the south, but
was destroyed about 1748, when a new one of marble
was placed in the midst of the Jesus chapel; this in
turn has been discarded and a still newer one placed
in the westernmost bay of the south aisle.
The plate consists of a large paten, apparently of
early 17th-century date, two large flagons, two large
cups with covers for patens, richly gilt and engraved
with the arms of the see, bought in 1661, after the
restoration, of one Mr. Alvey, who was paid
£106 9s. for communion plate (fn. 59) ; two smaller cups
and flagon of later date, two fine early 17th-century
tups presented by Colonel Mylne Sandys in 1907.
There are also seven pewter almsdishes, eight cruets
and one ciborium.
The early registers consist of a single volume
tontaining all entries 1693 to 1811. (fn. 60)
On the south side of the nave is the cloister, which
is 4 ft. longer on the east than the other sides, around
which are alleys of communication with the surrounding buildings. In the first place the alleys would be
merely wooden pentices subjected to destruction at
each of the great fires, but after that of 1202 the
fronts, at any rate, would be built in stone or marble
and gradually give way to the present alleys as built
in the 14th century. This rebuilding seems to have
begun with the west alley, followed by the east, then
the north, and lastly the south was built. The
windows to the garth were filled with glass bearing
the arms of benefactors, but it was all destroyed in
the Civil War. The present windows are quite
modern and took the place of mean three-light openings of the 18th century. In the north, east and
south alleys the windows have internally deep recesses, the soffits of which are decorated with flowing
tracery, and in the pier between each two bays is a
square loop, so that from the ends all the windows
can be seen, but for what purpose is not clear, save
in the north alley, where there would be carrels for
the monks to study in, over which such supervision
might be required. The vaulting is similar throughout, having cross, diagonal, and intermediate ribs
with liernes in continuation on to the diagonals. The
intersections have bosses, which in the west and east
alleys are small and carved with leafwork, except the
middle boss of the north-east bay, which bears a
mutilated figure of our Lady between the two bishops
Oswald and Wulstan. The bosses in the north
alley are large angels holding shields, and in the
middle bay is our Lady and Child surrounded by
the emblems of the Evangelists and censing angels.
The bosses of the south alley represent a Jesse tree
leading up to the coronation of our Lady in the
middle bay.
The west alley has vaulting shafts of nine sides
representing the number of ribs, with bases but without
capitals; the east alley has semi-octagonal shafts with
bases and capitals; the north and south alleys have
similar shafts next the garth, but the vaulting is
carried on corbels in the main walls.
The transept towards the cloister is built with
Wulstan's rubble walling; it had a pilaster buttress
at the south-west angle, which has been cut away, and
the old Norman stones re-used as facing in line with
the wall.
Adjoining the transept is a passage to the monks'
cemetery, which here, as at Durham, was doubtless
used as the parlour. It is of Wulstan's work, with
wall panelling of round arches grouped in two bays
on either side. It has a barrel vault with cross barrels
opposite the bays of the wall arcade. The parlour
is entered from the cloister by a pointed archway
having a large niche in each jamb and of the date of
the cloister. There are two openings at the east
end; the northern leads to what was the monks'
cemetery, and the southern to the prior's lodging.
In the south-west angle is a square-headed doorway
to the triangular space formed by the chapter-house
which now contains a staircase of comparatively modern
construction. The treasury, built in 1377, occupies
the space over the parlour, and was originally gained
by steps through the doorway, already described, in
'St. John's chapel.' At the head of the stairs is a
second door, inside which is a low vaulted lobby with
a window to the east; a doorway on the west leads
to a large high vaulted room over the eastern part of
the parlour. This room, which may be called the
hall of the treasury, has besides the entrance three
other doorways. That in the south-west angle leads
into the space occupied by the present stairs, off which
is another door to a second vaulted room over the
western part of the parlour. In the south-east corner
of the hall is a pointed door to an irregular space
covered by a wagon vault and lighted by a small window in the east end: in the north-east corner is a
doorway to a semi-octagonal chamber, which was
apparently a garderobe. In the midst
of the north wall of the hall is a pointed
doorway to a wall stair leading up to
another story over the entrance lobby
and garderobe; the northern part is
vaulted in two bays and had a wide
opening towards the treasury; a doorway at the south end leads to an
irregular-shaped chamber vaulted into
two bays.
In the cloister the two bays southward of the parlour door have deep
recesses with square joggled heads made
to hold wooden cupboards for books
for the use of the monks in the cloister.
The chapter-house is to the south of
the parlour, and is entered from the
cloister by an arched doorway having
two large niches in either jamb of the
same date as the cloister alley. The
chapter-house is circular on plan, and
built with alternating bands of white
and green stone of the work following
the fire of 1113. Internally the circumference is divided into ten bays
by half-round columns with cushion
capitals, from which spring half-round
vaulting ribs which converge upon a
central round column with moulded
capital. Each bay is of three stages;
the lowest has a stone seat with hollowed recesses in a continuous range
round the wall, the second stage is a
wall arcade of seven round-headed
arches resting on detached columns,
above which are interlacing arches, and
the top stage had originally a roundheaded window in each bay. The
exterior of the chapter-house was cased
early in the 15th century, and large
buttresses added opposite the vaulting bays. The
outside face of the wall was made straight between
the buttresses, and in each free bay were inserted
large four-light windows. Blank windows of similar
pattern were put internally to the two northern bays.
The cloister wall from the chapter-house door to
the south-east angle was rebuilt at the same time the
alley was made. The southernmost bay, owing to
the deflexion of the south side, has been rendered
square by a wide vaulting shaft in the angle.
The frater occupies the whole of the south side of
the cloister raised upon a sub-vault which has the
cloister entry at the east end. The sub-vault and
entry are of about 1140. The entry has a barrel
vault and a round-headed doorway, of five moulded
members resting on jamb shafts, at the south end.
The sub-vault is now divided up into three parts,
but originally was open from end to end and entered
by a segmental-headed doorway from the cloister
entry. It is roughly of six bays of unribbed vaulting
resting on middle columns, of which the eastern one
is square with a half-round respond, the next three
are circular, and the fifth is like the first. Each bay
on the south had a pair of small round-headed windows
with deep splays, and between each externally are
wide pilaster buttresses with bold splayed plinths,
having a roll string-course carried round the heads
of the windows as a label. There is another entrance
to the sub-vault in the fifth bay with a lamp niche
inside; and yet another entrance was in the west wall
at its south end.
Worcester City: The Cemetery Gateway
The frater itself was rebuilt in the 14th century
by the same hand that built the north aisle of the
nave. It has a high dais at the east end over the
cloister entry. In the east wall is a modern square
window, but beneath it is a finely carved Majesty,
which has been mutilated and all projecting points
cut off in line with the wall. It consists of a seated
figure of our Lord within a quatrefoil, in the surrounding spandrels of which are emblems of the Evangelists,
and on either side are two niches with lofty canopies.
The whole is supported upon a hollow moulded shelf
enriched with leafwork and heads. Each side wall
has five three-light windows with modern tracery.
In the second window on the north was the pulpit;
the middle light is filled up for a short distance
with a canopied panel; the pulpit is gained by
a staircase in the thickness of the wall from a small
doorway near the dais. The west wall is carried on
a great construction arch and has a modern window
above. The entrance from the cloister is in the
western bay, and is of two moulded members with
an enriched label; the steps inside now go in a
straight flight, but originally turned eastward over
the thickened wall in the sub-vault. There is another
doorway on the south side which led to the kitchen.
The whole of the western bay is, and always seems
to have been, filled by a gallery, forming the screens
and containing the buttery; it may have been used
for the dining room for the old monks, as at Durham.
This gallery, the roof, and all the woodwork are
modern, and the frater is used for the school hall of
the king's scholars.
At the east end of the frater was the checker of
the hosteler, which communicated with the east alley
of the cloister by a small doorway in the second bay
from the south. In connexion with this checker was
the spital for poor guests, said to have measured
50 ft. by 20 ft. (fn. 61) The lodging of the hosteler was
appropriated to the fourth prebend, and the house
which occupied its site was pulled down in 1841. (fn. 62)
The hosteler having to attend to the guests, his
checker was placed conveniently for that purpose.
The guest-hall was therefore placed north and south,
eastward of the chapter-house, and had a small gatehouse or entrance next the hosteler's checker. The
hall was standing with its original roof in 1862, but
was then pulled down with the exception of part of
its east wall, and the roof was given to the new church
of the Holy Trinity to cover its nave. It was of five
bays, and entered by a porch at the south end of the
west side. The side walls had in each bay two-light
windows with flowing tracery, over which externally
were wall arches similar to those at Penshurst. The
windows in the two northern bays of the east wall
are kept high up in order to clear the roof of a
building to the east, into which is a small doorway
from the hall. The hall roof was divided into eight
bays by arched principals resting on carved wooden
corbels and having three moulded purlins on each
side with richly feathered wind-braces.
At the north end of the hall was a low building
of which the south wall remains, containing two
windows of two lights, and which seems to have been
a chapel. Between this and the chapter-house was
a two-storied building divided into two parts. The
western part was of the 15th century divided into
two bays by a buttress on the north side, and the
upper floor was a large room with panelled ceiling
lighted by a large window of two lights with a transom.
The eastern part was a timber structure. (fn. 63) At the
south end of the guest-hall were the kitchens, buttery
and pantry, above which was a large room called the
queen's chamber. (fn. 64)
Eastward of the guest-hall was the prior's lodging,
which was appropriated to the use of the dean, whose
house also included the guest-hall and the rooms to
the north, and was destroyed in 1845. It was
entered from College Green by a doorway to a lobby,
corresponding with the porch of the guest-hall, to
the east of which was a timber-built hall 55 ft. long
by 20 ft. wide, having an open roof of the 14th
century. (fn. 65) This hall had been divided into two
stories, in monastic days, and originally joined up to
the building running eastward from the northern end
of the guest-hall, which seems to have been the prior's
solar.
At the west end of the frater was the lodging of
the sub-prior, conveniently placed adjacent to the
dorter, and was allotted to the third prebend, but the
present house retains no old features. Southward of
this was the checker of the pittancer and cellarer,
which were allotted to the sixth prebend, but the
house was destroyed in 1845. (fn. 66) To the south of the
frater and adjoining the last was the house of the
seventh prebend, also destroyed in 1845; it occupied
the site of the cook's checker and contained the walls
of the kitchen. These were described as of 'a spacious
octagonal apartment 34 ft. in diameter and in height
11 ft. (fn. 67) South-west of the kitchen, close against
the water-gate, is the house of the prebend of the
second stall, who had allotted him the tumbary. If
this means the lodging of the shrine keeper it would
appear that the site of the house has been altered, as
this position is too far away from the church for that
official. At Durham his chamber was in the dorter,
and he does not seem to have had a checker.
The west wall of the cloister is full of interesting
features; in the southern bay is a modern door to
the house of the third prebend. The next two bays
are occupied by the arched recesses to hold the lavatory, of which the basin has been renewed. Just to
the north is the base of a 13th-century nook shaft,
evidently of the earlier lavatory. In the fourth bay
is a round-headed 13th-century doorway now blocked
up. The next bay is filled with a wide square-headed
doorway inserted at the end of the 15th century. In
the sixth bay is a small late doorway with a two-light
window to the north, all now built up; above are two
square recesses, one of which may have been for a
lamp and the other for a bell. In the seventh bay is
a tall round-headed doorway of two members with
nook shafts of early date, which has been filled in by a
small late 15th-century doorway. In the next bay
was a cupboard, and in the northernmost bay is a fine
pointed archway of the same work as the western
bays of the nave, having three members, of which the
middle one is enriched with zigzags and carried by
nook shafts. This archway is to a passage of the same
date vaulted in four bays, which led originally to the
infirmary. From the lavatory northward the cloister
wall is built in alternating courses of narrow and deep
stones with rough faces.
The great dorter of the monks ran westward from
the cloister and was one of the first buildings erected
after the eastern part of Wulstan's church. It was
built on a sub-vault of eight bays in length and four
in width. Of this building the whole of the western
end remains, but recased, two bays of the south wall,
three bays of the north wall forming the south side
of the infirmary passage, and the east wall, which is
the west wall of the cloister. These remains show
that the sub-vault had pilasters for cross arches with
small members in the angles for the vault which was
unribbed. On the north side is a doorway from the
infirmary passage, and in the north-east corner is a
small doorway with steps in the thickness of the wall
to the floor above. Over the sub-vault was the dorter
itself, of which next to nothing remains; it was
originally entered by steps through the early Norman
doorway in the cloister, but in late days this was
blocked up and the wide square-headed doorway took
its place. Most of the dorter fell in 1302, after which
it seems to have been patched up, for in 1375 a new
dorter was begun and finished the following year. In
the rebuilding, like the frater, the original spacing
was not followed, and the new dorter had two roofs
side by side carried on five stone columns, (fn. 68) but
nothing of this conversion remains except a two-light
window in the second bay of the sub-vault.
Worcester Priory: Ruins of the Reredorter
In continuation westward of the dorter, occupying
the ground up to the Severn bank, is an interesting
building of similar date to the west bays of the church,
and of which the lowest story at 30 ft. below the
dorter floor remains tolerably perfect. On plan it
consists of two chambers side by side built against the
earlier west wall of the dorter. The northern chamber
is five bays in length and vaulted in two alleys carried
by round columns down the middle. In the north
wall in each bay is a pair of lancet windows within a
deep recess. Above this chamber were two stories
level with the sub-vault and dorter respectively, of
which the upper was the reredorter of the convent
and had the seats arranged against the south wall over
the great drain. A small piece of this wall is standing, in which are four small loops with deep splays,
and further south a fragment of the inner wall of the
reredorter pit remains. In the opposite wall are said
to have been stately windows whose arches were
elaborately wrought, (fn. 69) but these would be in the
second story.
The southern chamber is also vaulted, but in one
span, and the south wall has deep recesses for windows.
There is a small vaulted garderobe at the west end.
At the second bay is a wide doorway to the northern
chamber, eastward is a small chamber in the thickness
of the wall, presumably a garderobe, and the remainder
of the wall westward contains the pit of the reredorter.
Over the southern chamber was one story only, which
had a pentice roof against the reredorter and was the
lodging of the master of the chapels. This was
allotted to the prebend of the ninth stall, whose house
was pulled down in 1843. (fn. 70) What was the use of
the sub-vault of both divisions and the room under
the reredorter is not clear, though they were probably
in connexion with the infirmary.
Northward of the reredorter was the house of the
eighth prebend, to whom originally had been appointed
the lodging of the master of the chapels. The site of
this house could not have been monastic, as it would
have blocked up the rooms under the reredorter;
therefore it is probable that the lodgings allotted to
the eighth and ninth prebends were too small, and a
new house was built on this site for the accommodation of the occupant of the eighth stall. This house
was removed in 1845. (fn. 71)
Across the west front of the church was the
infirmary with the lodging of the infirmarer, which
latter was allotted to the fifth prebend, and the house
occupying the site was destroyed in 1851. (fn. 72) The
infirmary was reached from the cloister by the vaulted
passage next the nave already described; the shavinghouse in the infirmary was built in 1379, and there
was as usual a separate chapel, for in 1287 a camera
next the infirmary chapel was removed for fear of fire
and erected elsewhere. (fn. 73) From the site occupied by
the infirmary it must have been very differently
arranged from those at the great Benedictine houses
of Christ Church, Canterbury, Peterborough, Ely or
Gloucester.
At the west end of the infirmary passage is a pointed
doorway to the vice in the south-west turret of the
nave which leads to the floor over the south aisle.
The two western bays were precisely similar to their
companions on the north, but the remainder up to
the transept were formed into the library in 1377 by
raising the roof and outside wall. Each bay has two
windows of two lights, except the easternmost, which
has a three-light window. The library now contains
three distinct collections: (1) the mediaeval MS.
library of 277 volumes, dating from the 11th to the
16th century, in locked cupboards against the north
wall; (2) the collection of printed books, numbering about 4,350 catalogued A to Z, on shelves against
the north wall; (3) the muniments, consisting of
volumes of manuscripts, historical or financial, charters
and indentures, rolls and accounts of officers of the
convent, &c., in cases. (fn. 74)
On the north side of the nave of the church was
the charnel chapel, hallowed in honour of our Lady
and St. Thomas of Canterbury, now represented
above ground by the lower parts of either ends of the
north wall, with buttresses forming part of the boundary of the deanery on either side of the front gate.
'The building was not demolished till the reign of
King Charles I, when complaint was made of its
abuse, being at that time converted into a hay-barn,
which was redressed by an order for taking it down.
The only vestiges of the chapel are part of the north
and south walls, which now inclose the court before
the house of William Bromley, esq., but the crypt or
vault which is underneath this court, extending the
whole space of it, is very entire; its length is 58 ft.,
its breadth 22 ft., and its height about 14 ft. It
contains a vast quantity of bones, which seem to have
been curiously assorted and piled up, but are now in
some disorder. The entrance of it is on the south
side, but is generally stopped up.' (fn. 75)
At the time of the restoration of the church the
arched vaulting was partially destroyed in order to
lower the approaches to the north porch of the
cathedral. (fn. 76)
The college for four priests, of whom one was to
be master, stood at the west end of the chapel, and
was destroyed about 1677, when a new house was
built on its site. (fn. 77)
As already stated, the sacrist's lodging stood on the
north side of the presbytery, and in front of it was a
lofty stone cross; 'at this place the sermons were
wont to be delivered in the open air, on the south
side of it near the church walls were seats for the
accommodation of the principal citizens.' (fn. 78) It was
destroyed in the time of the Civil War.
Northward of the eastern transept stood the belfry;
it was octagonal on plan, 61 ft. in diameter, and
had walls 10 ft. thick; it was 60 ft. high, or level
with the parapet of the church. Upon this stood
a wooden spire covered with lead, 150 ft. high and
capped by a weathercock. There were originally five
bells. (fn. 79) The lead and timber were removed during
the Civil War and sold for £1,640, there being
60 fodders of lead at £20 and 800 tons of timber
at 26s. The stonework was not pulled down immediately, and is shown on an old drawing of about
1670, but quite devoid of any architectural features,
though it was probably of 12th-century date, as
otherwise it would not have been erected so close to
the church.
The present Deanery was, until 1842, the Bishop's
Palace from the beginning of the 13th century and
perhaps before. In 1224 Bishop Blois built the
charnel between the cathedral church and the palace,
and in 1271 Bishop Giffard obtained a licence from
the king to crenellate or fortify his houses within his
close of Worcester. (fn. 80)
The portion of ground belonging to the bishop
is an irregular area, just under two acres, cut out of
the north-west angle of the precincts of the priory.
The palace had a strong gatehouse containing divers
chambers opening from the street called Bishop
Street (now Palace Yard) and was surrounded with
strong walls. (fn. 81)
The present house contains much work of Bishop
Giffard's time, especially in the cellars, but received its
present outward form in the 18th century. Bishop
Hough (1717–1743) is accredited with 'entirely
rebuilding a good part of the Episcopal Palace of
Worcester.' (fn. 82)
Bishop Johnson (1759–1774) 'made some valuable
additions ... at an expense exceeding £5,000.' (fn. 83)
The house is placed close to the north boundary
of the site and although considerable remains exist of
the 13th-century building the arrangements are not
easy to make out.
In the middle of the building is the bishop's hall,
placed east and west over a subvault. The latter,
which was probably used by the servants, is vaulted
with four bays, lighted at either end by a two-light
window and has a lancet and a fireplace in the north
wall. It is entered through a large moulded doorway at the east end of the south wall, and there is a
small doorway in the opposite wall which communicated by a vice with the hall above. There is also
a small doorway in the west wall opening outwards.
The main entrance to the subvault is covered by a
vaulted porch having a wide outer doorway to the
east flanked by two small loops which remain complete in the entrance hall of the present house.
Worcester City: Plan of The Deanery, formerly The Bishop's Palace
The hall itself has been much modernized but retains its original entrance, exactly over that to the
subvault. This was also covered by a porch but
entered by a moulded doorway to the south which
appears to have been originally gained by steps from
the courtyard. The east end of the hall was divided
off by screens and there was an original fireplace in
the north wall, with a window to the right of it.
To the west of the porch is the chapel now placed
north and south and entered directly from the hall.
The southern part of this chapel was the eastern part
of the original building and retains a trefoiled piscina
in the south wall. In the west wall is a wide double
chamfered arch, now blocked, which connected to
the nave of the chapel which has been destroyed.
The north end of the present chapel is contemporary,
as shewn by the window in the west wall, and was
probably the vestry.
Northward of the hall, at its west end, is an original
wing of which the subvault remains to two-thirds its
length. This is divided into two square chambers
with semi-octagonal ribbed vaulting. The southern
chamber was entered from the west through a small
doorway and has in its south wall one of the original
buttresses of the hall. The northern chamber is
entered from the other by a small doorway at the east
end of the dividing wall. The room or rooms over
this subvault are entirely destroyed by the present
dean's study but were doubtless the guest chambers of
the palace. Eastward of the northern division are
the remains of a large room added in the 15th century, in the south wall of which are a doorway and a
two-light window and in the north a fireplace. This
latter was in contact with the precinct wall of the
palace.
Southward of the chapel are the subvaults of an
L-shaped building. The western part runs southward
from the nave of the chapel and is of four vaulted
bays entered through a doorway at the north end.
It has a doorway in the northernmost bay on the
east and a window in the next bay, while on the west
are lancets in the first, second and southernmost bays.
At right angles to the south end of this subvault is
another subvault of two bays vaulted like the rest
and with a doorway in the south wall. The superstructure is much altered but there are two 14th-century windows of two lights in the east wall with a block
for a garderobe between. These were probably the
private rooms of the bishop and the kitchen was to
the north of the southern block in connexion with
the subvault under the hall through the porch.
The whole arrangement of the place is most unusual
and is due apparently to altering existing buildings
to suit the new scheme of Bishop Giffard.
The considerable space southward of the present
house suggests that here, as at Wells and Lincoln, was
a great hall and kitchen so necessary for the entertainment of the bishop's guests.