Wells Cathedral
The Wells Cathedral , officially The Cathedral Church of St Andrew , is an Anglican cathedral in the English city of Wells in Somerset . It is the Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells .
Building history
The beginning of Gothic architecture in England is generally assumed with the east end of Canterbury Cathedral in 1175, but the actual English Gothic, the Early English , began with the new construction of the cathedrals of Wells in 1180 and Lincoln in 1192.
Wells is the earliest Gothic church to be fully lined with pointed arches. Along with Salisbury Cathedral, it is the main work of the English early Gothic, but also contains parts from the High and Late Gothic periods. The entire complex is very well preserved and offers “one of the most perfect images of the entire European Middle Ages”.
The word "Wells" means "springs" and the cathedral is accordingly in a water-rich landscape. According to tradition, King Ine von Wessex founded a church dedicated to St. Andreas church.
The diocese of Somerset was founded in 909. In the 12th century it was moved to Bath at short notice . Wells was not honored again until Bishop Robert of Lewes. From now on the canons of Wells and Bath together elected the bishop. Although the Abbey of Bath was abolished by Henry VIII in 1543 , the bishop continued to call himself "of Bath and Wells".
The predecessor building of the Gothic cathedral is still unclear in terms of its appearance and location. In any case, the new Gothic building did not follow him, but could be planned without any preconditions.
Bishop Reginald Fitz Jocelin began building the current complex in the late 12th century (between 1186 and 1191). It began with the three west bays of the three-aisled choir , the three-aisled transept , the crossing and the eastern yoke of the nave . Under Bishop Jocelin of Wells (1206-1242) the nave was completed (1220-1239 consecration). Wells did not receive the rank of “cathedral” until 1245.
The first wells architect known by name was Adam Lock; he died in 1229. He was succeeded by Thomas Norrey.
The basic pattern consists of pointed arcades on richly structured cross-shaped pillars with 24 services that have been presented or discontinued, each of which is arranged in groups of three. This makes the columns appear very massive. The triforium appears like a long band of identical pointed arches. Above it is the Lichtgaden with a deep corridor and two far outside windows in each yoke. The vault services are placed on consoles between the triforium arches, so that overall a strong horizontal effect is created. The vault is no longer six-part, but four-part.
The long house with its ten bays is 113 meters long. However, the choir with its six bays and its own transept is roughly the same size. The existence of two transepts is a hallmark of English buildings. The motif probably comes from the Abbey Church of Cluny in Burgundy.
West facade
The west facade made of gray sandstone was erected in its lower parts as the last part of the early Gothic new building between 1220 and 1240. It has a width of 49 meters and thus follows similar principles that emphasize the horizontal as the nave. It has two low, cut-off towers and very small portals within an excessively high building base.
“In Wells, the English preference for facades, which display the sculptures like large lattice walls or altarpieces, found its greatest realization.” The buttresses show significant figural sculptures in the two figure niches on the main floor. The entire facade was furnished with a total of 176 figures, the "richest and most beautiful figure cycle of the English Gothic". 127 large figures have been preserved. Today, however, the coloring and the gilding are missing . Bullet traces are still preserved, which suggest iconoclastic actions by Reformation zealots (the number of figures on the facade varies in literature, depending on the size from which they are counted. There is also information from originally 400 figures).
The towers do not stand over side aisle yokes, as on the mainland, but to the side “next to” the nave. They are probably not wanted in this form, but remained unfinished. During the later construction work, it was decided instead to build a mighty crossing tower.
The upper floor of the south tower was built between 1367 and 1386 under the direction of the architect William Wynford. He was one of the leading architects of his time. He also worked for the king in Windsor, at "New College" in Oxford and at Winchester Cathedral .
The north tower of the facade followed between 1407 and 1427 under Bishop Stafford (1425–43), also according to Wynford's plans. Stafford had taken over a will from his predecessor, Bubwith, which granted him financial freedom. Bubwith is represented with his coat of arms on this tower, which originally included a figure.
Overall, the completion of the facade with its huge sculpture program was worked on well into the second half of the 13th century. After that, the chapter decided to follow the models of Westminster, Salisbury and Lincoln and build a chapter house.
Chapter house
The Chapter House (Engl. Chapter House ) is accessible from the north choir aisle about a famous, often photographed, artfully designed stairs. It is - according to tradition - octagonal and exceptionally two-story. The basement is simply designed like a crypt and served as a treasury. It was completed in 1319. The central pillar is surrounded by 16 slender services made of black Purbeck marble, and above it are fans made of 32 vaulted ribs . 11 ribs radiate out from each polygon corner, so that the small space is vaulted with 44 pairs of ribs, eight radial ribs and a crown rib running around an octagon.
Retro choir
The retro choir - a choir often found in English cathedrals behind the choir area of the altar - was built between 1320 and 1363. The new building of the three east choir bays ( presbytery ) and the upper floor of its west bays date from the same time . The windows show both the geometric cell tracery (around 1325) and the flame tracery (flowing tracery, around 1360), which spread to France since around 1370, where it is known as "style flamboyant" and spread across the continent from around 1400.
The expansion of the choir had become necessary because the flow of pilgrims had increased significantly. Wells now had his own "saint," Bishop William de Marchia, who died in 1302. After a "holy" life, local worship had rapidly increased. In 1318 the pilgrim gifts on his grave were already an important source of income for the abbey . In 1324 the abbey tried to have William recognized by the Pope as a "saint". This was rejected, but the local cult of saints continued. The money received was used to improve the crossing tower and, above all, to expand the choir.
Lady Chapel
An isolated Lady Chapel (Marienkapelle) was not built, but a retro choir and Lady Chapel were combined in that three sides of the chapel protrude into the choir. Here too, Salisbury served as a model. Bishop John Drokensford ensured that the cathedral was expanded in the early 14th century. In 1326 the Lady Chapel was completed under Master William Joyce. The octagonal, but not equilateral building was connected to the main choir by the retro choir in the middle of the 14th century. He has a star vault . The "Golden window" from around 1330 is famous.
The result was "an extensive landscape of low, hall-like rooms with the most delicate structure and light brightness". The complete "grating" of the walls with bars and tracery is remarkable. The slightly higher Marienkapelle projects to the east. Thomas of Whitney was the key stonemason of the first phase of construction.
Crossing
Originally, Wells Cathedral did not have a crossing tower . This was only built between 1315 and 1322 under Bishop John Drokensford by the builder Thomas of Witney. Following the example of Salisbury , he originally had a tall helmet , which however fell victim to a fire in 1439 and was not renewed.
It soon became clear that the tower's mass led to a subsidence of the ground and that stabilizing measures were therefore necessary. This led to 1338 for the famous design scissor arches ( "scissor arches"), which are generally the architect William Joy, who worked in Wells since 1329 attributed. However, the sources are not clear, and only for the years 1354 and 1356 are reports about the construction of the famous arches, which Joy would rule out as the responsible architect.
The scissor arches, which are unique in the entire history of architecture, reinforce the crossing piers with strongly profiled structures that are drawn in under three of the crossing arches and visually demarcate both the nave and the two transept arms from the crossing. Only the east side towards the choir does not have a scissor arch.
A scissor arch can clearly be described as an interpenetrating S-curve or as a pointed arch turned upside down on an upright one. In addition, an intended allusion to the cross of the apostle Andrew , to whom the church is consecrated, is possible. The support measures lead to a clearly separated spatial structure that is characterized by complex views. The most important scissor arch of the nave for the overall impression also takes up the lines of the wall structure and concentrates them in the crossing point flanked by oculi on both sides .
Modern experiments suggest that Wells' scissor arches would be superfluous for a support function and that the less noticeable auxiliary measures of buttresses in the walls of the upper aisle would have been sufficient; However, this has no significance for historical development.
Astronomical clock
An important astronomical clock has been located in the north transept since the late 14th century . The dial shows 24 hours, minutes, lunar months and other astronomical data and is one of the oldest surviving church clocks after the clock in Ottery St Mary .
Cloister
The extensive cloister was built in the second half of the 14th century. The inner field measures 55 × 38 meters. The cloister wings are characterized by the large unity of the scale of division both on the vaults and on the walls.
Monastery building
In the 14th century, right next to the cathedral to the north, a closed settlement of 42 row houses was built by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury as an apartment for the canons ( Vicar's Close ). He wanted to offer the canons a safe place to stay away from the temptations of the city. He had a tense relationship with the Wells residents anyway, mostly because of the taxes he was collecting. That is why he thought it necessary to surround the abbey grounds with high walls and drawbridges. This system was not changed much later. The houses face each other in two rows. Each house has an upper and a lower room and a small garden. In order to be able to get from this "model village" to the cathedral without any danger, a covered bridge was even built.
organ
The organ was built in 1909/1910 by the organ builders Harrison & Harrison. In 1973 the instrument was restored, a new work (positive organ) was added and it was re-voiced. In 2002 a new electronic setting system was installed. The organ case dates from 1974. The instrument has 67 registers on four manuals and a pedal . The actions are electro-pneumatic.
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literature
- Harry Batsford, Charles Fry: The Cathedrals of England. 7th edition. BT Batsford, London 1948.
- Jon Cannon: Cathedral. The great English cathedrals and the world that made them, 600-1540. London 2007.
- LS Colchester (Ed.): Wells cathedral. A history. Shepton Mallet 1982.
- Alain Erlande-Brandenburg : Gothic Art . Freiburg / Basel / Vienna 1984, ISBN 3-451-19403-1 , p. 544.
- John Shannon Hendrix: The Splendor of English Gothic Architecture. Parkstone, London 2013.
- Martin Hürlimann: English cathedrals . Zurich 1948, pp. 28–30, fig. 5, 79–100.
- Peter Sager: South England . (DuMont art travel guide). 8th edition. Cologne 1985, ISBN 3-7701-0744-6 , p. 251.
- Werner Schäfke : English cathedrals. A journey through the highlights of English architecture from 1066 to the present day . (DuMont art travel guide). Cologne 1983, ISBN 3-7701-1313-6 , p. 172, figs. 46-51; Color plate 6.10.
- Otto von Simson: The Middle Ages II (= Propylaea Art History , Volume 6). Frankfurt am Main / Berlin 1990, pp. 159-160, Figs. 129, 130, 152a.
- Wim Swaan: The great cathedrals . Cologne 1969, p. 188, fig. 198, 216–223, 230.
- Leonie von Wilckens: Outline of occidental art history. Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-520-37301-7 , pp. 134, 136.
Web links
swell
- ↑ Harry Batsford, Charles Fry: The Cathedrals of England. P. 92.
- ↑ a b c Hürlimann, p. 28.
- ↑ Schäfke, p. 173.
- ↑ Erlande-Brandenburg, p. 544.
- ↑ a b Swaan, p. 188.
- ↑ Bissell, 2013.
- ↑ Schäfke, p. 177.
- ↑ Swaan, p. 193.
- ↑ Description according to Bissell, 2013.
- ↑ Schäfke, p. 178.
- ↑ Schäfke, p. 180.
- ↑ information on organ (English)
Coordinates: 51 ° 12 ′ 35 " N , 2 ° 38 ′ 36" W.