34 HEREFORD (D.b.).
(O.S. 6 in. (a)XXXIII, S.E., (b)XXXIX, N.E.,
(c)XXXIV, S.W.)
The City of Hereford includes the parishes of St.
John the Baptist, St. Peter, All Saints, St. Nicholas,
St. Owen and St. Martin Hereford, Holmer Within,
Tupsley and Huntington. There are few remains of
the town wall or castle, and the principal surviving
monuments are the Cathedral with its subsidiary
buildings, All Saints and St. Peter's Churches and the
Wye Bridge. There are some much-altered remains
of the Black Friars Priory and a series of interesting
almshouses. The White Cross, outside the town,
may also be noted. Since the destruction of the
magnificent timber town-hall in the middle of the
last century, the finest surviving domestic building is
the Old House also called the Butchers' Hall, and there
are interesting mediæval roofs at the Booth Hall and
at Nos. 29 & 30, Castle Street. Many of the houses
fronting on the main streets have mediæval cellars,
and an unusually large percentage of the minor
domestic buildings contain enriched plaster ceilings
of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Ecclesiastical
a(1). The Cathedral Church of St. Mary and
St. Ethelbert (Plates 108, 109, 113) and subsidiary
buildings stand on the S. side of the city. The cathedral
is built almost entirely of the local sandstone (Old Red
Sandstone) mainly of a reddish colour but with lighter
coloured beds. Some of the carved work in the
presbytery was apparently executed in Ketton or some
kindred stone. The monolithic shafting in the N.
transept is in Purbeck marble and the modern shafts
are in slate. The roofs are covered with lead.
Cathedral plan
The Saxon See, subsequently called Hereford, was
probably due to the reorganisation of the English
Church by Archbishop Theodore late in the 7th century,
but the precise date of its establishment is uncertain.
It is recorded that Bishop Cuthbert (before 740) placed
there a cross of great magnificence (William of Malmesbury). In 794 King Ethelbert of East Anglia was
murdered by Offa of Mercia (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle)
and is said to have been buried at Hereford. The
church at Hereford was re-built by Bishop Athelstane II,
1012–56, but this building was seriously damaged by
the Welsh in 1055 (Simeon of Durham and A.S. Chron.).
Bishop Robert de Losinga (1079–1095) is recorded
(William of Malmesbury) to have built a church at
Hereford on the model of the minster at Aachen, and
it is possible that this building is to be identified with
the curious central-plan structure formerly standing
on the S. side of the Bishop's Cloister, and destroyed
by Bishop Egerton in 1737. The only documentary
evidence of the date of the beginning of the existing
cathedral is a statement (Calendar of Obits) that Bishop
Reinhelm (1107–15) was the founder; the architectural
details accord well with this statement and indicate that
the E. end, presbytery, eastern towers, and south
transept, with the sacristy to the E. of it, were begun
quite early in the 12th century. The building of the
church at Hereford was carried on throughout the
first half of the 12th century and was finished (Anglia
Sacra) under Bishop Robert de Bethune (1131–48);
this work included the nave and aisles and probably a
central tower; at the same time the earlier work of the
presbytery was enriched with more elaborate carving.
The presbytery aisles and probably the nave aisles had
a stone vault, and it is not improbable that the presbytery
itself had a vault divided into bays by broad bands,
similar to those of which traces survive in the nave at
Chepstow. During the restorations of 1842–49 remains
of the internal curve of the apse terminating the N.
presbytery-aisle were found, but whether the external
face was round or square was not determined; of the
building E. of the middle arch in the E. wall of the
presbytery, presumably an apse of rather deeper
projection, the side walls only were traced to a distance
of some 5 ft. E. of the external face of the presbytery;
of the apse at the end of the S. aisle no definite traces
were found. The first important alteration to the
completed church was probably carried out by Bishop
William de Vere (1186–98) who, as recorded on his
epitaph (Leland), is stated to have constructed many
fine buildings; among these was probably the eastern
transept which took the place of the three supposed
apses terminating the Norman church; the central
section of the transept was designed to extend eastwards, but this actual work stops immediately to the
W. of the line of the Lady Chapel crypt and includes
the pair of vaulting-shafts in that position. The next
alteration was the addition of the existing Lady Chapel
with its crypt which appears to have been begun c. 1220
or even earlier. Towards the middle of the 13th century
the clearstorey of the presbytery was re-built and the
upper part of the two eastern towers destroyed; at
the same time the existing vault of the presbytery was
built. The later alterations and additions to the
Cathedral are mostly dated by the practice of burying
the bishop or other person responsible for the work
in or near the work for which he was responsible.
The first alteration to which this applies is the rebuilding
of the North Transept, probably begun by Bishop Peter
de Aquablanca (1240–68) who lies buried under the
arch, constructed, with his tomb, between the transept
and the N. Aisle of the presbytery; with it was
reconstructed the adjoining bay of vaulting in the aisle.
The transept was perhaps completed under Bishop
John le Breton (1269–75). The Central Tower was
built over the arches of the Norman crossing c. 1300–10.
This is indicated by the preamble of a papal bull of
1319 which refers to a sumptuous building, which the
dean and chapter had some time since erected on an
ancient foundation, which was thought to be firm and
solid but which then threatened ruin. The measures
taken to support the tower included the insertion of
two sub-arches and a wall under the N. and S. arches
of the crossing, the blocking of the arch at the E. end
of the N. aisle of the nave and the partial re-casing of
the tower-piers. The former W. Tower was of
approximately the same date as that over the crossing,
and works of the same period include the reconstruction of the aisles of the presbytery with the raising
of their vaults, the reconstruction of the aisles of the
nave with their vaults; the addition of the North
Porch and the reconstruction of the North-East Transept; this last work may be ascribed to Bishop Richard
Swinefield (d. 1316) who lies buried in it. The cost of
all this work was presumably covered by offerings at
the tomb of Bishop Thomas of Cantilupe (d. 1282)
who was canonised in 1320. The reconstruction of
the South East Transept was probably done (except the
vault) under Bishop Lewis Charlton (1361–69) whose
tomb it contains. The S. end of the S. transept was
re-erected immediately after the death of Bishop John
Trevenant (1389–1404), and the vault of the same
transept and probably the former vault under the
central tower were added later in the same century.
The former W. window of the nave was inserted
by Precentor William Lochard (d. 1438) who was
buried below it. Other 15th-century additions of
uncertain date include the former E. window of the
presbytery and the small room now used as the Quire
Vestry. During the 15th century, also, were erected
the two Chantry-chapels of Bishop John Stanbery
(1453–74) on the N. side of the presbytery and of
Bishop Edmund Audley (1492–1502) on the S. side
of the Lady Chapel. The vault of the S.E. Transept,
with the central column, was reconstructed late in
the 15th century, probably by Dean Harvey (d. 1500)
whose tomb stands on the S. side. The outer North
Porch, generally attributed to Bishop Charles Booth,
(1516–35) was probably begun by his predecessor
Richard Mayhew (1504–16) as it was certainly completed before 1519, the date on a small adjoining doorway the architectural details of which are cut into the
pre-existing work of the outer porch. This doorway
is generally connected with the Chapel of St. Mary
"outside the N. doorway of the cathedral" and
originally founded in 1367. Whatever may have
been the original position of this chapel, it is not
improbable that eventually it was represented by the
chapel over the outer porch. It is also said to have
been founded by Philip Delamere and Adam Esgar,
who are credited with building an outer porch. Little
seems to have been done to the cathedral for the next
200 years, but in 1717 the presbytery was refitted and
a Renaissance reredos erected by Bishop Philip Bisse
(1713–21). The W. Tower, the W. front and the
whole of the adjoining parts of the nave and aisles
fell down on April 17th, 1786. The W. front was
re-built by James Wyatt, one bay E. of the old front,
and he also re-built (in plaster) the vault of the nave,
remodelled and entirely refaced the triforium of the
nave and re-built the clearstorey. The timber spire of
the central tower was also removed, to lighten the
structure. The existing main pinnacles were added
to the central tower in 1830. The condition of the
central tower, the E. wall of the Lady Chapel and
other parts of the structure was so insecure that a
general restoration was undertaken in 1842–49 under
Cottingham. The central tower was underpinned,
the vault removed and the piers largely re-built with
the adjoining arches over the aisles and in the main
arcades; the supporting sub-arches on the N. and S.
were removed; the E. arch of the presbytery was
opened out and the wall and gable above re-built, with
the adjoining vaulting of the ambulatory; the E. wall
of the Lady Chapel was also re-built. During these
alterations, Bisse's reredos was removed and the stone
pulpitum under the W. arch of the crossing destroyed.
The general restoration was carried on under Sir G.
Gilbert Scott 1856–63; his work included restoration
of the Lady Chapel, a new pinnacle on the W. side of
the N. transept and the insertion of the circular work
in the windows of the old Muniment Room (triforium
of the N. transept). The quire-stalls were re-erected
to the E. of the crossing with the loss of many of their
number, and the iron quire-screen was erected. The W.
front, built by Wyatt, was replaced by the existing
W. front in 1904–8, the design being by Mr. Oldrid
Scott. In 1926 the modern pinnacles and parapet of the
tower were restored and repairs done to the decayed
stonework of the tower.
The cathedral contains excellent examples of 12th,
13th, 14th and early 16th-century work. The plan of
the Norman church has two remarkable features,
namely, the two towers over the eastern bays of the
quire-aisles, a feature elsewhere unparalleled in this
country, and the large arch in the E. wall of the
presbytery, which no doubt inspired the similar feature
in the cathedral of Llandaff. The cylindrical piers of
the nave follow the type of Gloucester, Tewkesbury
and Pershore, but are on a much lower scale and the
more normal proportions of arcade, triforium and
clearstorey were observed at Hereford. The Lady
Chapel, though much restored, is a rich example of the
first half of the 13th century and is remarkable for
having a crypt, which is not in any way demanded by
the fall of the ground. The mid to late 13th-century
N. transept is a complete, and in some ways unusual,
example of its period. The early 14th-century work
is of no great distinction, except the central tower,
which is profusely ornamented with the characteristic
ball-flower, and the N. porch has fairly elaborate
carving. Of the later work the finest feature is the
early 16th-century outer N. porch. The fittings
include numerous items of considerable interest;
among these may be specially mentioned the late 12th
or early 13th-century wooden chair, the brasses of
Bishop Trilleck, Richard Delamere and his wife and
Dean Frowsetoure, the Limoges-enamel reliquary of
St. Thomas of Canterbury, the coffin-chalices and a
long series of monuments, of which the finest are
those of Bishop Aquablanca, the base of the Cantilupe
shrine, the Grandison and other tombs in the Lady
Chapel, the Pembridge tomb in the nave, the Stanbery
chantry and monument, and the late Gothic tombs of
Bishops Mayhew and Booth. The series of monuments to the early bishops of the See, erected early
in the 14th century, is curious rather than remarkable,
and may be compared with the earlier series in the
cathedral of Wells. The stained glass includes some
good 13th and early 14th-century work in the Lady
Chapel and S. aisles of the presbytery and nave. The
14th-century map of the world in the S. transept was
found in the Audley chapel. The stalls in the quire,
though moved from their original position and reconstructed with the loss of some of their number, are
good examples of 14th-century woodwork, and there
is some wooden arcading of rather earlier date at the
back of the bishop's throne. Another fitting that may
be specially mentioned is the font, which has good
12th-century carved ornament and figures.
Hereford Cathedral, Plan of Early 12th Century East End
Architectural Description—The Presbytery (56 ft. by
34 ft.) of the Norman church, of c. 1110, projects
three bays E. of the crossing and is flanked by aisles
of equal length with which it communicates by three
open arches on each side. The presbytery is terminated on the E. by a square end pierced by one large
arch; E. of this stood some building of uncertain
form, probably an apse, and E. of the aisles were
smaller apses; the foundations of these buildings,
discovered in the restorations of 1842–9, are thus
described "the E. end of the N. aisle of the choir was
terminated by an apse, semi-circular in plan inside;
its outside shape not definitely remaining, but probably
square. Of the foundation at the end of the S. aisle
very little remains . . . . Outside of the main arch of
the choir for four or five feet, the massive foundation
of the side-walls continued straight eastwards and
then was broken up and lost" (G.M. Hills in B.A.A.
Journ. xxvii, p. 503); the plan showing these discoveries is no longer available. Over the E. bay of
each aisle stood a tower of which the E. walls stood
over the two arches opening from the aisles into the
apses and are still carried up, of the original thickness,
well above the adjoining aisle-roofs; they are now
finished with a plain raking coping. The N. wall of
the N. tower has been entirely destroyed, but the
corresponding wall of the S. tower is still represented
by its chamfered plinth and clasping S.W. buttress,
underlying the existing 14th-century wall; this plinth
shows that the S. wall was of equal thickness with the
E. walls. The inner walls stood on the E. bay of the
main arcades of the presbytery and the eastern angles
are represented by the flat pilaster-buttresses still
running up the main E. gable and now finished with
tabling. The W. walls of the towers were carried on
arches over the aisles, and of these the cutting back of
the broad respond on the first pier of the N. arcade
is still apparent, though the corresponding evidence
in the S. aisle has been obliterated by restoration. In
the space between the aisle-vaults and roof on both
sides the marks of the rough tearing away of these
W. walls are still perfectly apparent, the walls being
6½ ft. thick in the lower part and 5½ ft. thick above
an internal offset which is still visible on the E. wall
of the N. tower. Both towers were destroyed when
the main clearstorey was re-built in the 13th century.
The arch in the E. wall of the presbytery is semi-circular and of five orders on the W. face, apparently
all modern restoration; the corresponding orders of
the responds are alternately shafted and square, with
a pair of half-round shafts on the internal reveal;
these shafts have moulded bases and carved capitals,
but though the responds are partly original the capitals
are all modern (the ancient capitals are preserved loose
in the S.E. transept) and the bases also, except the
inner shaft-bases on both sides, which have curious
cable-enrichments and a crude foliate ornament and
are of early section; the bases on the E. side of the
modern reredos are also original, that on the N. having
a Y-shaped binding over the moulding with a broachspur at the angle; that on the S. is of bulbous form
roughly scored with curved lines and a crude diaper.
The wall above the arch is mainly modern, but through
the surviving ancient portions runs a wall-passage,
level with the triforium and communicating with a
round-headed doorway (now blocked) pierced in the
E. wall of both towers and formerly opening into the
spaces above the side apses; this passage is lit by a
single round-headed window (now under the roof) in
the southern of the two pilaster buttresses running up
the E. wall of the presbytery. The modern part of
the E. wall has a modern wall-arcade and three modern
lancet-windows in the gable. The side walls of the
presbytery are of three bays and are divided into main
arcade, triforium and clearstorey; the two former are
of early 12th-century date, but the clearstorey is largely
of the first half of the 13th century as is the stone
vault. The main arcades (Plate 151) have round arches
of three orders, the two inner roll-moulded and the outer
of square section enriched with lozenge-ornament on the
face; the piers are compound and formed of two
responds divided, towards the presbytery, by heavy
pilasters carried up to the springing of the triforium
arches and with attached shafts worked on the angles;
these pilasters now have 13th-century twin-gabled
cappings but may have once supported the main cross-arches of a 12th-century vault. The responds of the
main arcades have a square outer order, an attached
shaft to the middle order, and a pair of attached shafts
on the reveal; the bases are mainly modern, but the
capitals are partly old and have partly-restored moulded
abaci; the capitals are carved as follows:—N. side,
1st arch, E. respond—(a) scrolled foliage, (b) crude
foliage and scalloping, (c) foliage probably mid 12th-century, (d) crude grooving and volutes; W. respond
—all capitals scalloped and re-cut; 2nd arch, E. respond
—all capitals scalloped but upright faces of middle
capitals with simple leaf-forms; W. respond—
(a) simple scallops, (b) face on angle, (c) scallops,
(d) crude scroll-ornament; 3rd arch, E. respond—
(a) scalloped and restored, (b) spirals with modern
Scandinavian beast-head at angle (original cap in S.E.
transept), (c) scallops with grotesque human head at
angle apparently modern, (d) modern bird and old
crude scrolls; W. respond—(a) scallops, (b) crude
volutes, (c) and (d) scallops. S. side, 1st arch, E.
respond—(a) scalloped, with foliage, probably modern,
(b) face and foliage, probably modern, (c) scalloped,
with foliage, modern, (d) three ranges of scallops, old,
abacus with lozengy carving; W. respond—all
capitals simply scalloped and re-cut; 2nd arch, E.
respond—(a) modern foliage, (b) scallops, crude foliage,
(c) crude leaf and volutes, (d) as (c); W. respond—
(a, b and c) modern scallops, (d) scallops with wavy
lines over, partly old; 3rd arch, covered by organ.
The triforium has, in each bay, a round main arch of
two orders, the outer enriched with cheveron-ornament
and the inner moulded and enclosing two round sub-arches also with cheveron-ornament; the responds
have large attached semi-cylindrical shafts with moulded
caps and chamfered plinths, and the sub-arches rest
in the middle on free round shafts; the tympana of
the triforium arches have cheveron and other diapering.
On the N. side the capitals of the three responds in
the E. half are plain, the others are scalloped: the
abaci are carved with wicker-work pattern; the capitals
of the free shafts in the two E. bays are carved with
volutes, etc., and have diapered abaci; the W. bay on
the N. side has been entirely restored or re-built;
below the triforium is a string-course, all modern,
except in the middle bay, where it has cheveron and
diaper-ornament; on the outside face of the E. bay,
W. of the arch and above it (visible above the aisle-roof), is a narrow window-opening, now blocked and
having a round head and a solid tympanum carved
with crude foliage; if this window is in situ it is difficult to imagine what purpose it could have served.
On the S. side the responds of the triforium-arches
have scalloped capitals, all modern or re-cut; the
capitals of the free shafts are old, carved with foliage,
the westernmost hidden by the organ. The N.
triforium is now blocked by the early 14th-century
vault of the N. aisle, but the corresponding vault in
the S. aisle has been carried up to a higher level, to
admit of the insertion of unglazed windows opening
into the aisle; these are of early 14th-century date
and are each of two segmental-pointed lights in a
segmental-pointed head with a solid spandrel; they
are inserted at the back of the main triforium arches.
The clearstorey is of early to mid 13th-century date,
but may include parts of the 12th-century walling, as
there is a flat pilaster-buttress between the second and
third bays on both sides; the flat buttress between
the first and second bays on the N. is an addition,
probably of the 13th century, as, below the aisle roof,
it is set against the rough masonry of the destroyed
W. wall of the N.E. tower. The clearstorey has in
each bay, on the inside face, an open arcade of one
main arch sub-divided and two side arches, undivided;
the main arch has shafted jambs and a free quatre-foiled shaft, all with foliated capitals, and a moulded
two-centred head with two-centred sub-arches and an
open spandrel; the arches have no labels, but above
the capitals are small bosses carved with human heads
or foliage, the N.E. boss is missing; the side arches
have shafted jambs with foliated capitals and moulded
trefoiled arches with moulded labels which have
foliated stops; at the back of this arcade runs the
clearstorey-passage which has corbelled lintels behind
the piers between the main and side arches, the inner
corbels carved with foliage; at the back of each main
arch is a clearstorey-window of two pointed lights
with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; the window
has shafted jambs externally with foliated capitals,
moulded bands and bases, a moulded label, square
reveals having shafts with foliated capitals, and a
moulded rear-arch. At the base of the clearstorey
inside runs a moulded string-course with dog-tooth
ornament. The exterior of the clearstorey differs on
the two sides; the N. side (Plate 116) has two ranges
of wall-arcading, the lower and taller range, consisting
of moulded two-centred arches, springing from grouped
shafts (two to the responds and three between the
bays) with capitals, one foliated, the rest moulded, to
the responds and foliated capitals between the bays;
the arcading is rendered unsymmetrical by the position
of the buttresses between the main bays of the wall;
the upper range of arcading consists of moulded
trefoiled arches, with trefoils or quatrefoils in the
spandrels, and springing from grouped shafts with
foliated capitals and lines of pyramidal ornament
between the shafts; the plain parapet rests on a
trefoiled corbel-table with head-corbels or foliated
terminations at irregular intervals; the buttress at
the E. angle has moulded corners, and supports a
modern turret; both ranges of arcading and the
parapet are considerably restored. The S. wall has a
single range of arcading, generally similar to the lower
range on the N. wall with four foliated capitals; above
it is a range of sunk and moulded panels, alternately
round and lozenge-shaped, and with cusped or carved
filling; the arcading on this side is continuous in the
two E. bays; the trefoiled corbel-table has head or
foliated corbels. The 13th-century stone vault of the
presbytery is of three quadripartite bays with moulded
cross, diagonal and wall-ribs; there are large foliated
bosses at the intersections and smaller foliated bosses
at the apex of the cross-ribs. The vault springs from
shafts, single in the angles and triple between the bays,
all with capitals mostly carved with foliage, but the
S.E. capital has a human head in foliage and the third
capital on the N. side is carved with a group of seven
heads in foliage, three large and four small, including
a bishop and several priests; one of the larger heads
with a protruding tongue has its throat gripped by a
large hand which is issuing from the foliage; the
shafts rise from the 12th-century pilasters, already
described, which are cut short half-way up the triforium
and finished with a 13th-century capping; this capping
consists of foliated capitals to the pilaster-shafts and a
double gable with crockets and finials, the latter formed
either of bunches of foliage or a head of a small figure;
the tympana of the gables are variously carved with,
on N.—(a) foliated stem, (b) cusped panel with a
cross, (c) diaper and quatre-foiled panel, unsymmetrically arranged, (d) foliated sprig and diapering, also unsymmetrical; on S.—(a) window-tracery, (b) foliage,
(c) tracery including a large quatrefoil, (d) cusped panel
with foliage. The vault is supported on each side by
two plain flying buttresses added or re-built early in
the 14th century when the aisles were reconstructed.
The North Aisle of the Presbytery (55¼ ft. by 14 ft.)
is of three bays and has an early 12th-century arch in
the E. wall with a round head of two orders on the
W. face, the inner plain and continuous and the outer
roll-moulded and springing from attached shafts with
carved capitals, moulded abaci with billet-ornament
and moulded bases; the N. capital has a crude palmette
on each face and the S. capital has foliage and volutes;
the moulded plinth is carried along the reveal of the
opening and has been cut back on the E. face of the
wall, as though the former apse was continuous with
the opening; the E. face of the wall on the N. has
been cut back and refaced and the arch on this side
overhangs and is supported on an early 14th-century
corbel carved with a grotesque human figure; above
the arch is a round-headed opening, now blocked,
but formerly communicating between the triforium
of the aisle and the roof-space over the apse; this
opening is visible on the E. face of the wall and also
on the W. face, in the roof-space, above the existing
aisle-vault; on the E. face, also in the roof-space, is
the mark of the S. slope of the former steep-pitched
roof of the apse and on the W. face is the line of an
earlier roof of the aisle, presumably of the 13th century,
after the destruction of the N.E. tower. The aisle
had an early 12th-century vault, destroyed when the
existing one was erected; the springing lines of it
are visible above the second pier of the main arcade
of the presbytery together with the lines of the pilaster,
now cut back, from which it sprang; the first pier,
on the same side, had a much wider pilaster or respond,
nearly the full width of the pier and also cut back;
from it sprang the W. arch of the N.E. tower; the
lines of the earlier vault are also visible above the arch
in the E. wall and over the arch opening into the E.
aisle of the N. transept. The existing vault is of two
dates, the western bay being of mid 13th-century date
and of the same build as the N. transept; it no doubt
co-existed with the earlier vault to the E. The two
eastern bays are of early 14th-century date when the
arch between them and the W. bay was reconstructed.
Each bay of the vault is quadripartite with moulded
diagonal, transverse and wall-ribs with foliated bosses
at all the intersections and at the apex of the crossribs of the 14th-century bays; the springers of the
two E. bays rest on corbels, four carved with grotesque
heads and two with free foliage; the arch between the
second and third bays is two-centred and of two
chamfered orders, dying on to the side walls; the
vault of the third bay springs from small moulded
corbels. The N. wall of the aisle is of early 14th-century date, except the W. bay which is of the 12th
century. In the eastern part are two early 14th-century windows, the first of four trefoiled lights
with boldly cusped tracery in a two-centred head; the
jambs internally have each a shaft with a moulded cap
and a moulded base; the middle mullion has a similar
shaft with a foliated cap; the rear-arch and splays are
continuously chamfered; there is a moulded external
label, partly restored; the second window is of two
narrow trefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred
head, shafted internal jambs and a modern external
label; below the windows runs a moulded internal
string-course and below it again were contrived four
recesses for effigies of early bishops; one of these
recesses was removed when Bishop Stanbery's chapel
was built, and re-erected within the chapel (see Monuments under Fittings); between the two westernmost
recesses is a partly restored doorway with rounded
jambs and segmental-pointed head; it opens into a
large, round, early 14th-century stair-turret, carried up
to the leads of the aisle, in two stages, the upper stage
being twelve-sided, with a parapet and a gargoyle;
the base of the turret is square with a moulded plinth,
continued round from the aisle, and with broaches at
angles as a transition from the square to the round
plan; the stair is lit by four loops one above the other.
The aisle wall has a plain parapet and a corbel-table
resting on head-corbels. In the W. bay of the N.
wall is a mid 13th-century arch, built to accommodate
Bishop Aquablanca's tomb; it has plain responds
splayed back at the angles, near the springing; the
arch is segmental-pointed and of three orders, the two
outer chamfered and the inner moulded and springing
from moulded corbels, carved with human heads; the
moulded labels have small head-stops. In the W.
wall of the aisle is a modern arch of 12th-century
form, opening into the N. transept.
The Chantry Chapel of Bishop Stanbery (17 ft. by 8 ft.)
was built c. 1470–80 and projects from the N. aisle of
the presbytery. It is of two bays with a moulded
plinth, plain parapet and panelled buttresses. The
upper part of the E. wall has stone panelling in the
form of window-tracery and of four cinque-foiled
lights in a four-centred head. In the N. wall are two
windows of similar design to the panelling, and below
the internal sills is a range of panels with cinque-foiled
ogee heads and traceried spandrels; in the easternmost
is a moulded bracket. The W. wall has tracery similar
to the E. wall and below a transom a range of panels
similar to those below the windows. The E. bay of
the S. wall is similarly treated except that there is an
arched tomb-recess in the lower part (see Monument
25); the W. bay has a window, opening into the aisle,
similar to those in the N. wall but with a doorway
rising to the two western lights with a four-centred
head; the S. face has an enriched label, with headstops, in a square head with cusped panelling in the
spandrels; the window is set in a recess, towards the
chapel, with panelled reveals and arch. The chapel has
a fan-vault (Plate 106) of two bays with moulded ribs and
cusped panelling; it springs from wall and angle-shafts, flanked by vertical bands of vine and oak-leaf
foliage, and finished at the springing-level with carved
groups of fighting dragons or monsters, merman and
mermaid, and angels. The wall-panelling on the
N., S. and W. sides is enriched with a series of carved
shields as follows—N. side, (a) the Deanery; (b) Stanbery; (c) See of Hereford; (d and e) Stanbery;
(f) St. Ethelbert; (g) Stanbery; on S. side, (a, b
and c) symbols of the apostles Matthias, Thomas and
Bartholomew, with their names; (d) a cross with loaves
and fishes, for St. Philip; (e) instruments of the Passion;
(f) the Agnus Dei; (g) palm, chalice and dragon,
for St. John; (h) mitre and croziers in saltire; on
W. wall, (a, b, c and d) shields with symbols, devised
for St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. James the Great and
St. James the Less; (e) defaced; (f) See of Canterbury (?); (g) Stanbery; (h) bendy and a chief charged
with three leopards' heads jessant-de-lis, probably for
Trilleck.
The South Aisle of the Presbytery (54¾ ft. by 14 ft.)
is of three bays and has an early 12th-century arch in
the E. wall, similar to that in the N. aisle, but it does
not overhang on the E. face; the capitals on the W.
face are both carved with crude grotesque faces and
the base on the S. has a primitive spur-ornament at
the angle; the moulded plinth is cut back on the E.
face as in the corresponding arch in the N. aisle.
Above the arch on the E. face is the blocked opening
to the former triforium; the line of the N. slope of
the apse-roof shows in the roof-space. There are
few traces of the early vault or of the responds against
the main piers of the presbytery, which have been
refaced; there is, however, a set-back for the vault,
over the arch in the E. wall and the line of one
springing remains between the second and third bays
of the main arcade. The existing vault is of three
bays and is similar in every way to the 14th-century
bays of the vault in the N. aisle, except that it is at a
higher level. The S. wall is of early 14th-century
date in its two eastern bays and has two windows
uniform with the eastern window in the N. aisle;
below them are four tomb-recesses, as in the N. aisle.
The western bay of the wall is of early 12th-century
date and contains a doorway with jambs and round
arch of one square order; above the doorway is a
12th-century string-course with lozenge ornament.
The arch in the W. wall is modern or re-cut below the
springing-line, but the arch itself is partly 12th-century
work re-set; on the W. face it is of three orders, the
outer and inner moulded and the middle order square
and carved with a conventional ornament of segments
and pellets; on the E. face the inner order is moulded
but the other two are concealed by the organ.
The Crossing (31¾ ft. by 31½ ft.) was originally of
12th-century date, but was largely re-built and refaced
in the restoration of 1842–9. The facing of the four
piers is entirely modern, but parts of the arches are
original; the E. and W. arches are semi-circular,
those on the N. and S. are stilted, but of the same
form; they are all of two recessed orders, enriched
with an elaborate treatment of cheveron-ornament;
above them runs an internal string-course partly of
the same date, but much restored. The N. and S.
arches were formerly supported by arched substructures, perhaps of the 14th century, and removed
in the restoration of 1842–9. The crossing formerly
had a stone vault, removed at the same time.
It is probable that the crossing supported a 12th
century tower, as there are apparently staircases in the
N.E. and S.E. angles, starting from the level of the
roof of the aisles; these staircases have been filled in,
but one of the loops lighting each is still visible in
the angle between the presbytery and the transept.
The Central Tower (Plate Frontispiece) was built early
in the 14th century and rises two stages above the crossing. The lower stage is now open to the church and has
on the internal faces an open stone grille, formed of
heavy mullions; each face has thirteen lights with square
heads and transom, and all narrow except the middle
one, which is 1 ft. 5 in. wide. Level with the heads
of the lights is a modern wooden ceiling. A wall-passage, 2½ ft. wide, runs round this stage and has in
each outer wall a doorway with chamfered jambs and
two-centred arch, opening into the roof-spaces of the
presbytery, transepts and nave. Higher up, the outer
wall, on each side of the stage, has two windows,
flanked externally by blind windows, making four in
all, and each of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil
in a two-centred head; these windows are divided
externally by tall raised panels with pointed heads, the
middle panel being divided into two pointed 'lights'
with a quatrefoil above.
Between the lower stage and the bell-chamber is a
moulded external string-course, and above it a band of
lozenge-shaped quatrefoils.
The bell-chamber has in each wall two windows
flanked by blind windows, as in the stage below, but
with cinquefoils in the heads and all finished with
gables; between the windows are panels as in the
stage below, but finished with gabled heads; above
these heads runs a moulded cornice and a modern
embattled parapet. This stage has also a wall-passage
communicating with the bell-chamber, by two pointed
arches in each wall. Each angle of the tower contains
a staircase, but only that on the N.W. is carried up to
the roof; the turret-staircases are covered externally
by a pair of buttresses of 'cut-water' plan, with
panelled faces; the panels are finished, at the head of
the lower stage, with heads similar to those of the
middle panels between the windows; the cornice and
band of lozenges, between the stages, are continued
round the buttresses and half-way up the upper stage
the buttresses are tabled back on to the tower leaving
the outer section of each to be carried up as a lozenge-shaped pinnacle; these pinnacles have panelled faces
and restored tops. The tower is decorated with a
profusion of ball-flower ornament, which appears in
the mouldings of the window-jambs, panels, buttresses,
string-courses and labels. The four main pinnacles of
the tower were completed in 1830.
The North Transept (51¼ ft. by 31½ ft.) was built
during the third quarter of the 13th century.
The E. wall (Plate 107) has a main arcade of three bays,
of which the southernmost is a modern copy of 12th-century work; the other two bays have richly moulded
segmental-pointed arches, struck from well below the
springing-line and enriched with dog-tooth ornament;
the mouldings are in three orders and the moulded
labels have two original and one modern head-stop.
The pier, between the bays, is set diagonally and has
four attached and filleted shafts and four detached and
banded shafts, all with 'stiff-leaf' foliage capitals and
moulded bases resting on a moulded plinth with
sprays of foliage in the angles; the free shafts have
been polished; the responds are similar to the pier
but have plain moulded capitals, and the foliage-sprays
have not been carved.
The triforium has in each bay a pair of segmental-pointed arches of three orders, the outer moulded and
having a label, the middle order with dog-tooth
ornament and the inner order forming a plane of
tracery consisting of three trefoiled lights with three
quatrefoils in the head; the tracery rests on slender
mullions, with attached shafts, having moulded
capitals and bases; the responds are moulded and
have each three similar attached shafts; the wall-face
above the triforium arches has foliage-diapering in
squares all modern or re-cut; the triforium-passage is
not continuous but is entered at the back of each arch,
except the southernmost, by a doorway with hollow-chamfered jambs and trefoiled head. The back wall
of the southernmost arch is apparently of the 12th
century and retains traces of a former wall-arcade of
that date. Above the triforium is a string-course
carved with dog-tooth ornament. The clearstorey
has in each bay a window consisting of a large sex-foiled circle set in a triangle with curved sides; the
rear-arch is moulded and two-centred and springs
from shafted splays with moulded capitals and bases;
the internal sills have deep tabling; the external arch
is moulded and has a modern label. The parapet has
panelling with trefoiled heads and trefoiled spandrels,
and rests on a corbel-table with head and grotesque
corbels, many of which are defaced; near the 12th-century angle of the crossing is a blocked 13th-century
external doorway with rounded jambs and a square
head, no doubt the former entrance to the stair-turret
in the N.E. angle of the tower. The clearstorey has
the seatings for flying buttresses, either never completed or now removed. The vault of the transept is
in three quadripartite bays with moulded wall, transverse and diagonal ribs with foliated bosses along the
ridge; the vault springs on the E. wall from single
filleted shafts in the angles and grouped shafts between
the bays, with moulded caps and foliated corbel-bases;
on the W. wall the N. and intermediate shafts are
carried right down the wall, and have moulded bases
on the stone benches; the S. shaft stops on a head-corbel at the level of the clearstorey string-course.
The N. wall contains a large window of two main
divisions, each of three pointed lights with three
quatrefoils in a segmental-pointed head; there is a
large sexfoil and a small quatrefoil in the main spandrel,
and the main head is segmental-pointed; the mullions,
external and internal jambs and splays have shafts,
with moulded capitals, some of which are carved with
foliage, and bases; the detached shafts on the central
mullion, the jambs and splays, are banded, the others
are worked on the solid; the moulded rear-arch is
carried up above the springing of the window-head;
below the window-sill is a restored string-course, and
there is a moulded external label with head-stops.
The splays have each the opening of a wall-passage
communicating between the N.W. stair-turret and the
triforium of the E. aisle; the passage must have been
continued across the window by a wooden gallery.
In the gable, above the vault, is a window of three
trefoiled lights with quatre-foiled tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded external arch and jambs
and mullions, having moulded capitals and bases. At
the N.W. angle is a round stair-turret, lit by a series
of windows, mostly with moulded jambs and trefoiled
heads, but some with square heads; against this
stair-turret are placed two buttresses with one main
offset and a spreading plinth; they are each finished
with three crocketed gables; there is a similar buttress
between the N. front and the E. aisle, with bases of
shafts on the offsets. The W. wall has in each of the
two northern bays a window, extending the full height
of the transept and similar to the sub-divisions of the
N. window, but some of the shafts have foliated
capitals; the moulded rear-arches are of low segmental-pointed form; in the S. bay there is a similar window,
but it only extends down to the top of the re-built
triforium which has a blind round-headed arch of 12th-century character; the main arch below the triforium,
opening into the S. aisle, is also modern; below the
northern windows is an internal string-course, and
below it, at the N. end of the wall, is the doorway to
the stair-turret; it has rounded jambs and a triangular
head. The parapet of the W. wall is similar to that
of the clearstorey opposite, but has been more extensively restored; the two buttresses are similar to those
at the N. end of the transept.
The East Aisle of the N. Transept (34¼ ft. by 17½ ft.)
is of two bays and has in each bay of the outer (E.
and N.) walls a window of normal size but with heads
similar to the heads of the windows in the W. wall
of the transept; below the sills runs a moulded string-course inside. Under the N. window of the E. wall
is the segmental-pointed arch of a former doorway,
and straight joints in the plinth show where it has
been blocked; the blocking and the restoration of the
plinth is old. The vault is of two quadripartite bays
with foliated bosses to the ridge and with moulded
ribs, springing, against the walls, from attached and
filleted shafts with moulded capitals and bases; the
capitals in the S.E. angle and those of the grouped
shafts, between the bays, are foliated; the grouped
shafts stand on the remains of a stone screen between
the two chapels in the aisle; the corresponding
portion of the main pier is probably modern restoration,
so that it is now impossible to say if the screen butted
against it or stopped farther E. The aisle has three
buttresses, similar to but smaller than those of the
main transept; each buttress has, near the top, a
carved gargoyle; the offsets have cut on them the
bases of angle-shafts, but these were apparently not
proceeded with. The heads of the buttresses have
seatings for proposed flying buttresses, probably never
constructed.
The Old Muniment Room or triforium over the E. aisle
has in each bay of the outer walls a window with
moulded round head, rear-arch and labels, shafted
jambs and splays with moulded capitals and bases;
the openings have each been filled with a modern
octofoiled circle. In the W. wall is a series of doorways with shouldered heads opening into the triforium
bays of the transept; at the N. end of the wall is a
doorway with splayed jambs and segmental-pointed
head of two chamfered orders leading to the former
gallery across the N. window of the transept. Across
the S. end of the muniment-room is an oak-framed
partition with moulded rails and uprights and moulded
overlapping battens; it contains a doorway with
chamfered jambs and four-centred head and is probably of late 15th or early 16th-century date. The
partition separates the muniment-room from the space
above the vault of the W. bay of the N. aisle of the
presbytery.
The South Transept (46 ft. by 31½ ft.) is mainly of
early 12th-century date, with the S. end re-built at the
beginning of the 15th century on the old foundations,
though not quite on the same line. The E. wall
(Plate 112) has a N. bay all modern internally
except parts of the arch opening into the S. aisle
of the presbytery (q.v.). The rest of the wall is
divided into four storeys; the ground storey has
three plain recesses with round arches; the middle
recess is carried down to the bench which runs
round the transept and has an attached shaft on
each jamb with a capital carved with faces and
volutes and moulded bases; the side recesses are
stopped above a moulded string-course enriched with
cable-ornament, below which runs a wall-arcade with
round moulded arches resting on round shafts, mostly
modern, with modern capitals and moulded bases,
mostly modern. The two middle storeys correspond
with the triforium and are divided from the stage
below by a diapered string-course; between the two
storeys is a hollow-chamfered string-course and below
the clearstorey is a moulded string-course with cableornament; the lower of the two triforium-storeys
has three bays of open arcading of three, two and
three arches respectively; the round roll-moulded
arches spring from round shafts with scalloped and
foliated capitals and moulded bases; the abaci of the
shafts are continued along the wall as a string-course.
The upper triforium-storey has three bays of shallow
blind arcading, with round arches of four diminutive
recessed orders, springing from round shafts with
scalloped or cushion-capitals and moulded bases.
The clearstorey is designed without respect to the
stage below and had originally three large round-headed windows with cheveron-ornament on the rear-arches, continued down the splays to short columns
or shafts similar to those in the open arcade below;
externally the windows have jambs and arches of two
orders, the inner plain and the outer with shafts having
cushion capitals and moulded bases; the outer orders
of the arches in the two N. windows retain traces of
the original cheveron-ornament, but in the southernmost window they are completely restored. Flanking
each window-recess, internally, are small arches
similar to those in the open arcade at the triforiumlevel; the middle window was blocked when the
existing vault was inserted, but its rear-arch is visible
above the vault. In the blocking the wall passage
has steps made up of older stones including some of
the small blind arcading displaced by the vault. To the
N. of the northernmost window, externally, is a wall-arcade (Plate 111) of four arches similar to the blind
arcade at the triforium-level inside; the shafts have
scalloped or cushion capitals with simple leaf ornament
and are partly restored; above this arcade are two round
arches of the original corbel-table; the rest of the wall
has a plain parapet. Butting between the two southernmost windows is an early 15th-century flying buttress,
added when the vault was inserted. The S. wall,
re-built at the beginning of the 15th century, stands on
the plinth of the 12th-century wall which is chamfered;
there were large clasping buttresses at the angles with
round shafts worked on the inner angles; the stair-turret in the S.E. angle is perhaps also partly of the
12th century. The wall above has a large, early 15th-century window of six cinque-foiled lights with restored
vertical tracery in a two-centred head with a label;
the internal reveals are casement-moulded, the recess
being carried down to the bench; the space below the
window has stone panelling with cinque-foiled ogee
heads and tracery in three main bays and six sub-bays;
the middle main bay is occupied by the tomb of
Bishop Trevenant (d. 1404), who no doubt re-built the
wall and window; above and flanking the window
the wall has stone panelling, forming three stages at
the sides, with cinque-foiled ogee heads; the panels
of the two upper stages have head or angel-corbels
for statues; the panelling above the window has
trefoiled heads. In the gable is a trefoiled window,
probably entirely modern. The W. wall has a modern
N. bay, but the rest of the wall is partly of early 12th-century date with a considerable amount of early
15th-century or later rebuilding. The 12th-century
wall was in three stages, of which the lowest had a
central window flanked by plain, round-headed
recesses; the northern of these recesses still remains,
but much restored, together with one splay of the
window, having an attached shaft. The middle or
triforium stage of the wall is separated from that
below by a diapered string-course; it had, probably, two windows of which one remains, now
blocked; it is similar to the windows of the clearstorey in the opposite wall, but has no flanking internal
arches; the outer order of the external head has
cheveron-ornament. The clearstorey-stage of the
wall had three windows similar to those in the clearstorey opposite and with flanking arches; of these
windows the northernmost remains enlarged in the
15th century into a window of three cinque-foiled and
transomed lights with vertical tracery in a three-centred head; the S. splay is a thin facing to the
original splay which remains with the adjoining
flanking arch; the internal head of the middle window
is visible above the vault, with its cheveron ornament;
faint traces of the external head are also visible.
Between these windows is an external wall-arcade of
interlacing arches rising from attached shafts. Most
of the S. part of the wall is occupied by a large, early
15th-century window of six cinque-foiled ogee lights
with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with an
external label; the transom has cinque-foiled ogee
heads below it. Immediately S. of the windows is
a flying buttress carried out over the E. alley of
the Bishop's Cloister. The Transept had originally
a timber roof, the sockets for the timbers of which
are visible above the vault. The existing vault was
added in the 15th century, probably by Bishop Spofford
(1422–48), and is of two bays with moulded main,
subsidiary, ridge and wall-ribs; the bosses at the
intersections are all carved with foliage or roses
except two which bear shields, (a) Spofford and
(b) a winged heart. The rib against the S. wall
has three carved bosses, that at the apex has the heads
of a man and woman; the other two are about a
yard away on either side; the western is a human
head with long hair, the eastern is the bust of a little
man with wide ears to which he holds his hands in
the act of listening. The vault springs from modern
corbels in the N. angles and in the S. angles from
grouped shafts which have moulded capitals and are
carried down to the bench; the intermediate springers
rest on short, fluted shafts with foliated capitals and
base-corbels carved with the heads of a king and a
bishop respectively.
The Sacristy (28¾ ft. by 12½ ft. originally) adjoins the
S. transept on the E. and takes the place of an aisle.
It is of early 12th-century date, but late in the 15th
century the southern bay was extended to the E. The
original building is of two bays, each with a plain
groined vault and divided by a plain transverse rib
and with wall-arches on each side; the cross-rib and
wall-arches are carried down the walls as pilasters. In
the E. wall, the S. wall arch has been cut through when
the late 15th-century extension was built; the N. bay
of the same wall (Plate 110) has an original window with
a round head; externally it is of three orders, the inner
rebated, the middle roll-moulded and the outer plain;
the middle order rests on attached shafts, the southern
with a cushion-capital carved with pointed oval
ornament, the northern with a scalloped capital; the
rear-arch is of two orders, the inner plain and the outer
resting on attached shafts with capitals carved with
volutes and semi-circles, and moulded bases; below
the window are internal and external string-courses,
the former with cheveron and cable ornament and the
latter with lozenge ornament; below the string-course
is a 15th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and
restored four-centred head. In the S. wall is a 12th-century window generally similar to that in the E.
wall but much restored on the outside; below it is
an internal string-course with lozenge-ornament. The
late 15th-century Sacristy (14½ ft. by 13¼ ft.) was
formerly of two storeys or had a gallery. The upper
storey has in the E. and S. walls a restored window
with a four-centred head and a modern label; it is
now devoid of either mullion or tracery. In the N.
wall is a blocked doorway at the upper floor level with
chamfered jambs and four-centred head; it formerly
communicated with a staircase in the external angle of
the old and new sacristies, now removed, but formerly
approached by the still-existing doorway in the E.
wall of the old sacristy. The vault is quadripartite
with chamfered diagonal and wall-ribs and springs
from round shafts in the angles, carried down to the
floor of the lower storey and having crudely moulded
capitals and bases. The building has diagonal buttresses at the E. angles, that on the N. being pierced
by a rectangular hatch, now blocked.
The Nave (123¼ ft. by 31½ ft., formerly 141 ft. long)
is now of seven bays but was formerly of eight. It
was built in the first half of the 12th-century, and there
are evidences of a break in the 'build' between the
third and fourth bays on the N. and between the
fourth and fifth bays on the S. The easternmost bay
of the arcade on each side was re-built in the restoration
of 1842–9. The remaining bays (Plate 114) are original
work, very considerably restored; the columns are
cylindrical and have each a pair of round attached shafts,
towards the nave and aisles; the moulded capitals, all
probably more or less restored, are carved as follows—
N. side, 1st capital, interlacing and conventional
ornament, palmette on abacus; 2nd capital, conventional ornament, interlace and beasts, conventional
ornament on abacus; both the above capitals have a
necking of cable-ornament; remaining capitals and
W. respond, scalloped. S. side, 1st and 2nd capitals,
conventional interlacing foliage and palmette, interlace on W. half of abacus of 2nd capital; remaining
capitals and W. respond, scalloped. The arches are
all semi-circular and have three orders on the nave
side, but are variously decorated—N. side—2nd, 3rd
and 4th arches have the outer and inner orders on the
S. face, enriched with cheveron-ornament; the middle
order is moulded with three rolls or reeds; the N.
face of the 2nd and 3rd arches is of two orders only,
the outer roll-moulded and the inner with cheveronornament; the 4th arch is similar but has an additional
plain outer order; the 5th, 6th and 7th arches have
on the S. face the inner order roll-moulded; the outer
and middle orders are carved with cheveron-ornament;
the N. face of these three arches is of three plain orders
except the middle order of the westernmost arch which
is roll-moulded. S. side—the N. face of the 2nd, 3rd
and 4th arches is similar to that of the corresponding
arches of the N. arcade; the S. face of these arches
is similar to the corresponding face of the 2nd and
3rd arches of the N. arcade; the 5th and 6th arches
have all three orders on the N. face enriched with
cheveron-ornament; the S. face of these arches is of
three orders, the two outer roll-moulded and the inner
enriched with cheveron-ornament; the 7th arch is
similar to the westernmost arch of the N. arcade.
The 12th-century triforium had a pair of round arches
in each bay, each with two sub-arches; the whole
triforium was refaced, remodelled and partly re-built
by Wyatt and now has no ancient features visible,
though there are some remains of 12th-century work
above the vault of the S. aisle and not now accessible.
The clearstorey is entirely the work of Wyatt, as is
the plaster vault. The W. front was built in 1904–8
in place of that erected by Wyatt after the fall of the
W. tower. The 12th-century W. front stood one
bay farther W. so that the last free pier of each arcade
is now incorporated in the modern front.
The North Aisle (Plate 115) of the Nave (15 ft. wide)
is of early 14th-century date except about 6 ft. at the E.
end of the N. wall, below the string-course, which
appears to be of the 12th century. In the N. wall are six
windows, the easternmost is of three trefoiled lights
with a trefoil in a two-centred head; the jambs, splays
and mullions are moulded and shafted; the second
window is similar but of two lights; the other four
windows are each of four trefoiled lights with a cinquefoil and two trefoils in a two-centred head; the details
are similar to those of the eastern windows, but there
are shafts to the splays and main mullion only; all the
windows have moulded labels with head-stops; some
modern and some defaced. The N. doorway (Plate 121),
between the second and third windows, has jambs of
two shafted orders with moulded capitals and defaced
bases; the arch is of two moulded orders, the outer
two-centred and enriched with square paterae as sprigs
of foliage and the inner of cinque-foiled form, with
pierced spandrels and enriched with rosettes, etc.
The W. wall is modern. The vault is of doubtful
age, but as all the bosses and corbels appear to be
modern, it is probable that the vault also is modern.
The plain parapet has defaced corbels, some carved
with heads and some with foliage; the buttresses have
gabled heads.
The South Aisle of the Nave (15½ ft. wide) is of
early 14th-century date and has in the S. wall seven
windows similar to the western windows in the N.
aisle; the lower part of the easternmost window is
blocked by the roof of the adjoining cloister; below
it is a doorway with a segmental-pointed arch of two
moulded orders; the moulded jambs have each two
attached shafts with foliated capitals and moulded
bases and a foliated sprig on the stop between them;
above the head is a corbel-course to carry a thickening
of the wall; the rear-arch, which is in the form of a
lintel with a series of carved heads, is modern, but is
said to reproduce an old feature. The W. wall is
modern. The five eastern bays of the vault are of
stone and are presumably of early 14th-century date;
each bay is quadripartite, with moulded ribs and carved
bosses; the bosses along the ridge are probably mostly
old and are carved with foliage, foliage with heads,
and a vesica with a figure; the corbels are mostly
modern, but one or two, carved with heads, are probably old. The aisle has buttresses, parapet and corbel-table similar to those of the N. aisle, but the corbels
are mostly modern.
The Ambulatory and Eastern Transepts were built at
the close of the 12th century practically on the same
plan as at present; this building involved the destruction of the side apses and main building E. of the
presbytery, and the blocking of the arch in the E. wall
of the presbytery. The two transepts were re-built
and extended a few feet towards the E. during the
14th century. In the restoration of 1842–9 the blocking
of the E. arch of the presbytery was removed and the
adjoining column and part of the vault of the ambulatory re-built. The central division, serving as an
ambulatory and vestibule to the Lady Chapel, is of
two bays from E. to W. The western bay (15¾ ft. by
35 ft.) has a vault of two square quadripartite bays,
partly re-built; the ribs are moulded and the diagonal
and W. wall-ribs have cheveron-ornament; the
western free column is entirely modern, but copies the
old form; the eastern free column is round and has a
moulded abacus, scalloped octagonal capital, re-cut
shaft and modern base; the cross-arches opening into
the transepts are moulded and two-centred and spring,
on the E., from triple attached shafts with foliated
capitals and modern moulded bases; on the W. the
arches spring from short triple shafts with scalloped
capitals and moulded abaci and standing on corbels
with modern foliated terminations; the vault-ribs
between the ambulatory and vestibule spring from
triple shafts against the walls, similar to those on the
E. side of the transept arches. The bay forming the
vestibule (17¾ ft. by 30½ ft.) has solid side walls each
pierced by a late 12th-century opening with a two-centred arch of two orders, the inner moulded and
enriched with double cheveron-ornament and the
outer roll-moulded and having a moulded label, the
jambs have a keeled shaft to the outer order and three
grouped shafts, the middle one keeled, to the inner
order; all have moulded bases, 'stiff-leaved' foliagecapitals and moulded abaci carried along the wall as a
string-course. The vaulting-shafts between this bay
and the Lady-chapel are of late 12th-century date and
were similar to those already described, between the
vestibule and the ambulatory; the shafts were, however, raised some 3 ft. when the Lady-chapel was
added; the N. capital is carved with a man's head
and arms, grasping and peering through a cluster of
free foliage and is probably of the 13th century; on
the S. side is a 13th-century capital similar to those in
the Lady-chapel. Both shafts retain the ends of an
inserted moulded timber-beam, probably part of a
screen. Below the openings in the side walls of this
bay runs a moulding, on both sides of the wall,
forming an offset; this moulding is returned vertically
against the vaulting-shafts and finished in the form of
a pointed arch; they indicate the form of the late
12th-century vault. The vault of this bay is of the
date of the Lady-chapel and is of quadripartite form
with three additional ribs springing from the free
column on the W. and the start of a cross-rib, beyond
the main diagonal, but this was never proceeded with;
the ribs are moulded and have dog-tooth ornament.
There is now no evidence as to how much farther E.
the late 12th-century building was carried.
The North East Transept (35¼ ft. by 35 ft.) is nearly
square in plan and retains its late 12th-century S. wall,
the original E. wall was some 3 ft. W. of the existing
wall, as is shown by the square chamfered plinth of
the S.E. angle shaft which still survives. When the
transept was re-built at the beginning of the 14th
century the old vault-respond on the S. wall was cut
back and the old E. wall cut away and the makinggood was plastered and painted. The whole of the
rest of the transept, except the early 12th-century arch
in the W. wall, already described, is of the beginning
of the 14th century. Each bay of the E. and N. walls
has a window of four lights similar in date and detail
to those in the S. aisle of the presbytery. The vault
is in four quadripartite bays with moulded transverse,
diagonal and wall-ribs with oak-leaf and other foliated
bosses, and one with a human face surrounded by a
monster which is gnawing its tongue; it springs
against the walls from corbels mostly carved with
foliage, but two with grotesque heads and one with a
bust; the central column is octagonal and has a
moulded capital, carved with oak-leaves and a moulded
base; the shaft of the column is run up, above the
capital, into the vault. The N. side of the early 12th-century arch in the W. wall rests on an early 14th-century corbel carved with a grotesque squatting man
and the beginning of a wall-shaft. The transept has
three-stage buttresses with modern gabled heads;
there is a low gable at the N. end of the building;
below it and round the side walls runs a corbel-table,
the corbels being mostly carved with heads and much
defaced.
The South East Transept (34½ ft. by 36½ ft.) is similar
in general arrangement to the N.E. transept. The
surviving portions of the late 12th-century building
are (a) the chamfered plinth of the central pier which
was rectangular with a projecting pilaster, unsymmetrically arranged, on each face; (b) the base of the
corresponding respond on the W. wall which had
shafts, of which the moulded bases remain, cut on the
main angles and a projecting pilaster; (c) the square
base or respond in the S.W. angle and the chamfered
plinth along the W. wall; (d) the base of the angleshaft on the W. splay of the doorway in the S. wall
and the base of the external jambs, of two orders, the
inner with a plain roll and the outer with a shaft
having a 'hold-water' base, also the chamfered internal
plinth extending about 7 ft. E. of the doorway. The
rest of the transept, except the column and vault, was
re-built about the middle of the 14th century. Each
bay of the E. and S. walls has a window of four
trefoiled ogee lights with tracery, including three
elongated quatrefoils in a two-centred head with a
moulded external label. Below the northern window
in the E. wall is a modern doorway; S. of it is a
15th-century rectangular loop; on the E. face of the
wall above both openings is a four-centred relieving-arch. Below the western window in the S. wall is
an early 16th-century doorway with moulded jambs
and four-centred arch in a square head. The vault
was added or re-built at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century and is of four quadripartite
bays with moulded transverse, diagonal and wall-ribs
and foliated bosses; it springs against the walls from
foliated corbels, two having a lion's face in addition.
The central octagonal column has a capital carved with
paterae and leaves and a moulded base. The buttresses
are of three stages with tabled offsets; the plain
parapet rises in a low gable at the S. end, and in the
gable are two single-light windows lighting the space
above the vault.
The Lady Chapel (56¾ ft. by 31¼ ft.) (Plates 118, 119) is
raised five steps above the vestibule and stands upon a
crypt. It was built c. 1220 and is of three bays. The
walls stand on an unusually deep moulded plinth and
have two-stage buttresses, finished with square pinnacles
and all very much restored. The E. wall is entirely
modern externally, but is partly old though considerably restored internally; it contains a range of
five graduated lancet-windows, with shafted and
banded splays and free grouped and banded filleted
shafts supporting the rear-arches, all with moulded
bases and capitals at one level carved with stiff-leaf
foliage; the arches and rear-arches, of which the three
middle are stilted, are richly moulded and enriched
with dog-tooth ornament; the moulded labels have
stops carved with heads, a dragon, etc., the arch and
rear-arch of the middle window are stilted on small
side-shafts, with foliated capitals; the rear-arch of this
window is septfoiled. Above the windows is a range
of five sunk panels, three being of vesica-form and
two round; all enclose quatrefoils; the three upper
panels have carved brackets for figures, and all except
the middle panel have 'dog-tooth' ornament; below
the window-sills runs a moulded string-course. The
N. and S. walls have or had in each bay a pair of
lancet-windows; the external heads are of two orders,
the inner chamfered and the outer moulded and with
a moulded label; the jambs have each one free and
banded and one attached shaft, mostly modern, with
foliated capitals and modern bases; the splays have
each five banded shafts with moulded bases and
foliated capitals; the richly moulded rear-arches have
moulded labels with head or foliage-stops and heads
or figures at the apex as follows—N. side, (a) two
heads and foliage; (b) head; (c) grotesque figure,
head and foliage; (d) face; (e) crowned head;
(f) standing figure of bishop; S. side, three heads,
and, opposite (e), a bust of a man with arms outspread and hands resting on the label. Above each
pair of windows inside is a sunk quatre-foiled circular
panel with foliated cusp-points. That in the 2nd bay
on the S. has been lifted up to the apex of the vaultrib. A string-course is carried along below the
window-sills, but the sill is stepped up in the W. half
of the second bay on the N. to avoid the roof of the
porch outside; the string-course bands the vaulting-shafts, which are formed of three grouped shafts with
foliated capitals and moulded bases standing on a
restored bench. The above arrangement of windows,
etc., has been destroyed in the second bay of the S.
wall (Plate 146) by the addition of the Audley Chapel.
Below the string-course in the third bay of the same
wall is a blocked doorway with sunk-chamfered
jambs and four-centred arch (replacing an earlier
doorway), and E. of it a loop-squint, both probably
of the 15th century; the rear-arch has a re-used
coffin-lid as a lintel. The vault is of three quadripartite bays with moulded transverse, diagonal and
wall-ribs and a ridge-rib to the E. half of the E.
bay only; the main intersections have foliage bosses
and the vault-cells rise from the side walls towards the
ridge. On the external face of the side walls, between
the heads of each pair of windows is a round moulded
panel with a continuous label and enclosing defaced
carvings as follows—On N., (a) double-headed
monster, (b) a Crucifixion with the Virgin and St.
John (?), (c) a head; on S., (a and b) a head in a
wreath. Above the windows is a range of enriched
interlacing arcading on shafts with foliated capitals
almost entirely modern but reproducing an original
feature; the parapet and corbel-table are modern.
The Crypt of the Lady-Chapel (48 ft. by 30½ ft.) (Plate
117) is five bays in length and three in breadth and was
built c. 1220. It is said to have been partly reconstructed
in the 15th century, but no work of this date is now
apparent. The quadripartite vault has plain chamfered ribs and carved bosses at the intersections in the
middle alley only, as follows—(a) scrolled foliage,
(b) foliage, largely defaced, (c) foliage with circle in
middle enclosing six flowers, (d) foliage, (e) foliage
and half-figure of man with two dragons. The vault
rests on octagonal columns with moulded capitals and
'holdwater' bases, resting on square plinths set
diagonally and having shaped stops; the two eastern
pairs of bases are partly cut away, probably for screens.
Against the walls the vault springs from triple attached
shafts, one of which is filleted, and all with moulded
capitals and resting on corbelled bases, one with
foliage, the other plain, five or six feet above the floor.
The middle bay of the E. wall has three graduated
lights and each of the other external bays a single light,
all with slightly trefoiled heads and moulded internal
sills; the triple E. window has a common segmental
head on the outside with a modern label continued
along the wall as a base-string to the plinth; the
other windows have two-centred external heads and
labels as the E. window; all the windows have internal
recesses, carried down to the floor and rear-arches,
chamfered on the inside and moulded towards the
window; the S.W. window is blocked and the two
E. of it admit no light; the rear vault of the E.
window rests on corbelling, with a scalloped termination on the N. and defaced carving on the S. In the
fourth bay of the N. wall is a doorway with jambs and
segmental-pointed head of two orders, the outer
chamfered and the inner moulded and partly restored;
the moulded label has defaced head-stops; this doorway is approached by a flight of steps and is covered
by a porch. In the W. wall is a doorway with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head; it is
approached by a flight of steps from the vestibule of
the Lady Chapel.
The Porch to the crypt is of c. 1220, but is said to
have been reconstructed. It has a partly restored
outer archway, two-centred and of two orders, the
outer moulded and continuous and the inner moulded,
having cheveron-ornament on edge and springing
from free modern shafts with defaced foliated capitals
and defaced bases; the moulded label is continued
along the S. wall of the porch as a string-course. The
porch has a gable roof of stone with a trefoil-headed
niche in the gable. The internal vault is of quadripartite form with moulded diagonal and wall-ribs, a
central foliated boss and angle-corbels, each consisting
of an early foliated capital, a short shaft and a foliated
or head corbel. Flanking the flight of steps, within
the porch, are stepped benches of stone.
The Audley Chapel projects from the S. side of the
second bay of the Lady Chapel and was built by Bishop
Audley (1492–1502). It is of two storeys and of
semi-octagonal plan with panelled two-stage buttresses
and a panelled and embattled parapet with pinnacles,
all modern restoration. Towards the Lady Chapel the
Audley Chapel is closed in by a stone screen (Plate 147)
carried up to form a parapet to the upper chapel;
above this level there is an open arch, moulded and
four-centred and having a band of cusped panelling
on the soffit; above the arch, on the N. face, are
cusped and panelled spandrels, enclosing a Tudor
rose and a shield with the Audley fret below a mitre
respectively; the original 13th-century quatre-foiled
panel has been re-set higher up in the wall. The stone
screen is in two stages and of nine bays and two half
bays; it has a moulded plinth with a band of enriched
quatrefoils; alternate quatrefoils enclose carved shields-of-arms as follows—(a) the monogram I.R.; (b) argent
a fesse azure between three Tudor roses with a fleur-de-lis
on the fesse; (c) Audley; (d) the Deanery; (e) See of
Hereford; (f) St. Ethelbert. The wall above is
faced with moulded stone panelling; each bay has
two panels with trefoiled ogee heads with rosette
cusp-points, some damaged, and a band of quatrefoils
enclosing foliage centres between the stages; the bays
of the upper stage are finished with trefoiled and sub-cusped heads and crocketted ogee labels, standing
free; the mullions between the panels are carried up
into the trefoiled head; above the heads is an open
parapet with trefoiled piercings and a moulded cornice.
Four of the panels in the lower range are pierced, and
there is a doorway, occupying two bays, with moulded
jambs and four-centred arch in a square head, with
foliated spandrels; one of the upper panels has a loop,
lighting the staircase. For painted decoration see
Fittings. The lower chapel has in both of the outer
faces a window of two cinque-foiled lights, with tracery
in a four-centred head, all much restored. The vault
is of four-centred slightly domed form and springs
from round angle-shafts with moulded capitals and
bases; the ribs meet without a boss, and there are
wall-ribs. Projecting into the N.W. angle of the
chapel is the winding staircase to the upper chapel,
entered by a doorway with a four-centred head and at
the top is a similar doorway. The upper chapel has
five windows, all of similar design, except that the
two lights adjoining the Lady Chapel are blind;
each window is of three cinque-foiled lights, with
tracery in a four-centred head, an embattled transom
and trefoiled and sub-cusped heads below the transom;
below the window-sills is a moulded string-course, and
in the angles of the building are vaulting-shafts, supporting the ribbed and panelled vault; the ribs are
purely ornamental and the vault is a combination of
inverted cones supporting a flat saucer-dome; the
vault-cells are cusped and the central intersection has
a boss carved with an Assumption of the Virgin; the
surrounding diagonal panels have the following
devices—(a) the Deanery, (b and c) foliage, (d) fleur-de-lis, (e) Tudor rose, (f) See of Hereford, (g) shield
with monogram I.R., (h) St. Ethelbert.
The Quire Vestry in the angle between the Lady
Chapel and the S.E. transept, was built some time in
the 15th century, before the erection of the Audley
Chapel. It was originally of rectangular form, and
the plinth of the former E. wall projects from the W.
wall of the Audley Chapel. There is now a wall
across the S.E. angle, apparently modern, and containing a two-light window. In the E. wall is a loop-light, blocked by the Audley Chapel. The plinth of
the Lady Chapel shows within the vestry, and part of
one of the buttresses is incorporated in the E. wall.
The North Porch consists of two parts, the inner of
early 14th-century date and the outer added early in
the 16th century, before 1519; both are of two
storeys. The inner porch has a two-centred outer
archway of three moulded orders, each with a band of
carving; the outer band starting from the E. springing
has the following carved figures—(a) pilgrim with
large hat, scrip and staff, (b) the Synagogue, blind-fold
woman with book, (c) mermaid, (d) man playing bagpipes, (e) winged dragon, (f) and (g) man and
woman, (h) and (i) as (f) and (g) rendered erotically,
(j) human-headed monster, (k) winged human-headed
monster, (l) couchant dog (?), (m) human-headed
monster with tail terminating in small head, (n) and
(o) monsters, (p) small male figure, perhaps censing,
(q) bishop—crown of arch—(a-g) series of seven
figures of men and women with no particular attributes, (h) bird and foliage, (i) and (j) human figures,
(k) monster, (l) woman with high head-dress or
crown, and holding a tower or similar building with
two gables visible, (m) man looking up, in hood and
long cloak, (n) monster, (o) bird, (p) man dancing (?),
(q) man in short breeches with defaced object in hand.
The middle band of carving consists of naturalistic
foliage of different types, represented as continuous
and with stem held at base, on each side, by a small
figure of a man; at intervals above are small busts,
mostly with one hand holding the stem of the foliage;
the busts include bishops, women, a king, etc. The
inner band of carving consists, almost entirely, of
continuous foliage, but has the busts of a king (?) and
a bishop at the bottom and occasional small figures
above including a man with an axe. The jambs have
each three free shafts with moulded capitals and bases;
at the back a rough rebate has been cut for the insertion
of a gate. The buttresses of the porch are of four stages
with gabled and crocketted heads; cut through the base
of the E. buttress is an early 16th-century doorway
(Plate 121) with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in
a square head with traceried spandrels and a moulded
label which cuts into the work of the outer porch and
is therefore of later date; on the hollow-moulding of
the label is a scroll inscribed ANNO DOMINI 1519, with
two shields-of-arms, (a) Mayhew, (b) Booth; E. of
the door, on the S. face, is a panel with a trefoiled
head and on the S.E. angle of the buttress is worked
a small shaft with a defaced base; this doorway
appears to have opened into an enclosure of some sort,
but the only evidence of a roof is a piece of raking
weathering on the W. face of the transept-buttress,
adjoining the aisle. The vault of the porch has
moulded diagonal, ridge and wall-ribs with a large
foliated boss at the intersection; the vault springs
from short shafts in the angles with moulded capitals
and foliated corbel-terminations. The upper storey
is approached by a turret-staircase in the E. angle of
the porch and aisle; the turret is square at the base,
with the angles cut back above; it is finished with
crocketted and finialed gables and has windows with
moulded jambs and square splayed heads. The upper
room has a lancet-window in the E., W. and N. walls;
the two former have hollow-chamfered jambs, but the
window in the N. wall has moulded jambs and the
sill has been cut down to form a doorway. The roof
is of flat pitch with cambered and chamfered tie-beams
and chamfered purlins. The plain parapet has corbels
carved with heads and foliage.
The outer porch (Plate 120) is of two storeys and has
in the N.E. and W. sides of the lower storey a moulded
two-centred arch, with the mouldings continued down
the responds and the rolls interrupted by bands at the
springing-level and terminating in moulded bases;
the N. arch is set in a square head, the spandrels of
which are enriched with cusped panelling, including
large sub-cusped quatrefoils; the cusp-points are
foliated. The outer angles of the porch have octagonal
turrets of two stages, with small three-stage buttresses
at the angles, flanked by rolls which are carried up to
the cornice. Each turret contains a staircase, entered
by a doorway with hollow-chamfered jambs and
square head, and lit by loops; at the head of each
staircase the newel is carried up to support a stone
vault with simple rounded ribs. Between the stages
and at the top of the turrets are moulded string-courses,
and the upper stage has in each free face a partly
restored window of two trefoiled and transomed
lights in a square head; below the sill of each window,
except on the S. of both and S.E. of the E. turret, is
a pair of quatre-foiled panels, partly restored. The
outer porch has a lierne-vault with moulded ridge,
diagonal, wall and cross-ribs, with lozenge-shaped
panels at the intersections; the middle panel has a
large sub-cusped quatrefoil, but the carving in the
middle has been broken off; the other panels have
quatrefoils enclosing four-leaved flowers, all more or
less defaced; at the heads of the wall-ribs are foliated
bosses; the vault springs from shafts in the angles,
with moulded and carved capitals and moulded
bases. The upper storey of the porch has semi-octagonal buttresses at the northern angles and a plain
moulded parapet with remains of small carved figures
on the coping of the N. face. In the N. wall is a
window with moulded external reveals and of five
trefoiled lights, of which the middle one is twice the
width of the others and has a sub-cusped trefoiled
ogee head; the tracery is mainly vertical and is enclosed in a two-centred main head; the spandrels
between the head and the gable are moulded and
filled with sub-cusped panelling. The side walls have
each a window of four cinque-foiled lights with vertical
tracery in a two-centred head, with moulded external
reveals; flanking the window are panels with trefoiled
heads, two on each side, one above the other. In the
angle of the buttress of the inner porch on the W. side
is a carved gargoyle. The room in the upper storey
was formerly a chapel and has a boarded ceiling with
painted decoration.
Hereford Cathedral
Fittings—Bells: ten; 2nd by Abraham Rudhall, 1698;
3rd probably by same founder, 1698; 4th by Abraham
Rudhall, 1697; 6th (Plate 25) by Stephen Banastre,
probably 15th-century; 7th by Abraham Rudhall,
1697; 9th inscribed in Lombardic capitals "Wilhelmus
Warwike construxit me in Sancte Trinitatis honore,"
15th-century; 10th probably from the Bristol foundry
and inscribed in Lombardic capitals "Sancte Cuthberte
ora pro nobis," 15th-century.
Brackets: In Stanbery chapel—on N. wall, semi-octagonal moulded bracket with leaf-terminal, 15th-century. In S. transept—on S. wall, four flanking
S. window, semi-octagonal and moulded with concave
faces, two lower brackets with half-figures of angels
(one modern) and two upper with carved heads, early
15th-century.
Brasses and Indents. Brasses: In Lady Chapel—
(1) of Richard de la Barre, 1386, canon, figure of
priest in cope in head of octofoiled cross, stem on
calvary inscribed with prayer, now in S.E. transept,
finials of cross, two shields and marginal inscription
lost. In N.E. transept—on W. wall, (2) of [John
Stockton, 1480, mayor of Hereford], figure of civilian
in long gown corded at waist, pointed shoes, standing
on tun; (3) to William Hotale, 1432, inscription
only; (4) to Richard Burgehyle, 1492, "grammarteacher of this city," inscription only; (5) figures of
civilian and wife, achievement and shield-of-arms of
Wilson, of c. 1600, from St. George's Chapel, Windsor;
(6) of Richard Rudhale, Archdeacon of Hereford,
canon and doctor of Canon Law, 1476, figure of priest
with skull-cap and rich cope, parts of standards and
canopy with figures of St. David and St. Anne and the
Virgin, portions of canopy with figures of St. Thomas
of Canterbury, St. John the Evangelist, St. Katherine,
St. Ethelbert and St. Thomas of Hereford, with parts
of marginal inscription in S.E. transept; (7) figure of
man in armour with feet on hound, c. 1480; (8) figure
of priest in mass-vestments, holding chalice and wafer,
c. 1520; (9) to [William Porter S.T.B., warden of
New College Oxford and precentor of Hereford, 1524],
remains of canopy with figure-group of the Annunciation, two shields-of-arms, Porter quartering Hayward
and figure of St. Ethelbert, figure of priest, standards,
marginal inscription, etc., lost; (10) fragments including portions of tabernacle-work; two shields
with merchants' marks, one with initials N. H. in
addition; symbol of St. Mark; a shield-of-arms of
Heveningham quartering Redisham; two other shields-of-arms; part of a helm; on S. wall, (11) to Catherine
(Read) wife of Bridstock Harford, 1665–6, inscription
and shield-of-arms; (12) to Elizabeth, wife of
Bridstock Harford, 1669–70, inscription with shield-of-arms; (13) to Joyce, wife of Bridstock Harford,
1680, insciption and shield-of-arms. In S.E. transept
—on S. wall, (14) of Thomas Chawndiler, S.T.P.,
Dean of Hereford and Chancellor of Oxford, 1490,
headless figure of priest in cope, feet also lost;
(15) to William Plott, 1628, inscription only; on
W. wall, (16) figure of priest in cope, 1434, with
defaced inscription; (17) of Edmund Ryall, Canon,
1428, headless figure of priest in cope, inscription fixed
farther N.; (18) figure of civilian, with feet on dog,
1394, formerly in head of cross, inscription mostly
lost; (19) to John Prat, canon, 1415–6, part of inscription only; (20) to Robert Jordan, canon, 1465,
inscription only, figure and canopy lost; (21) to
[William Webb, archdeacon of Hereford], 1522, part
of marginal inscription, figure lost; on floor, (22) to
[Thomas Downe, canon, 1489], pinnacled standard of
canopy, with indent of figure, inscription and rest of
canopy; (23) of Sir Richard Delabere, 1514, and
Anne (Awdeley) and Elizabeth (Mores) his wives,
figures of man in plate armour with head on helm,
and of two wives in pedimental head-dresses with
long girdles, groups of four daughters and one son
of first wife and ten sons and six daughters of second
wife, names of two daughters, three shields-of-arms,
(a) Delabere, quartering 2 defaced, 3 two bars over all
a bend and a chief checky, defaced; (b) Delabere impaling
a defaced coat; (c) defaced coat quartering three bars
with a bend over all, marginal inscription, one shield
missing. In presbytery—on N. side, (24) of John
Trilleck, bishop of Hereford, 1360, figure of bishop
in mass vestments with mitre and crozier, under
cinque-foiled and sub-cusped canopy with side standards
and super canopy with quatre-foiled cornice, marginal
inscription and two shields, canopy, inscription and
shields restored. In E. aisle of N. transept—(25) of
Richard Delamere, 1435, and Isabel his wife, 1421 (Plate
128), figure of man in plate armour, feet on lion, figure of
lady in horned head-dress and SS collar, two dogs at
feet, double canopy with cinque-foiled and sub-cusped
arches and crocketted ogee gables and upper cornice,
parts of standards and pinnacles missing, foot inscription and three shields-of-arms (a) Delamere, (b) the
same impaling Acton (?), (c) (a) quartering (b), one
shield missing; (26) of Edmund Frowsetoure, S.T.P.,
dean of Hereford, 1529 (Plate 128), figure of priest in
quire-vestments with cope and flat cap, elaborate triple
canopy with eight figures in niches and four shields
of arms, figures as follows—St. Katherine, St. John
the Baptist, St. Ethelbert, Trinity, St. Mary Magdalene,
St. Peter, St. Thomas of Hereford (?) and Trinity (?);
shields of St. Ethelbert, the See, the Deanery and a
fesse between three flowers, foot and marginal inscriptions;
(27) to John Philips, 1708–9, lozenge-shaped plate
with cross and enamelled border. In S. aisle of nave—
on S. wall, (28) to Richard Phillips, mayor of Hereford
and Anne his wife, c. 1532, inscription only. See also
Monuments (20) and (38). Indents: In N.E. transept—(1) of priest under canopy, with marginal
inscription, early 15th-century; (2) of man in armour
and wife, marginal inscription, shields-of-arms, two
encircled by garter, late 14th-century. In quirevestry—(3) of figure and inscription plate. In S.
aisle of presbytery—on wall over Bishop Robert of
Lorraine's tomb, (4) rectangular plate. In bishop's
cloister—in E. walk, (5) of rectangular plate; (6) of
two figures, and inscription-plate. See also Monuments (9) and (38).
Chairs: In presbytery—N. side (Plate 127), with
turned posts, rails and subsidiary uprights, posts
with turned terminals, front with range of open
arcading in two bays having moulded shafts and round
arches, one shaft and two arches missing; sides each
with five moulded shafts supporting turned rail under
elbow-rail, framing of turned bars at back of chair
with middle part missing, early 13th-century. In
lower library—with turned front legs, shaped arms,
turned lower rail, upper rail carved with guilloche
ornament, carved and arcaded back with pedimental
head, early 17th-century, on modern platform with
modern framing at back supporting early 17th-century
rectangular sounding-board with cornice, arabesque
frieze, panelled soffit with pendants at angles, cresting
with blank shield.
Chair in the Cathedral, Hereford.
Chest: In lower library—of hutch-type (Plate 131),
about 6 ft. long carved with a continuous range of
trefoil-headed panels with intersecting window-tracery
above, uprights each carved with two round designs,
three lock-plates, plain framed sides, late 13th or
early 14th-century, lid modern.
Coffin and Coffin-lids. Coffin: In N. transept—
against N. wall, tapering with semi-octagonal ends
and shaped internal head, 13th-century. Coffin-lids:
In N.E. transept—against E. wall, (1) fragment of
upper end with elaborately foliated cross-head in
circle, late 13th-century; (2) portion with foliated
cross-head in circle and remains of Lombardic inscription, 13th-century; (3) with foliated cross and whole
surface covered with elaborate scroll-work and conventional foliage (Plate 42), late 13th-century; against
W. wall, (4) with worn cross in circle in relief and shield-of-arms, three eagles, on the stem, early 14th-century;
against N. wall, (5) upper part with incised cross with
conventional foliage, 13th-century; against S. wall,
(6) fragment with incised cross having foliated ends,
14th-century. In yard between cloisters—(7) tapering
slab with hollow-chamfered edge.
Cupboards: In muniment room over E. walk of
Bishop's cloister—two, one divided into 36 divisions,
with moulded styles and rails, painted cartouche and
number on door, 17th-century; second cupboard
similar but with 44 divisions, 18th-century.
Doors: In doorway of Audley chapel—of four
linen-fold panels, styles and rails enriched with paterae
in squares, carved dragon in top spandrel, vertical iron
handle with crown on fixing plate, key-scutcheon with
the Audley fret, the initials E. A. and the Audley badge
of a butterfly; inner door to stairs, of four panels with
moulded styles and rails and two strap-hinges; door at
top of stairs, of three battens with strap-hinges; all
15th-century. In doorway of Stanbery chapel—of two
panels with open wrought-iron framing above shaped
to the door-head and enclosing four trefoiled lights
under two four-centred heads, 15th-century. In N.
aisle of presbytery—in doorway to stair-turret, with
moulded fillets planted on, 15th-century; in doorway
to library from turret, of battens, 16th or 17th-century.
In central tower—in doorway to roof over presbytery,
of battens, probably 14th-century.
Fireplace: In S. transept—in W. wall, rectangular
opening with moulded jambs and head, 15th or 16th-century.
Font: (Plate 127) deep cup-shaped bowl of rough,
white sandstone with deep flat rim carved with fret
pattern and sides divided into panels by continuous
arcade of twelve bays with attached shafts enriched with
varying design of interlaced cable-pattern, scalloped
ornament, pellet-ornament, etc., and having defaced caps
and moulded bases; semi-circular arches enriched with
pellet ornament with conventional foliage of varying
design in spandrels and in each bay a carved figure of
a man, probably the twelve apostles, several apparently
holding books and all badly defaced; base probably
later and of harder and smoother yellow sandstone
with roll moulding resting on chamfered plinth, with,
projecting from the four cardinal points, the carved
head and fore paws of a sitting lion, 12th-century with
parts of plinth modern.
Gallery: (Plate 140) In S. aisle of presbytery—over
tomb of Bishop Robert of Lorraine, of oak with
moulded base and cornice and open arcade of trefoiled
ogee arches on detached shafts and responds with
moulded caps, bands and bases, central quatrefoil in
circle, early 14th-century, probably for quire-organ.
Glass: In Lady chapel—in two western windows in
S. wall, in first window (Plate 130), grisaille glass with a
series of panels, (a) vesica-shaped panel with a Majesty
and four small panels with the symbols of the evangelists and remains of their names; (b) small round panel
with the Agnus Dei; (c) quatrefoil-panel with the
Marys at the Sepulchre, modern head to angel;
(d) quatrefoil-panel with the Crucifixion flanked by
the Virgin and St. John; (e) quatrefoil-panel with
the bearing of the Cross, three heads, modern; in
second window grisaille glass with foliated designs
only in panels, late 13th-century. In windows of
upper Audley chapel—quarries with suns; roundels
with wreaths, one enclosing the arms of Audley and
one the arms of the Deanery; the initial T, a white
rose, roundels with star, rosette, etc., 15th-century.
In N.E. transept—in S.E. window, in four main
lights, modern figures of St. Katherine, St. Michael,
St. Gregory and St. Thomas of Canterbury, all under
old canopies of tabernacle-work; fragments at sides,
grisaille above and below; in tracery three shields of
St. George, Devereux, and Morteyn, spandrels and small
lights made up with fragments, early 14th-century, much
restored and made up with modern work. In S. aisle of
presbytery—in S.E. window (Plate 129), in four main
lights, figures of St. Mary Magdalene with inscribed
scroll, St. Ethelbert with sword and church, St. Augustine with crozier, and St. George in armour, all under
canopies of tabernacle work, with fragments at sides;
grisaille, in patterns, above and below; in tracery—
three shields, the Deanery, vairy argent and gules two
bars azure, and gules a cross or set in fragments, early
14th-century, partly restored. In N. transept—in
northern window in W. wall, jumble of fragments,
mostly 15th-century, various heads including head of
angel, head of saint with crozier, monograms with
letter A, and a fragment of inscription; in southern
window in same wall, figures of the Virgin and Child,
group of figures at top, jumble of fragments below,
mostly 15th-century. In S. aisle of nave—in easternmost window in S. wall, in four lights, a collection
of fragments, borders, tabernacle-work, etc., in first
light remains of figure-subject of Joseph's dream of
the wheat-sheaves, in second light fragmentary remains
of a second subject, perhaps Joseph being cast into
the pit; in tracery shield-of-arms of the Deanery,
mostly 14th-century with much modern work. In
upper storey of outer N. porch—in E. window,
fragments with oak-leaf and border, early 16th-century.
Images: In S.E. transept—stone figure of St. John
the Baptist (Plate 144) dressed in skins, feet bare, Lamb
and book in left hand, 15th-century, head restored in
plaster, said to have come from St. Nicholas Church. In
presbytery—S. side, stone figure, probably of St.
Ethelbert (Plate 148), with long robe and crown, hands
missing, standing on moulded bracket with traceried
panelling below, late 15th or early 16th-century.
Library: In the triforium of the N. transept—consisting of about 2000 volumes, mostly chained and
including some 230 manuscripts. Among these may
be mentioned the 8th-century gospels. The early
printed books include a Caxton's Golden Legend of
1483, a Polychronicon of 1495, and a Lyndwood's
Provinciale of 1475. The five bookcases of oak of
c. 1600 have moulded cornices and, in some cases,
painted contents-lists; the ends have frames with
pediments and ball-terminals; the chained books are
secured by iron rods locked at the ends.
Lockers: In S. transept—in E. wall, plain rectangular
recess, 12th-century; in W. wall, rectangular with
slot for shelf.
Mappa Mundi: (Plate 150) In S. transept—on
W. wall, in modern frame, with late 14th-century
head having carved crockets and finial, map drawn on
a sheet of vellum, 54 in. by 63 in. and of triangular form
at the top, map itself round, with figure-subjects in
the spandrels—(a) at top, the Last Judgment with
angels, inscription in French, (b) left-hand lower
spandrel, Julius Cæsar directing the three philosophers
Nicodoxus, Theodocus and Policlitus, to survey the
world, below, inscription in French inviting prayers
for Richard de Haldingham; (c) right-hand lower
spandrel, the author on horseback with page and
hounds; on circumference of map, Latin inscriptions
relating to the survey by the philosophers; map the
work of Richard de Haldingham, who was a canon of
Hereford in 1305.
Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In Lady
chapel—against N. wall, (1) to [Joan (Plunkenet), wife of
Henry de Bohun, 1327], altar-tomb with effigy in wallrecess (Plate 132), plain altar-tomb with moulded top-edge enriched with paterae and heads alternately, at head
recumbent canopy with ogee cinque-foiled arch, crockets
and finial; effigy of woman in wimple and veiled head-dress, tight sleeves and loose gown, head on cushion
and feet on dog; all set in a 13th-century recess with
moulded and segmental-pointed arch and label with
head-stops and apex turned up to mitre with string-course of chapel; remains of black and red colour
on effigy and arch, traces of painted figure and arch
on back of recess and remains of decoration in spandrels
of arch, including a diaper of fleur-de-lis and rosettes
and two shields-of-arms (a) Plunkenet and (b) formerly
Bohun but now obliterated; (2) ascribed to Peter de
Grandison, mid 14th-century, altar-tomb with effigy and
canopy (Plate 133), altar-tomb with range of cinquefoil-headed panels in front and panelled buttresses at ends
carried up to the cornice of the canopy, effigy (Plate 50)
in mixed mail and plate-armour with camail and ridged
bascinet, hauberk with scalloped lower edge, cyclas,
enriched hip-belt with dagger hanging in front and
sword at side, head on cushions and feet on hound;
recess with panelled back, moulded jambs and square
head enriched with paterae and trefoiled and sub-cusped
pendant tracery below the head; vaulted soffit to
canopy; canopy with range of six bays of open
arcading with trefoiled and sub-cusped heads, crockets
and finials, in arcading two headless figures of the
Coronation of the Virgin, headless figure with book,
archbishop with cross-staff, St. John the Baptist holding
a roundel with the Agnus Dei, and a bishop, last four
figures brought from elsewhere; canopy finished with
enriched cornice and pierced parapet with quatrefoils
and cusped cresting; against S. wall, (3) chantry-chapel of Bishop Audley, see Architectural Description (p. 103b); (4) perhaps to a member of the
Swinefield family, early 14th-century, effigy on plain
altar-tomb in recess (Plate 137); effigy (Plate 46)
vested in cassock and surplice, drapery very carefully
rendered, Doctor's cap on head; recess with moulded
two-centred arch, enriched with ball-flower and swine,
some with the arms of the Deanery on their bodies,
moulded label with head-stops; remains of painted
figure-subject on back of recess, formerly showing
kneeling figure of doctor before the Virgin, with
attendant figure, early 14th-century. In crypt—at W.
end, (5) to Andrew Jones and Elizabeth his wife, who
reconstructed the crypt or charnel-house, 1497, plain
low altar-tomb with alabaster slab (Plate 41) incised
with figures of man and wife in civil costume, man's
feet on tun, elaborate double canopy over each figure,
marginal inscription and scrolls. In N.E. transept—
against N. wall, (6) of [Bishop Robert Purfey or
Parfew, 1558], altar-tomb with moulded capping and
base, quatre-foiled panels with shields alternating with
narrow trefoiled panels at side and ends; effigy in
amess and surplice, much mutilated, head, hands and
feet missing; (7) to Bishop Richard Swinefield, 1316–7,
recess with moulded jambs, segmental-pointed arch,
label with ball-flower ornament and head-stops and
gable with crockets, finial and trefoiled spandrel; at
back of recess slab with indent of crucifix with attendant
figures, surrounding masonry carved with vineornament in relief, except below which has a later
painted inscription in black-letter; against S. wall,
(8) recess with moulded jambs and segmental-pointed
arch enriched with ball-flowers and moulded label,
modern altar-tomb with effigy of man in civil costume,
head on cushions, feet on defaced beast, c. 1300;
(9) tablet with moulded panel with cinque-foiled ogee
head and embattled cornice, in panel, indent of kneeling
figure, scroll, a Trinity, and inscription-plate, late 15th
or early 16th-century; on W. wall, (10) to Luke
Booth, 1673, tablet with cartouche-of-arms and modern
stone frame; on floor W. side (Plate 43), (11) effigy
of man in civil costume, defaced head on cushion, feet
on beast, early 14th-century; (12) effigy of lady, with
long gown and draped head-dress, early 14th-century,
much defaced; (13) effigy of lady in long gown, face
cut away, early 14th-century; (14) effigy of man in
civil costume, head on cushions, feet cut away, early
14th-century; on W. wall, (15) five cartouches-of-arms and one achievement from 17th-century monuments. In S.E. transept—against N. wall, (16) of
Bishop George Coke, 1646, effigy (Plate 143) in
rochet, chimere, ruff and skull-cap, head on tasselled
cushion, base and canopy modern; elaborate wall-monument, destroyed by Wyatt, inscribed slab now in
Bishop's cloister; (17) of [Bishop Lewis Charlton,
1369], altar-tomb and effigy, altar-tomb modern except
middle cusped panel and parts of adjoining panels,
middle panel enclosing shield of his arms, at W. end,
shield of the See, much defaced effigy in mass-vestments, with enriched apparels to amice, head
defaced, feet on lion, former canopy destroyed; against
S. wall, (18) of [Bishop Augustine Lindsell], 1634,
effigy (Plate 144) in rochet, chimere, ruff and academical
cap, head on tasselled cushion; (19) ascribed to Dean
John Harvey, 1500, altar-tomb and effigy (Plate 144),
early 15th-century altar-tomb, from the Trevenant
monument (41), with quatre-foiled panels alternating
with trefoil-headed panels, modern plinth and cornice,
in larger panels shields-of-arms—(a) the Deanery,
(b) Trevenant and (c) See of Hereford; much defaced
alabaster effigy, of c. 1500, in mass-vestments, head
on cushion, feet on lion. In presbytery—under first
arch on N., (20) of Bishop John Stanbery, 1474,
alabaster altar-tomb (Plate 135), effigy and brass, altar-tomb with enriched moulded capping and stone base,
N. side and return ends with panels having cinque-foiled
and sub-cusped heads and each containing a figure of
a saint or an angel holding a shield as follows—
(a) bishop (Plate 136); (b) St. Ethelbert, with sword
and model of church, (c) bishop with object in right
hand, (d) the Virgin and Child, (e) bishop, (f) St.
Edward the Confessor, with sceptre and ring, at ends,
St. John the Baptist (Plate 136) and a bishop; the
shields bear (a) See of Hereford, (b) St. Ethelbert,
(c) the Deanery, (d) Stanbery, (e) the King, remains
of colour and gilt decoration at back of panels; effigy
(Plate 46) in mass-vestments, head on cushion supported by mutilated angels, feet on lion, crozier and
hands broken off, on wall to W. brass plate re-set,
with inscription; in second bay from E., (21) ascribed
to Bishop Giles de Braose, 1215, late 13th-century
freestone effigy (Plate 47) in mass-vestments holding
model of building, head on cushion, feet on pedestal;
(22) of Bishop Robert Bennett, 1617, alabaster effigy
(Plate 144) in rochet, chimere, ruff and skull-cap, head
on enriched cushion, feet on lion, hands broken off,
shield-of-arms on base and on wall adjoining panel
with shield-of-arms, and, below, two framed wooden
panels with inscriptions, relating to the same monument, former canopy destroyed; on S. side, under
first arch, (23) of Bishop Richard Mayhew or Mayo,
1516, altar-tomb, effigy and canopy (Plate 139), altar-tomb with eight trefoil-headed panels on S. side
each containing a figure of a saint as follows—
(a) St. Ethelbert with sword and church, (b) St. Peter,
(c) St. John the Evangelist, with book and palm,
(d) Christ, holding orb, (e) Virgin and Child, (f) St.
John the Baptist, with lamb on book, (g) St. Paul,
(h) bishop, probably St. Thomas Cantilupe; effigy
(Plate 46) in mass-vestments with enriched mitre,
maniple and apparels of alb, elaborate head of crozier
with Tudor rose, head on cushion, two beasts at feet;
triple-arched canopy, resting on moulded and buttressed piers with crocketted heads, and having moulded
arches springing from piers and from two pendants
on each face, ogee crocketted labels to each arch and
crocketted pinnacles above pendants, subsidiary supporting ribs under side-arches, panelled and traceried
fan-vault under canopy with central pendant; on two
pendants, two shields, (a) St. Ethelbert, (b) Mayhew;
at W. end, under canopy, shield of Mayhew; resting
on the vault, an open stone screen running longitudinally with open tracery and an enriched cornice
carried up in the middle in a low crocketted gable, at
each end a higher range of open tracery, now incomplete; between northern supports of canopy, above
altar-tomb, a stone screen with two ranges of open
trefoiled lights and a moulded cornice; on N. face of
screen grouped attached shafts against main divisions
now supporting nothing but perhaps originally intended for the back of the sedilia of the presbytery;
on wall farther E. in aisle, panelled slab with modern
brass and inscription. In N. aisle of presbytery—
against N. wall, (24) ascribed to Bishop Reinhelm,
1115, and erected c. 1300, low base with freestone
effigy in mass-vestments, head on cushion, feet on
pedestal, crozier-head broken off; recess with moulded
segmental-pointed arch and label, both with carved
paterae, head-stops at base and apex of label; in
Stanbery chapel, in recess in S. wall, (25) effigy of
bishop, similar to last and moved with a similar recess
in the aisle-wall when the chapel was built; remains
of W. part of original recess, to W. of doorway of
chapel; (26) chapel of Bishop Stanbery, 1474, see
Architectural Description (p 96a); (27) ascribed to
Bishop Geoffrey de Clive, 1119–20, erected c. 1300,
base, effigy and recess, similar to (24); (28) ascribed
to Bishop Hugh de Mapenore, 1219, erected c. 1300,
base, effigy and recess, similar to (24) and (27) but
crozier complete; (29) of [Bishop Peter de Aquablanca, 1268], altar-tomb, effigy and canopy (Plate 138),
in arch between presbytery and transept-aisle, plain
altar-tomb with moulded capping, freestone effigy
(Plate 47) in mass-vestments with crozier-head and
left hand broken off, remains of colour on vestments, chasuble blue with a yellow border with
red quatrefoils, maniple yellow with red and black
lined and cusped squares at the ends, stole yellow,
dalmatic red with yellow border and circles and
quatrefoils in black and red, tunicle and alb white,
shoes red with quatrefoils; over effigy, recumbent
canopy with trefoiled head, traceried spandrels and
side, standards with traceried panels and carved heads
and standing on a three-arched base with heads below
it; main canopy of three main bays on each side,
each of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a
moulded two-centred arch, surmounted by a lofty
open gable with crockets, carved finial and trefoiled
circle, partly broken away, in the tympanum; the
central S. finial bears a carved crucifix (Plate 148);
above main piers, grouped shafts terminating in
crocketted pinnacles; main supports of canopy are
of grouped shafts, with single intermediate shafts,
all of dark slate or marble and with moulded capitals
and bases. In S. aisle of presbytery—under second
arch of main arcade, (30) ascribed to Bishop Robert
of Lorraine (or Losinga), 1095, erected c. 1300,
effigy (Plate 140) similar to (21) and also holding
model of building and with oak-leaf ornament on
crozier, under arch with moulded jambs and segmental-pointed head, enriched with ball-flower, moulded
label returned round masonry supporting gallery, see
Gallery; in S. wall, (31–34) ascribed to Bishops
William de Vere, 1198, Gilbert Foliot, 1187, Robert de
Bethune, 1148, and Robert de Melun, 1166–7, all erected
c. 1300, and with bases, effigies and recesses similar to
(23, 26 and 27) in N. aisle, three of the croziers with
foliated heads. In N. transept—against N. wall, (35) of
Bishop Thomas Charlton, 1343–4, altar-tomb, effigy
and canopied recess (Plate 145), plain altar-tomb with
panelled front, effigy in mass-vestments, hands and
crozier-head broken off, half round recumbent canopy
over head with cinque-foiled and sub-cusped head,
panelled sides and embattled cornice, buttressed and
shafted standards at sides; recess with cinque-foiled
and sub-cusped arch with foliated cusp-points and
spandrels carved with censing angels and foliage,
crocketted gable above with finial and trefoiled
tympanum, the whole flanked by buttressed pinnacles;
(36) of [Bishop Herbert Westfaling, 1601–2], modern
base with effigy (Plate 143) in rochet and chimere,
with skull-cap and long beard, head on cushions, right
hand raised to head, enriched base destroyed, back-piece now on N. wall of Bishop's cloister. In E. aisle
of N. transept—on E. wall, (37) of Bishop Theophilus
Field, 1636, alabaster bust (Plate 53) in rochet, chimere,
ruff and skull-cap and holding book, re-set on bracket
and retaining traces of colour; on floor of aisle, (38)
ascribed to Bishop Thomas Cantilupe, 1282, monument in form of a shrine-pedestal and consisting of an
altar-tomb and open superstructure (Plate 134), altar-tomb possibly slightly earlier than the rest, tapering on
plan and re-assembled, long sides with six bays and W.
end with two bays of cinque-foiled arcading on attached
shafts with foliated capitals and moulded bases, spandrels carved with varying naturalistic foliage; each
bay filled with figure of knight (Plate 136) with long
surcoat, heater-shaped shield and feet on lions and
other beasts, faces all defaced; on slab, indent of brass
figure of bishop with mitre and crozier and canopy;
small brass figure of St. Ethelbert now in library;
superstructure with six bays on long sides and two
at W. end of open trefoiled arcading resting on shafts
with moulded capitals and bases, spandrels carved with
naturalistic foliage and winged beasts, moulded cornice
at top and plain top slab; E. end of tomb, plain and
not intended to be seen, with part of carved spandrel
set in it; (39) ascribed to Dean John de Aquablanca,
1320, low altar-tomb with moulded capping and plinth,
and effigy (Plate 47) in surplice, defaced head on
cushion, feet on lion, remains of recumbent trefoiled
canopy with crockets and trefoiled spandrels, drapery
carefully rendered and perhaps by the same hand as the
effigy of Monument (4). In S. transept—on floor,
(40) of Alexander Denton and Anne (Wyllyson) his
wife, 1566, alabaster altar-tomb and effigies (Plate 52),
panelled altar-tomb with moulded plinth and capping
with carved inscription, enriched pilasters and seven
shields-of-arms in wreaths; effigy of man in plate-armour, with double chain round neck and cross at end,
head on crested helm, feet on lion, gauntlets at side,
woman in close gown with puffed shoulders, high collar
and small ruff, girdle with enriched pendant, swaddled
infant on left side; considerable remains of colour on
monument; in S. wall, (41) of Bishop John Trevenant,
1404, effigy and canopied recess (Plate 142), plain base,
forming a projection of bench along S. wall, effigy in
mass-vestments, hands, crozier-head, face and mitre
broken off, feet against lion and head on two cushions;
canopy of three bays divided by pinnacles and with
cinque-foiled and sub-cusped heads, crocketted and
finialed ogee labels and traceried spandrels, at back
of recess, cusped segmental arch with traceried panelling above, former panelled altar-tomb now in S.E.
transept. In nave—in fifth bay of S. arcade, (42)
ascribed to Sir Richard Pembridge, K.G., 1375,
alabaster altar-tomb and effigy (Plate 142), altar-tomb
with moulded base and capping, sides and ends panelled
with alternate quatrefoils enclosing shields of his arms
and trefoil-headed panels; effigy (Plate 51) in bascinet,
camail, jupon with same arms as shields, hip-belt, garter
on left leg, right leg modern, head on helm crested
with a bush of feathers, feet on hound. In N. aisle
of nave—in N. wall of second bay, (43) of Bishop
Charles Booth, 1535, altar-tomb, effigy and canopied
recess (Plate 141), altar-tomb on plain pedestal, front
with six quatre-foiled panels enclosing shields as
follows—(a) Booth; (b) See of Hereford; (c) Booth;
(d) St. Ethelbert; (e) the Deanery; (f) Booth;
effigy in mass-vestments with enriched mitre and
broken crozier, head supported by angels, feet on
pedestal; recess with cinque-foiled four-centred arch
with rosette cusp-points and shields in the spandrels,
two with the arms of Booth and two with a single
boar's head, heavy ogee crocketted label above with
large finial and trefoiled spandrel; canopy flanked by
panelled standards with pinnacles and two shields-of-arms—(a) Booth impaling the See and (b) Booth
impaling the Deanery; in front of tomb, iron railing
with buttressed standards, plain strikes and embattled
top rail with alternate roses and boars' heads on the
face; in front of each standard a shield-of-arms of
Booth. In S. aisle of nave—in S. wall, in second bay,
(44) ascribed to Dean Stephen of Ledbury, 1352,
but probably earlier, effigy in recess (Plate 137),
effigy in surplice, broken head on cushion, feet
against mutilated beast, recess with moulded segmental-pointed arch with septfoiled soffit, spandrels of foils,
trefoiled, moulded label with three head-stops; in
third bay, (45) ascribed to Treasurer Pembridge,
1328, effigy in recess (Plate 145), effigy in mass-vestments, head on cushion, two keys hanging from
left arm, feet on beast, face cut away; recess with
moulded cinque-foiled and sub-cusped arch, crocketted
and gabled label with trefoiled tympanum, foliated
spandrels to cusping, recess flanked by buttressed
standards, tops missing. In yard between two
cloisters—against E. wall, (46) sandstone slab and
effigy, probably of woman in long gown, much defaced
and head missing, 13th or early 14th-century. In
Bishop's cloister—on N. wall, (47) to Joyce, wife of
Samuel Aubrey, 1638, and to Samuel Aubrey, 1645,
plain black marble tablet, rest of monument destroyed;
(48) to James Clarke, 1640, wooden panel with painted
inscription; on E. wall, (49) to Edward Gwyn, 1690,
plain black marble tablet, surround missing; (50) to
Sarah (Broome), wife successively of Robert de la Hay
and William Johnson, canon, 1689, plain marble tablet;
(51) to [William Evans, prebendary], 1659, and Mary
his wife, portions of monument only, busts (Plate 53)
of man and wife from this monument now in triforium
of N. transept; (52) to Jane (Fell), wife of William
Bowdler, 1660, oval black marble tablet, rest destroyed;
(53) to Edward King, 1684, wooden tablet with painted
inscription and cartouche-of-arms; (54) to Richard
Philpotts, 1673, and his daughter Elizabeth, wife of
Humfrey Walter, wooden tablet with painted inscription and cartouche-of-arms; (55) to William Barroll,
. . ., and Mary his wife, 1698, wooden tablet with
painted inscription; (56) to Hanna, wife of William
Lowe, 1656, and Hanna their infant daughter, 1653,
grey marble tablet with moulded and scrolled surround
and cherub-head; (57) to Philip Hunt, 1698–9, and
Martha his daughter, 1694, plain black marble tablet;
(58) to Mary (Seaborne), wife of William Bowdler,
1665, plain black marble tablet. Floor-slabs: In
quire-vestry—(1) to ... of John (Hington?) 1676
and to . . ., his daughter, wife of Francis Lambe,
1707. In N.E. transept—against W. wall, (2) slab with
remains of figure of ecclesiastic under canopy and blackletter inscription, mediæval. In S.E. transept—(3) to
Herbert Croft, Bishop of Hereford, 1691, with shield-of-arms; (4) to George Benson, Dean of Hereford,
1691, with shield-of-arms; (5) to Gilbert Ironside,
S.T.P., Bishop of Hereford, 1701, with shield-of-arms,
moved here from St. Mary Somerset, London; (6) to
Humphrey Humphreys, Bishop of Hereford, 1712,
with achievement-of-arms. In yard between the two
cloisters—(7) to Cecilia (Coningsby), wife successively
of David Hyde and Robert Woolmer, 1689, and to
Philipa (Hyde), wife of Thomas Rodd, 1711, with
shield-of-arms; (8) to . . . daughter of William
Skinner, 1691–2 and another, with defaced shield-of-arms; (9) to Martha Greene, 1687; (10) to . . .
Berington (?), 1657, with shield-of-arms; (11) to Lucy
Broughton, 1684; (12) to Edward Gwyn, 1690;
(13) to . . . (Godwyn), widow of James P . . .,
prebendary of Hereford, 1616–7; (14) to Samuel
Jenings, late 17th-century, with shield-of-arms;
(15) to William C . . ., William Med . . ., 1694,
and another, with defaced shield-of-arms; (16) to
(Catherine?), wife of . . ., late 17th-century; (17) to
Mary, widow of Gilbert Nicholett (?), 1702, with
lozenge-of-arms; (18) to Richard Weaver, M.P., 1642,
with shield-of-arms; (19) to ... of Thomas Bell (?)
. . ., 1676, and others later; (20) to . . . dan Marten,
1674; (21) to Anne, daughter of Thomas Boycott,
1697, and William his son, 1698–9; (22) to . . . wife
of Sir Walter Pye, 1698, with shield-of-arms; (23) to
Thomas Boycott, 1698–9, with shield-of-arms; (24) to
Bridget, daughter of Sir Herbert Croft, 1694 (?), with
lozenge-of-arms; (25) to Thomas . . . ers, 1702;
against E. wall, (26) to . . . Greene, 1699. In courtyard of Bishop's cloister—(27) name destroyed, 1687–8;
(28) to Ursula Clarcke, 1666; (29) to Maud (?), wife
of Thomas Aldorne (?), 1699 (?); (30) name defaced,
1705 (?); (31) to Elizabeth, wife of George Fletcher,
sexton, 1688–9; (32) to Sammuell Russell, 1689, with
achievement-of-arms; (33) to John Wade, 1643;
(34) to Henry Price, 1682–3, on slab with brass-indent
of two figures and symbols of evangelists at angles;
(35) to John . . . yr, mayor of Hereford, 1632 (?);
(36) to Dorothye, wife of John Gou . . ., late 17th-century; (37) to . . . ford, 1708. In Bishop's cloister
—(38) to Cecily, daughter of Sir Henry Lingen, 1689,
with lozenge-of-arms; (39) with foliated cross and
remains of inscription, 15th-century; (40) to Edward
Kemp, 16—, and his wife; (41) with foliated cross
and remains of inscription, 15th-century.
Niches: In upper storey of outer N. porch—in S.
wall, two canopy-heads with crockets and cusped
panelling, remains of green, red and black paint, early
16th-century, much mutilated.
Paintings: In Lady chapel—on front of screen of
the Audley chapel, elaborate scheme of painted decoration (Plate 147), including spiral bands of black and
white on the main shafts and round the doorway and
other colours on the mouldings and tracery; in each of
upper series of twenty panels a painted pedestal and
canopy with elaborate crockets and finials, each, except
the seventeenth, containing a standing figure, apparently
Christ in the tenth panel, with the twelve apostles and
six other saints; many of these are much defaced but
to the E. of Christ are St. Peter (?), St. Andrew and
St. Bartholomew, to the W. of Christ are apparently
St. Paul, St. Thomas, St. John the Evangelist, St.
James the Great, St. Jude and St. Philip; the seventeenth panel has the shield of St. Ethelbert in place of a
figure. The lower range of panels apparently also had
painted figures in canopied niches, but remains of
only four of these survive, including a pope and St.
Sebastian, late 15th-century. Outer arch and vault of
upper Audley chapel also painted and gilt, vault with
blue ground. In N.E. transept—on S. wall flanking
and above opening into Lady Chapel, figure-subjects
in several tiers each with inscriptions in Lombardic
letters; figures outlined in black with washes of
colour, but subjects indistinguishable, 14th-century.
In upper storey of outer N. porch—on S. wall, remains
of painting; boarded ceiling mostly old, painted white
and powdered with stars; in middle a round panel,
repaired with old boards painted with stars, early
16th-century.
Pavement: In upper storey of outer N. porch—
altar-step across from E. to W., pavement N. of it
mainly of plain red tiles but with one or two patterned
slip-tiles; on altar-piece some heraldic slip-tiles
including—(a) three piles and a border; (b) a double
haded eagle in a circle; (c) Beauchamp; (d) barry a
scutcheon; (e) Old France; (f) fretty quartering
a bend and perhaps other charges, also some pattern-tiles.
Plate: includes dean's mace, with cup-shaped head
with cresting of crosses and fleurs-de-lis, bowl of head
with terminal figures alternating with the arms of
St. Ethelbert, crowned fleur-de-lis, arms of the Deanery
and crowned Tudor rose, all in repoussé work, on
top the royal Stuart arms, shaft with knop and pear-shaped end, late 17th-century; bishop's mace, with
cup-shaped head having cresting as on dean's mace,
ribs on bowl, plain shaft with bands at top and bottom,
mid 17th-century. In library—coffin-chalice of base
metal, with shallow bowl, knop and spreading base,
plain paten, from tomb of Chancellor Gilbert Swinefield, 1299; coffin-chalice (Plate 56) of silver with plain
shallow bowl, knop and trumpet-stem, paten engraved
in the middle with a hand blessing and the words Dextera
Dei, both from the grave of Bishop Swinefield, 1317;
châsse (Plate 152) of copper or latten with Limoges
enamel, on an oak base, 7 in. long by 3½ in. wide and
8¼ in. high, it stands on four short legs and has a gabled
and ridged top with a pierced ridge-plate; the front has
the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury, with the
saint standing before an altar and three knights behind
him, the figures have heads in relief; this side of the
top has a representation of the saint's entombment
with six attendant figures all with heads in relief;
both these subjects have wavy borders; the back has
a door divided into square panels each enclosing a
quatrefoil and with wavy bands flanking the door;
the top on this side is treated like the door; the gabled
ends have each a full-length figure of a saint under
an arch and with a quatre-foiled border; both figures
hold books and one is represented in the act of blessing;
the ridge-plate is pierced with a series of key-hole
shaped openings and has on the front side three round
ornamental bosses, early 13th-century. Inside the
châsse the back of the front face is painted with a cross
paty fitchy in red.
Pulpits: In nave—(1) against N.W. pier of central
tower, of oak (Plate 154), hexagonal on plan, open for
entrance on E. face and with standard for sounding-board occupying adjoining bay on right; remaining
sides panelled, each with square bolection-moulded
central panel surrounded by four L-shaped panels and
flanked by detached Corinthian columns standing on
jewelled panelled pedestals and supporting entablature
with carved frieze and dentilled cornice; between
pedestals to columns, band of reeded ornament, the
whole standing on deep ovolo-moulded base enriched
with carved strapwork, with projecting moulding below,
and panelled soffit and supported on base of ogee
tapering form with moulded ribs at angles, and now
fixed on modern framework, early to mid 17th-century.
Sounding board, 18th-century. In N.E. transept—
(2) of oak, rectangular on plan, standing on four
plain legs, with one side open; front divided into
three, and sides each into two panels by projecting
muntins, panelled on front in two trefoil-headed
panels; head of each main panel pierced with circular
quatrefoil with carved rosette in middle of quatrefoils
in side panels of front; moulded cornice above, late
15th or early 16th-century, but roughly framed together
and possibly made up from remains of screen or
parclose.
Scratchings: Numerous masons' marks occur in all
parts of the building, especially in 12th, 14th and 15th-century work.
Seating: In N. and S. transepts—eighteen benches
with shaped ends, moulded top rails, back divided
into panels by moulded styles, turned knobs at top of
each end, early 17th-century.
Shutter: In upper storey of inner N. porch—in
E. window, oak shutter, probably 14th-century.
Stalls: (Plate 151) In presbytery—formerly farther
W. but re-set in present position and reduced in number
by Sir G. Scott; they now consist of two ranges of stalls
on each side, sixteen on the N. end, fifteen on the S.,
with the bishop's throne at the E. and on the S. side.
The upper range has shaped and moulded divisions,
with traceried panelling below the seat, carved
grotesques on the curved and moulded elbow-rests;
standing on the curved divisions and passing through
the elbow-rests are quatre-foiled shafts with carved
and crocketted heads supporting the canopies; the
backs are divided by moulded shafts with a foiled arch
sprung across from the free shafts supporting the
canopies; each bay of the backs has a panel with a
trefoiled and crocketted head and foiled spandrels each
with a central leaf-ornament; the canopies are of
triangular plan with trefoiled ogee arches in front,
traceried panelling above, and stopped under the
broad overhanging coved cornice; the cornice has
a cresting of 'Tudor' flowers; the canopy over the
dean's stall has lierne ribs on the soffit. The carved
misericordes (Plates 65–69) are as follows, upper N.
range, from W.—(1) reclining 'woodman' with flat
hat; (2) pair of half human monsters fighting; (3)
squatting figure of woman; (4) lion and lioness; (5)
two grotesque animals; (6) human head attached to
double-winged body below; (7) 'woodman' fighting
lion; (8) leopard seizing beast by neck; (9) modern;
(10) reclining man in liripipe hood; (11) draped bust of
man looking through legs; (12) birds pecking fruit on
branch; (13) wyvern attacking horse (?); (14) two
monsters, one winged; (15) head and two winged beasts;
(16) two birds and a dog; the lower range of stalls
is modern but incorporates two old misericordes—
(12a) galloping horse ridden by nude man facing
backwards; (16a) ape-like face. Upper S. range,
from E. end; (17) griffin attacking ram; (18) two
men, with cords round neck, struggling; (19) two
deer and hound; (20) two birds with human heads;
(21) centaur stabbing horned monster; (22) human
head with double beast body; (23) modern; (24) man
and woman with cauldron; (25) man and woman;
(26) male harpy; (27) two monsters with single
grotesque head; (28) fox and geese; (29) winged
human head; (30 and 31) modern; the lower range
of stalls is modern but incorporates nine old misericordes—(19a) foliage; (20a) bearded head; (21a)
centaur; (22a) two beasts fighting; (25a) two hogs
fighting (?); (26a) bat; (27a) goat playing lute and
cat (?) playing a viol; (28a) mermaid suckling lion;
(29a) hunter spearing boar in thicket; all misericordes
have foliage bosses at sides except two which have
lions' faces. The ends of the stalls on the E. and W.
have three ranges of traceried panelling with panelled
posts with crocketted gables and pinnacles. The
bishop's throne has three seats divided by moulded
arm-rests with carved grotesques; the back has
panelling similar to that of the stalls; over the middle
seat is a semi-octagonal canopy with trefoiled, sub-cusped and crocketted ogee arches and a lofty spire
of tabernacle-work; the side seats have triangular
shaped canopies with trefoiled, sub-cusped and
crocketted ogee arches and a single crocketted spire
above; the back framing is carried up behind the
canopies with traceried panelling and returned at each
side to form screens. The front enclosure or desk
has panels with crocketted ogee heads and panelled
posts similar to the lowest stage of the enclosure at
the E. end of the stalls. In the triforium of the N.
transept are numerous pieces of the stalls, not included
in Sir G. Scott's reconstruction; there is also a misericorde carved with dragon looking at a snail on its
tail. The stalls are of early 14th-century date.
Tables: In sacristy—(1) with turned legs, moulded
rails and shaped brackets, early 17th-century; (2) similar
but mid 17th-century. In library—(3) with turned legs,
moulded top and shaped edge to upper rail, late 17th-century; (4) with turned legs, upper rail with carved
enrichment, early 17th-century; (5) with turned legs
and shaped brackets to upper rail, early 17th-century;
(6) with heavy turned legs and shaped brackets to upper
rail, early 17th-century.
Miscellanea: In S.E. transept—collection of 12th-century carved respond-capitals, etc. (Plate 149),
including a number from the E. arch of the presbytery,
now replaced by modern work; these include several
figure subjects—the harrowing of hell, single figures, an
angel, etc.; other capitals have various forms of
scalloping, a bird, grotesque heads, etc. In bishop's
cloister—a further collection of carved 12th-century
capitals, bases and lengths of capping or strings. In
yard between the cloisters—numerous similar capitals
and fragments; in chapter-house vestibule, a number
of 14th-century carved foliage-bosses. In triforium
of N. transept—collection of fragments of monuments,
coffin-lids, corbel, capitals, cartouches-of-arms, cherub-heads in wood, etc. of various dates.
The Precincts: In addition to the cathedral the
precincts of Hereford contained a number of subsidiary buildings, including a cloister, chapter-house,
the college of the Vicars Choral with a corridor connecting it with the cathedral, the bishop's palace, the
deanery and various houses of individual canons.
The earliest in date of these buildings was the chapel
of St. Katherine, originally the chapel of the bishop's
palace, but of which the only surviving wall now
forms part of the cloister; it may have been the church
built by Robert Losinga, and in any case was built
in the second half of the 11th century. It was pulled
down, with the exception of the N. wall, by Bishop
Egerton, soon after 1737. A part of the E. wall of
the existing cloister was built late in the 12th century;
the wall running under the chapter-house and continuing also to the east of it is of doubtful date, but
as it aligns with the chapel of St. Katherine and not
with the existing cathedral it may perhaps belong to
the earlier lay-out of the buildings. The timber hall
of the bishop's palace was built late in the 12th century.
A new chapter-house was begun about 1359 and
finished about 1370; it remained intact until the lead
of the roof was removed during the siege of 1645,
and was reduced to its present fragmentary state by
Bishop Bisse (1713–21), and by the Chapter in 1769.
The E. walk of the cloister was built probably at the
beginning of the 15th century, but the extant contract
for the work is undated. The S. and W. walks of
the cloister followed in due course and were still
building in 1412.
The W. walk of the cloister was destroyed in the
18th century, and the new wing containing the existing
library was built on part of the site in 1897.
The College of the Vicars Choral was incorporated
in 1395, and to this date perhaps belong the remains
of their earlier buildings in Castle Street. This position
was found to be distant from the cathedral, and the
college acquired the site of its present buildings in
1472; the buildings were completed about 1475,
though the corridor connecting them with the cathedral
would appear to be of rather later date.
The Bishop's Cloister (144 ft. by 116 ft., including
the alleys) formed a slightly irregular rectangle with
alleys on the E., S., and W. sides. The walls are of
local sandstone, and the roofs are covered with
lead. The cloister was built, in all probability,
during the early years of the 15th century, but
the W. alley was destroyed probably in the 18th
century. The rest of the building has been extensively
restored in recent years, and a portion of the W. alley
was re-built in 1897 as a library.
The E. alley (Plate 122) is of eight bays, and probably
occupies the site of a 12th-century corridor or pentise
connecting the bishop's palace with the cathedral. This
is indicated by the E. wall, which in its northern parts
is of 12th-century date, and has a flat pilaster buttress;
the rest of the wall is mainly a 14th-century rebuilding
and the whole wall was refaced on the W. side at this
period. The W. wall has been entirely restored
externally except for portions of the northernmost
and southernmost bays; each free bay, except the
seventh, has a window of four cinque-foiled lights
with tracery in a four-centred head, but in the N. bay
the tracery is mostly blind owing to the presence of
the adjoining buttress of the nave; this bay has also
a modern doorway formed in the lower part of the
S. light of the window; the fourth bay from the N.
has a central doorway carried up into the two middle
lights of the window; in the seventh bay is a window
of four cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a
two-centred head; the wall generally has a moulded
plinth and embattled parapet with trefoil-headed
panels; the buttresses are similarly panelled and are
finished with crocketted pinnacles. Above the seventh
bay from the N. rises a second storey or tower, much
restored externally and finished with an embattled
parapet; in the W. wall of the upper stage is a window
of six cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a square
head; there are similar windows, each of four lights,
in the N. and S. walls. The internal moulded reveals
of the cloister-windows are mostly original. The six
northern bays of the alley have a plaster vault probably
of the 17th or 18th century, but with original stone
springers and wall-ribs resting on attached round
shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The three
southern bays have an original stone vault; the vault
of the seventh bay rises higher than the rest and is
separated from them by a band or narrow arch; it
was apparently first intended to vault the southern
bays of the alley at the same level as the northern
bay, but this was superseded by the existing vault
of a steeper pitch; the lines of the vault as originally
intended are visible on the E. and S. walls of the S.
bay. The existing vault in each of the three southern
bays has moulded ridge, diagonal, subsidiary and
wall-ribs with bosses at the subsidiary intersections
and an eight-pointed panel with a carved boss at the
main intersection; the bosses are carved as follows—
seventh bay, middle boss, pelican 'in her piety,' side
bosses with foliage, grotesques, rose sprig and the
name I. Baysham (Canon from 1406 onwards); eighth
bay, middle boss, figure of bishop, flanked by censing
angels, side bosses, foliage and a grotesque head;
ninth bay, middle boss, possibly St. Anne and the
Virgin, side bosses, foliage and a man's head. The
vault springs from attached shafts with moulded
capitals and bases; the cross-arches flanking the
seventh bay spring, on the E. side, from short moulded
cornices, each resting on one triple shaft and one
head-corbel. In the E. wall of this bay is the doorway
(Plate 123) to the chapter-house; it is of c. 1360 and has
moulded and shafted jambs with foliated capitals and
a moulded two-centred arch enclosing two smaller
trefoiled arches with blind tracery in the tympanum; the
cusp-spandrels of the small arches are carved with figures
representing the Annunciation, and a bishop with a
censing angel; the shaft dividing the two openings is
similar to the inner order of the jambs; flanking the
doorway are panelled buttresses, set diagonally and
terminating in pinnacles; from these rise a crocketted
gable-mould over the main arch, with a finial at the top
and a trefoiled panel in the spandrel. In the E. wall of
the fourth bay is a doorway with a two-centred head
and a moulded rear-arch, probably of the 14th century,
but very largely restored externally. In the E. wall
of the southernmost bay is an early 16th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and four-centred head.
In the S. wall of the same bay are two doorways of
similar date, one with hollow-chamfered jambs and
four-centred head opening into the palace-garden, one
a smaller one with chamfered jambs and a restored or
modern head, now opening into a recess.
The S. alley is of nine bays, excluding the two anglebays. The windows are similar to those in the E.
alley, and largely restored externally. In the seventh
bay from the E. is a doorway similar to that in the
fourth bay of the E. alley. The parapet and buttresses
are also similar to the corresponding features in the
E. alley except that all the buttresses, except the two
easternmost, are pierced by small arches with panelled
reveals and four-centred heads. The stone vault,
which springs from round shafts with moulded capitals
and bases on the N. wall and head-corbels on the S.
wall, is similar to that of the southern bays of the
E. alley. The main bosses are carved with (a, b,
and c) figures of priests, (d and e) blank shields, (f) two
figures, both headless, (g) figure of priest, (h) heart
with cross in round border with 'black-letter' inscription; the subsidiary bosses are carved with roses,
foliage, and a mask; the vault of the ninth bay has
been re-built. Between the sixth and seventh bays of
the S. wall is a blocked doorway. The S. wall of the
first to the fourth bays formed the N. wall of the chapel
of the Bishop's palace, dedicated to SS. Katherine
and Mary Magdalene.
The Chapel of SS. Katherine and Mary Magdalene
was built late in the 11th century as a two-storeyed
building. It was destroyed, except for the N. wall,
by Bishop Egerton about 1737. Before its destruction
plans were made for the Society of Antiquaries. It
was a square building with a projecting rectangular
chancel and a deeply recessed W. doorway, flanked
by stair-turrets. Four piers formed an inner square
in the main building, and this was apparently carried
up as a clearstorey or lantern above the second storey.
The building was vaulted in stone. The surviving
N. wall retains the three wall-arches of the lower
chapel; they are semi-circular and above and between
them is the rough cutting back of the former vault
with its responds; the E. and W. bays have each an
original round-headed window, with splays both
inside and out, though the outer splay is shallower
than the inner; the external face has been refaced
c. 1400; the internal splays of the eastern window
retain considerable remains of 13th-century scrolled
foliage painted on the plaster; in the middle bay is
a 15th-century doorway, now blocked; it has sunk
chamfered jambs and a four-centred head. The
upper storey of the wall shows the outlines of three
round-headed wall-arches, now filled in flush with the
wall-face. The three recesses had each a window of
the 15th century; the jambs of all three windows
and part of the four-centred head of the middle window
are visible on the outside or N. face of the wall; the
middle window was of three pointed lights and replaced
an original 11th-century window, of which the W.
part of the round head still remains.
The Chapter House (about 45 ft. diam.) was built
c. 1360–70 and formed a regular ten-sided structure with
a central pier supporting the vault. The building was
mostly pulled down in the 17th and 18th centuries, and
the only portions now standing are one complete side
on the S. up to the string-course below the windows,
portions of the two adjoining sides to the W. and the
S. jamb of the entrance in the W. side. The surviving
side has vaulting-shafts in the angles and a wall-arcade
of five trefoiled arches with carved main and subsidiary
spandrels and springing from free shafts of which
only the foliated capitals and some of the moulded
bases remain; half an arch of the wall-arcade in both
the adjoining sides of the building also survives. The
main spandrels are carved with much weathered
figure-subjects as follows—(a and b) weathered,
(c) double row of small figures facing towards a seated
figure at W. end, (d) ship at sea containing two or
more figures, (e) group of standing figures facing
towards small kneeling figure in middle, (f) group of
figures facing towards smaller figure in middle,
(g) seated figure on E. with kneeling figure in front of
it, (h) kneeling figure of man with standing figure to
W.; all the above except (d) have embattled architectural borders perhaps indicating that the scene is
within a building; it is possible that the series represents the miracles of St. Thomas Cantilupe. The
subsidiary spandrels were carved with beasts, but
most of these are now defaced. The fragments of
the other sides of the building have no features of
interest except the W. side which retains the base of
the moulded S. jamb of the doorway; it is moulded
and has the bases of two free shafts; the threshold is
raised and has a moulded nosing on each side. Round
the chapter-house ran a stone bench and a step below
it; on the S. side there are remains of a moulded
external plinth and radial buttresses.
The Vestibule (17 ft. by 12 ft.) between the chapter-house and the cloister retains portions of its S. wall
and the start, at the W. end, of the N. wall. These
portions show that it had a stone vault in two bays
with wall, diagonal and intermediate ribs, of which
the springers remain in the W. angles; at the apex
of the wall-rib, at this end, is a foliated boss; on the
S. side are the moulded bases of the intermediate
vault-shaft, and of that in the S.E. angle; both these
stand on a stone bench. The lines of the flat-pitched
roof of the vestibule remain on the E. wall of the
muniment room over the cloister.
Running under the chapter-house is an earlier wall,
which is still standing, in part, to the E. and W. of the
building. The wall is of coursed and roughly squared
rubble, and excavation has proved that it continued
up to and probably beyond the wall of the vicar's
cloister; near this point was found the W. splay of
a doorway dating from the 12th or 13th century.
The Bishop's Palace stands to the S. of the cathedralcloister. The walls are of brick and stone with some
timber-framing in the kitchen-wing; the roofs are
covered with slates. The earliest part of the palace
buildings is the surviving wall of the late 11th-century
chapel, which was a structure of the double-chapel
type common in Germany and Northern France; the
wall now forms part of the S. cloister and is described above. The great hall of the palace was built
late in the 12th century, and was a large timber building with a stone base to the outer walls and perhaps
a stone porch on the W. side; it had aisles and was
at least three bays long; the bay at each end, N. and
S., now forms cross-wings, but may originally have
formed part of the hall, in which case it would have
had five bays. The long range running W. from the
N. end of the hall was built early in the 16th century,
together with the gatehouse at the W. end. The
main structure was completely remodelled by Bishop
Bisse, 1713–21, who formed the present hall and partly
cased the building in brick. The existing chapel was
added in 1798, and further extensive alterations were
made in 1841. The porch was re-built between 1852
and 1863, and the present drawing-room formed by
Bishop Atlay (1868–95), the lower part of one of the
original oak posts of the hall being removed for this
purpose.
The building is of special interest as one of the
earliest timber-halls now surviving in the country, but
modern alterations have destroyed and concealed
much of the original work.
The elevations of the main block have no ancient
features except the base of the E. and W. walls of the
middle portion which are of stone rubble and probably
supported the original timber-framing of the outer
walls of the great hall. The stone porch on the W.
side is of late 12th-century character and may represent
an original feature, but the existing work is almost
entirely modern. The inner doorway to the hall may
incorporate some original stones. The cross-wings
at the N. and S. ends of the main block have been
either completely modernised or re-built.
The interior of the great hall was divided into at least
three bays, with aisles, by square oak posts each having
four round attached shafts with scalloped capitals and
moulded abaci (Plate 24) from which sprang arches
transversely across the body of the building, between
the posts and forming arcades, and across the aisles;
the shafts carrying the main transverse arches were
carried up higher than those supporting the arcades.
The upper parts of two of the main posts, in the E.
range, are visible in the roof over the drawing-room;
between them springs one of the semi-circular arches
(Plate 24) of the E. arcade; it has large roll-moulded
timbers with a chamfered outer member, partly missing,
enriched with a row of large nail-heads; above the
arch runs a plain plate or purlin with traces of a series
of painted rosettes on the W. face; this is the only
bay of the arcades which is now visible, but it is probable that two more arches, one on each side, are
preserved under the plaster arches of the existing hall.
Part of a third post, the southern one on the W. side, is
visible in a room on that side of the house; it retains
the attached shaft towards the W. aisle. The main
transverse arches of the original roof have all been
removed and replaced by plain tie-beams resting on
original plates over the arcades; intermediate tie-beams have been inserted over the middle of each bay.
The existing hall, re-modelled by Bishop Bisse, now
extends completely across the building; the original
arches have been cased and the aisle on each side
covered with a plaster semi-dome; the ceiling of the
main portion of the hall is flat; the arches spring
from fluted Doric pilasters and an entablature, the
frieze and cornice of which are continued along the
walls of the middle portion of the building; the frieze
is enriched with crossed croziers; the N. and S. walls
have coupled Ionic pilasters, and the E. and W. walls
of the aisles have Doric pilasters. The fireplace was
inserted by Bishop Beauclerk (1746–87). Preserved in
the hall is the scalloped oak capital of one of the shafts
of the original building. In a corridor towards the
S. end of the building are the following pieces of
heraldic glass—(a) shield-of-arms of Bishop Bennet
(1603–17) in an enriched cartouche; (b) crowned
16th-century shield of the Royal arms in a garter;
(c) modern shield in a 17th-century cartouche. In
the modern chapel is a Jacobean chair with turned front
legs, panelled back and shaped arms.
The kitchen range is of early 16th-century date and
has on the N. side a long added corridor on the ground
floor which conceals the lower part of the building.
The outer wall of the corridor is of roughly squared
and coursed rubble, and the lower part of the main
wall is of the same material. The upper storey is of
exposed timber-framing and the windows have moulded
oak sills. The gatehouse at the W. end of the range
has a stone archway with jambs and four-centred arch
of two chamfered orders with a moulded label. The
two-fold doors are of early 16th-century date and of
trellis framing in small square panels with nail-studded
styles and rails; in the E. fold is a small wicket. The
upper storey of the gatehouse is timber-framed and
projects; below the projection is a plastered cove
with moulded ribs and on the bressummer is a moulded
fascia-board. The S. face of the kitchen-range and
gatehouse have no ancient features. Inside the building most of the rooms have original moulded ceiling-beams, but some of the beams are chamfered. The
staircase near the middle of the range is probably of
the 17th century, and at the top is an original oak archway with a four-centred head. The roof is original
and some of the timbers are exposed.
The boundary-wall on the W. side of the bishop's
garden is partly old and of rubble.
The College of the Vicars Choral stands to the S.E.
of the cathedral, with which it is connected by a covered
gallery or cloister. In 1473 Bishop Stanbery sanctioned
the removal of the college from Castle Street (now
No. 29) to the present site, nearer the cathedral. The
main quadrangle was erected immediately after this
date, with accommodation for 26 vicars and the
Custos. As originally built, the N. range extended
farther W. than at present, providing an additional
residence, perhaps that of the Custos. The corridor
or cloister giving access to the S.E. transept of the
cathedral was added, probably towards the end of the
15th century. Early in the 16th century the S.E.
bay of the corridor was replaced by a two-storeyed
porch, and the adjoining bay was re-built at the same
time. Early in the 17th century a part of the E. range
was converted into a chapel with an added extension
towards the E. About the same time the hall in the
S. range was re-built, and it was again re-built and
extended towards the S. at the end of the same century.
The college has been much altered and re-modelled
internally in modern times, and in 1862 the parapet
of the E. wall of the corridor was removed and the
buttresses re-built.
The external walls of the main quadrangular building are of two storeys, ashlar-faced and have a plinth;
the chimney-stacks are modern above the roofs, and
almost all the window-openings are modern. The E.
wall retains one original window-opening with a four-centred head. The N. wall has a blocked doorway
towards the E. end and a blocked window above it.
Two windows are original and of two four-centred
lights in a square head; a third window retains its
moulded label. The S. wall has a blocked original
window, towards the E. end, with a four-centred
head; above the doorway E. of the projecting hall
is a wooden cartouche-of-arms of Dr. Gardiner, 1670,
Canon of Christ Church, Oxford. West of the hall
is a blocked doorway, and above it a blocked window
with a four-centred head; farther W. is an original
window of one four-centred light; at the extreme
end of the wall are remains of a second blocked doorway. The hall-wing butts against the earlier wall
on both the E. and W., but there is a projection on the
face of the original building on the E. which may represent a destroyed chimney-stack. The W. wall retains
some original windows and a doorway, with four-centred heads; the doorway has a square moulded
label. The wing projecting W. from the N. end of
the block retains its N. and part of its S. wall. In
the N. wall is a blocked original doorway with a four-centred head; farther W. is a window of one four-centred light in a square head, with a moulded label.
In the remains of the S. wall is part of an original
window.
The elevations to the cloister (Plate 124) are of two
storeys and are divided into bays by three-stage buttresses. The windows lighting the alleys of the cloister,
on each side, are of two wide, four-centred openings in
a four-centred outer head. The upper storey has
windows of a single four-centred light; those of the
S. side have been re-built and widened.
The interior of the main block has been much altered,
but a number of the original fireplaces, with four-centred heads remain, and also some of the original
internal doorways. The 17th-century chapel in the
E. wing has a roof of three bays with curved braces
below the collar-beams, resting on moulded and
shaped corbels. The main ranges retain, in great
part, their original roofs of braced collar-beam type,
with curved braces and a trefoiled cutting above the
collar-beam and foiled wind-braces; much of these
roofs is now concealed. One room, N. of the chapel,
contains part of a late 14th-century screen with trefoiled
ogee heads to the lights. The rooms of the first
floor of the E. range retain some original moulded
ceiling-beams, and in the N. range is an old staircase
and a mid 17th-century panelled door; there is some
panelling of the same date in the E. range. The
range has two early 17th-century tables (Plate 72) with
S. common room, at the E. end of the first floor of the
enriched upper rails and carved bulbous legs, one has
a brass plate recording its gift by William Taylor.
The porch, on the N. front, is of early 16th-century
date and of two storeys with a moulded plinth. The
outer archway is two-centred and of two moulded
orders, the outer continuous and the inner springing
from grouped shafts with moulded capitals and bases;
the square moulded label encloses traceried spandrels;
flanking the archway are tall niches with trefoiled
heads and shallow pedestals. The window on the
first floor is modern, but the corresponding window
in the E. wall is original and of two trefoiled ogee
lights in a square head; it is now blocked. In the
W. wall of the porch is an archway similar to the
outer archway. The late 15th-century inner entrance
to the college has moulded jambs and four-centred
arch in a square head with rose-sprigs and shields in
the spandrels; above it are three panels with defaced
shields, partly covered by the later vaulting. The
door is original and is divided into six cinquefoil-headed panels with tracery in the head; the central
wicket has two trefoil-headed panels with a shield
in the spandrel. The early 16th-century fan vault
springs from angle shafts and has elaborately traceried
cones and four foiled circles on the flat central soffit.
The adjoining bay of the corridor is of the same date
as the porch and has a window, originally of four
lights, but with two of them now blocked.
Hereford, Plan Showing the Position of Monuments
The main corridor (Plate 125) is of late 15th-century
date and of ten bays, divided on the E. face by buttresses.
Each bay, except the southernmost, has a window of
three four-centred lights in a square head with moulded
external reveals and label; the window in the last bay
but one to the N. has been replaced by a modern doorway. The W. wall has remains of three ruined
buttresses. The timber roof (Plate 126) of the corridor
is of twelve bays including the two return bays on the S.
It has moulded timbers and cambered tie-beams supporting king-posts with curved braces to the ridge;
the tie-beams and principal rafters above them are
carved as follows, beginning from the N.—(a) N.
side, pelican in her piety, eagle and scroll, foliage
and a gryphon and hound; S. side, an ox reading from
a book held by two hands, face and foliage; on principals, coiled serpent and conventional foliage; (b) both
sides, conventional foliage and ragged staff; on principals, falcon and rabbit; at base of king-post, angels
holding shields with two scourges and a cheveron
respectively; (c) both sides, tracery with foliated
spandrels; on principals, conventional foliage; angel
on N. side with shield, two cheverons between four crosses
formy; (d) both sides, tracery; on principals, head
and foliage, nude figure in hood and holding a comb;
angels holding shields with nails and heart and three
dice respectively; (e) both sides, tracery; on principals, beast with horn and erotic figure; angels
holding shields with the seamless robe and pincers
and hammer respectively; (f) both sides, tracery;
on principals, conventional foliage and shield of
Devereux, within a Garter; angels holding shields
with rods and column respectively; (g) both sides,
quatrefoils; on principals, stag-hunt, falcon, tree and
vine-branch, swine, oak branches and acorns; (h) N.
side, tracery, S. side, quatrefoils; on principals, knots
or serpents, head and shoulders of human figure and
human head; angel holding shield of Stanbery;
(i) both sides, tracery; on principals, salmon, two
men carrying poles and other objects, fishes and the
fore part of a saddled sow; (j) both sides, lozenge-shaped quatrefoils; on principals, conventional foliage
and ostrich-feather badges; (k) against S. wall, conventional foliage and tracery. The beam between the
S.W. bay and the return bay on the S. is moulded and
embattled and has the soffit carved with foliage and
small shields. The roof of the return bay is generally
similar to, but is later than, that of the other bays; the
tie-beams and principals are carved with foliated
tracery and the gable above has barge-boards with
traceried panelling.
Hereford, the Parish Church of St Peter
Condition—Good.
a(2). Parish Church of St. Peter stands on the
N. side of St. Peter's Square. The walls are of rubble or
ashlar, all of local sandstone; the roofs are covered
with slates. The oldest part of the existing church
is the Chancel which is of late 12th or early 13th-century
date. The Tower with a chapel to the E. of it was
added in the second half of the 13th century. The
Nave was re-built c. 1300 and the North and South Aisles
added; early in the 14th century the South Chapel
was re-built and probably enlarged. The church was
restored in 1793, and a further extensive restoration
took place about 1880–85, when the nave, S. aisle
and S. porch were reconstructed. The S. chapel and
tower were restored in 1905.
The church has been too much restored to be of
much architectural interest, but among the fittings the
stalls are noteworthy.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (59¼ ft. by
22¼ ft.) is of late 12th or early 13th-century date and
has clasping buttresses at the eastern angles. The
much restored late 13th-century E. window is of five
pointed lights in a two-centred head. In the N. wall
are two windows, the eastern is perhaps an original
lancet-light, but almost completely restored except the
external sill; it is now of one trefoiled light; the
much restored western window is of early 14th-century date and of three trefoiled ogee lights with
tracery, above the side lights, in a two-centred head.
In the S. wall are two arches, the eastern is of the
14th century, two-centred and of two chamfered
orders with a moulded label; the responds, of the
same section as the arch, have moulded imposts and a
moulded base to the W. respond, perhaps re-cut early
in the 16th century; the western arch is of the second
half of the 13th century; it is two-centred and of two
chamfered orders; the responds are chamfered and
have each an attached and filleted shaft with moulded
capital and base. The early 14th-century chancel-arch
is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, the outer
continuous on the W. face, and the inner springing
from attached semi-octagonal shafts with moulded
capitals; the N. respond has been partly cut away
for the 15th-century rood-loft doorway, which has a
shouldered head; the upper doorway is square-headed.
The South Chapel (32¼ ft. by 14¾ ft.) has been largely
refaced externally. The much-restored early 14th-century E. window is of three pointed lights in a
segmental-pointed head. In the S. wall is a two-light window completely restored except perhaps the
splays; farther W. is a completely restored doorway.
The South Tower (15¼ ft. by 12¾ ft.) is of late 13th-century date, and of three stages (Plate 5) with a modern
parapet and pinnacles. The ground stage has in the
E. wall a doorway with chamfered jambs and two-centred head. In the S. wall is a window, all modern
except the splays and rear-arch. The W. wall originally
stood free of the church and contains a doorway,
formerly external, with chamfered jambs and two-centred head. The second stage has in the E. and
S. walls a partly restored window of two trefoiled
lights in a two-centred head with a blank spandrel.
The bell-chamber has in each wall a partly restored
window of two trefoiled lights in a two-centred head
of four orders, with a moulded label. The spire was
probably added early in the 14th century; it is octagonal with ribbed angles and rises from within the
parapet; the cardinal faces have each a much-restored
window of two pointed lights with a pierced spandrel
in a two-centred head, capped by a gable with a
trefoiled spandrel; each window is flanked by pinnacled
buttresses.
The Nave (67¼ ft. by 31 ft.) has a N. arcade of c. 1300
and of four bays, with two-centred arches of two
chamfered orders, struck from well below the springing, with a label on the S. face and defaced head-stops
over the responds; the columns are of quatre-foiled
plan with small rolls in the angles and have moulded
capitals and modern bases, except for a few stones;
the responds have attached half-columns. The S.
arcade is similar in all respects to the N. arcade but was
entirely reconstructed in 1884–86, when the stones
were either re-tooled or renewed. The W. wall is
completely modern externally and contains a modern
window.
The North Aisle (21½ ft. wide) is of c. 1300, and has
a partly restored E. window of five pointed lights in
a segmental-pointed head with an internal moulded
label and one carved head-stop. In the N. wall are
four windows, each of three pointed lights in a
segmental-pointed head with a modern internal label
and stops; the third window is partly blocked by a
modern doorway and the westernmost window is
entirely blocked. In the W. wall is a three-light
window with a two-centred head and modern mullions
and tracery.
The South Aisle (12¼ ft. wide) was entirely re-built
in 1883–5.
The Roof of the chancel is possibly of early 16th-century date, and is of pointed waggon-form, boarded
on the soffit and with moulded purlins, ridge and ribs,
moulded and embattled wall-plates with foliated
bosses. The late 15th-century roof of the S. chapel
is of king-post type and of four and a half bays, with
moulded main timbers; the king-posts have small
curved braces to the ridge; the main spandrels of
the trusses have cusped tracery. The late 15th-century
roof of the N. aisle is of king-post type and of five
bays with moulded main timbers and intermediate
principals, foliated bosses at the intersections of the
intermediates and purlins, curved braces from the
king-posts to the ridge, figures with blank shields
below the braces, and traceried filling in the main
spandrels of the trusses.
Fittings—Bells: five and small bell, 1st inscribed
"Sancta Maria" in Lombardic capitals, perhaps 14th-century; 2nd and 4th, 1648; 3rd, 1680; 5th, 17th-century; small bell in spire, 1709. Bracket: In N.
aisle—on E. wall, moulded polygonal bracket of stone,
15th-century. Chair: In S. chapel—with turned
front legs and stretcher, moulded rails and shaped
and moulded splats to back, late 17th-century. Communion and other Tables: In chancel—with turned legs
and club-feet, moulded rails, c. 1700. In S. chapel—
with turned legs and moulded upper rails and top,
early 18th-century. In second stage of tower—
modern table incorporating four 17th-century turned
legs and other portions. Cupboard: In second stage
of tower—with three drawers, panelled doors, iron
hinges and drop-handles, c. 1700, reconstructed.
Lockers: In chancel—in E. wall, rectangular and
rebated for door. In S. chapel—in E. wall, rectangular
and rebated for door. In N. aisle—in N. wall, double
recess with hollow-chamfered and rebated rectangular
openings and pointed opening between the two
recesses. All mediæval. Niche: In N. aisle—in
N. wall, with ogee head, 14th-century, much defaced.
Organ-case: (Plate 61) In chancel—reconstructed with
old material and now of two stages, lower with plain
panelling and upper in three bays and panelled, two
panels filled with carved musical instruments and
palm-branches, also two panels in middle bay with
heads of carved foliage, side-bays finished at top with
shaped cornice and a band of carved and pierced foliage
and cherub-heads. Incorporated in ends some early
17th-century panelling with arabesque ornament; rest
of material, c. 1700. Piscinæ: In S. chapel—in S.
wall, recess with chamfered jambs and square head,
cinque-foiled drain, 14th-century; in W. wall, recess
with moulded jambs and cinque-foiled ogee head,
hexagonal drain, 14th-century. In N. aisle—in S.
wall, recess with hollow-chamfered jambs and trefoiled
head, drain in mutilated corbelled projection, c. 1300.
Plate: includes cup of 1713, given by Bridstock
Harfford, with shield-of-arms, cover-paten of the same
date with crest, stand-paten of the same date with 1713
engraved on the base and a flagon of the same date.
Royal Arms: In S. aisle—over S. doorway, of William
III, carved in wood. Scratchings: On stonework of
tower—various masons' marks. Seating: In second
stage of tower—bench, made up of 17th-century
materials. Sedile: In S. chapel—in S. wall, recess
with rebated and chamfered jambs and two-centred
head, subsequently fitted with doors, 14th-century.
Stalls: (Plate 64) In chancel—two ranges each of nine
stalls, the two westernmost on each side being modern,
surmounted by a continuous canopy; stalls divided
by moulded and shaped arm-rests and seats with corbelled misericordes finished with carved roses; panelling at back with traceried head behind each stall;
moulded cornice to canopy with a frieze of quatrefoils and pendant tracery below; desks in front with
trefoil-headed panels to end-standards and panelled
fronts with two ranges of trefoil-headed panels and
moulded book-rest; c. 1430–50, partly restored.
Miscellanea: In chancel—re-used in platform to stalls,
a number of stones with quatre-foiled panels, 15th-century.
Condition—Good structurally, but much restored
in parts and some external stonework much perished.
a(3). Parish Church of All Saints stands opposite
the N. end of Broad Street. The walls are mainly of
rubble with ashlar dressings, all of local sandstone;
the roofs are covered with tiles and lead. There are
remains of an early 13th-century church of considerable size and richness of detail, incorporated in the
side walls of the present Chancel. These consist of
parts of a large pier with arches springing all four
ways, at the N.W. angle of the chancel, the E. respond
and part of an arch in the S. wall of the chancel. These
remains indicate a church consisting of a chancel with
N. and S. chapels, chancel-arch and nave with a N.
and probably also a S. aisle. Foundations found
under the existing N. aisle and chapel indicate that
the previous aisle and chapel were narrower than their
successors, and that the chapel did not extend so far
E. Late in the 13th century an extensive rebuilding
took place in a much plainer style; the chancel was
probably first undertaken followed by the S. arcade
of the Nave and the South Aisle; a little later the N.
arcade and North Aisle were re-built and the ground
stage of the North-West Tower added; c. 1300 the
North Chapel was re-built and enlarged. About 1330
the walls of the S. aisle were raised; soon after,
the upper stages of the tower and the spire were added,
the South Chapel re-built and the South Porch added;
the E. end of the Chancel was re-built towards the end
of the century. The church has been considerably
restored in modern times: the spire in 1885, the nave and
N. aisle in 1892–4, the chancel and S. aisle in 1902 and
the tower in 1915. During one of the restorations
the South Porch was removed and re-built on the S. side
of the S. chapel, and the E. end of the S. chapel
entirely re-built.
The church is of considerable architectural interest,
and among the fittings the stalls, communion-tables,
chest, pulpit and chained library are noteworthy.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (42 ft. by
23¼ ft.) has a restored late 14th-century E. window of five
trefoiled ogee lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred
head; below the internal sill and flanking the altar
are two late 14th-century doorways, now blocked and
each with chamfered jambs and ogee head; they presumably opened into a former vestry or sacristy outside the
E. wall. In the N. wall is a late 13th-century arch, two-centred and of two chamfered orders, with modern
labels; the half-round responds are modern but have
late 13th-century moulded capitals with semi-octagonal
abaci; at the E. end of the wall is a partly restored
late 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights
with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; the splays
are skewed to avoid the E. wall of the N. chapel;
under the N.W. angle of the chancel is the base of an
early 13th-century pier, from which arches sprang in
all four directions; the base of the former chancel
arch consists of one triple and two single attached
shafts with moulded hold-water bases; the single
shaft on the W. face is filleted and the shaft itself remains
to its full height, embedded in the later wall; it has a
moulded capital with defaced 'stiff-leaf' foliage; the
base of the respond to the N. chapel-arch is similar,
but the single shafts were both round; the later
respond stands on this base; the E. respond of the
early N. arcade of the nave has a series of grouped
shafts and the respond itself remains embedded in the
wall; the capitals with 'stiff-leaf' foliage are at a
much lower level than the springing of the early chancel-arch, and above them are the lower stones of the moulded
arch; the respond-base of the early arch at the W.
end of the N. chapel had three attached shafts, but the
bases of only two of these are visible. In the S. wall
is a late 13th-century arch, perhaps re-constructed in the
15th century; it is two-centred and of two continuous chamfered orders, with a chamfered label on the
N. face with one king's head and one rough square
stop; at the E. end of the wall is a partly restored
late 14th-century window similar to the corresponding window in the N. wall but not skewed;
farther W. is a round relieving-arch, over the sedilia
and a 16th-century doorway with chamfered jambs
and four-centred head; between the doorway and the
arch is part of the shafted E. respond of an early 13th-century arch with 'stiff-leaf' capitals embedded in the
wall; the springer of the moulded arch itself is also
exposed and a further portion of the arch is visible
on the S. face of the wall; at the W. end of the wall
is a projection containing the 15th or early 16th-century rood-loft staircase; the upper doorway in
the N.W. face has chamfered jambs and a shouldered
head. There is no chancel-arch.
Hereford, the Parish Church of All Saints
The North Chapel (36 ft. by 20½ ft.) is of late 13th-century date, and has in the E. wall a much-restored
window of four lights with modern tracery in a two-centred head. In the N. wall are two windows, the
eastern of two pointed lights, with a plain spandrel
in a two-centred head; the western window is much
restored and of three lights, the side lights pointed
and with the mullions run up to the two-centred head
to form the middle light; there is a straight joint
at the W. end of the wall. On the S. wall above the
arch is a projecting corbel-table contemporary with
a lower and earlier N. chapel. There is no structural
division between the chapel and the N. aisle.
The South Chapel (46 ft. by 17½ ft.) has a modern E.
wall with the stones of a blocked window, re-set in their
original position; higher up in the wall is a modern
window. Near the W. end of the N. wall is the lower
doorway to the rood-loft staircase; it has rebated
jambs and square head. In the S. wall are three late
14th-century windows, all much restored and each of
two trefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head;
below the middle window is a much restored 14th-century doorway with roll-moulded jambs and two-centred head.
The Nave (74¼ ft. by 22½ ft.) has a N. arcade of c. 1300
and of three bays with two-centred arches of three
chamfered orders with chamfered labels; the cylindrical columns have moulded capitals and bases; the
responds have attached half-columns. The late 13th-century S. arcade is of five bays, the easternmost being
half the width of the others; the arches are two-centred and of three chamfered orders, with chamfered
labels; the cylindrical columns have moulded capitals
and bases; the E. respond has a moulded corbel,
supporting the inner order, with 'stiff-leaf' foliage
and a restored triple tapering shaft below it; the W.
respond has an attached half-column. Above the
arcade is a clearstorey with four windows each of one
pointed light and all modern externally; E. of the
easternmost window is a straight joint of doubtful
significance. The W. wall has been largely refaced
and contains a much-restored window of c. 1300 and
of five pointed lights in a two-centred head; the
head of the window has been raised but the original
springers remain on each side; the W. doorway is
of c. 1300 and has chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head.
The North Aisle (20¼ ft. wide) has in the N. wall
three partly restored windows of c. 1300 and each of
three pointed lights in a two-centred head; below
the westernmost window is a doorway, with a two-centred arch of two orders, the inner rounded and
continuous, and the outer moulded and springing
from detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases;
the E. shaft is modern and the W. shaft is either concealed or destroyed by an added buttress of the tower;
the doorway appears to be of early 13th-century date
re-set.
The South Aisle (12½ ft. wide) has at the E. end a
14th-century arch, two-centred and of two chamfered
orders; it springs on the N. from above the first pier
of the S. arcade and the inner order rests on moulded
corbels; above the arch is a window of the same
date and of two trefoiled lights in a square head. In
the S. wall are four 14th-century windows, the easternmost and two western windows are all more or less
restored and are each of three trefoiled ogee lights,
with net-tracery in a square head; the second window,
also restored, is set higher in the wall and is of three
ogee lights in a square head; below it is the late 14th-century S. doorway with restored moulded and shafted
jambs and a moulded two-centred arch in a square
head with traceried spandrels and a modern label.
In the W. wall is a much-restored window probably
of the 15th century; it is of four trefoiled ogee lights
with tracery in a four-centred head, with a moulded
label.
The North-West Tower (about 17¼ ft. square) is of
three stages (Plate 5) with a moulded plinth and a
modern embattled parapet. The ground stage is of late
13th-century date, and has in the E. wall a distorted
segmental-pointed arch of four chamfered orders, the
three outer dying on to the splayed responds and the
inner springing from half-round attached shafts with
moulded cappings and bases; in the W. wall is a
partly restored window of a single trefoiled light.
The upper stages of the tower were added c. 1300;
the second stage has in the N. and W. walls a small
window of one trefoiled light. The bell-chamber has
in each wall a partly restored window of three trefoiled
lights with blank spandrels in a two-centred head
with a moulded label. The octagonal 14th-century
spire rises from within the parapet, and has rolls at
the angles. In each of the cardinal faces is a restored
window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a
two-centred head with a gabled coping and a trefoiled
panel in the spandrel.
The North Porch has an outer archway of doubtful
date, with chamfered jambs and semi-circular arch.
The South Porch was originally on the S. side of the
nave and was of late 14th-century date. It has been
re-built on the S. side of the S. chapel, but has now no
ancient features.
The Roof of the chancel is of 15th-century date, and
of waggon-form with a modern boarded soffit and
divided into panels by moulded ribs with foliated
bosses at the intersections; two bosses have human
faces in addition; the wall-plates are also moulded.
The mid 15th-century roof (Plate 23) of the N. chapel
and aisle is of seven bays with hammer-beam trusses,
moulded main timbers, curved braces, moulded and
foliated pendants to the side posts and traceried filling to
the main spandrels above the hammer-beams; the braces
of the collar-beams meet in foliated bosses and the
soffits have traceried panelling; some of the wall-posts stand on stone head-corbels and two terminate
in carved heads; each bay of the roof is divided into
twelve panels by purlins and subsidiary principals with
carved bosses at the intersections. The late 15th-century roof of the nave is of seven bays, with king-post trusses, the king-posts rising from the tie-beam
to the ridge; the main timbers are moulded and the
spandrels between the tie-beams and the principal
rafters are filled with open vertical tracery; the king-posts have attached shafts from which spring curved
braces to the ridge; the curved brackets to the tie-beams have foliated spandrels and spring from carved
figures holding blank shields; each bay of the roof
is sub-divided by purlins and a subsidiary principal
with carved bosses at the intersections; the wall-plates are moulded and embattled except on the N.
side of the three W. bays. The much-restored roof
of the S. aisle is of c. 1500, low-pitched and of four
main bays with king-post trusses; the tie-beams are
moulded and cambered and have curved braces with
carved spandrels including leaves, dragon, Tudor
roses, a shield and a male figure; the E. truss rests
on old stone corbels, that on the N. being carved with
a lion's head.
Fittings—Bells: eight and a small bell, the last by
Abraham Rudhall, 1706. Books: In S. chapel—
library of 286 books given to the parish by William
Brewster who died in 1715; the books are all chained
to the shelves of two bookcases; the earliest book is
a "Destructorium vitiorum" by Alexander Carpenter,
printed in Paris in 1497. Bracket: In N. chapel—on
S. wall, semi-octagonal with head of woman, 15th-century. Chest: (Plate 131) In N. aisle—at W. end, of
oak and of hutch-type, uprights, top rail and front enriched with elaborate chip-carving, including a range of
arcading with intersecting tracery above, filled with a
series of circles containing various designs, at feet of
uprights incomplete panels with tails of monsters,
plain lock-plate, 14th-century with some modern repair.
Communion Tables: In chancel—(Plate 72) of oak, with
two leaves for extension, top rails carved with conventional foliage, bulbous legs with gadroon-ornament
and other enrichments and Ionic capitals, moulded
lower rails resting on square carved pedestals, c. 1620–
30. In N. chapel—similar table but without leaves
or lower rails and with back legs turned but not carved,
c. 1620–30. Communion Rails: In chancel—of two
bays with square panelled posts, moulded rail and
plinth and turned balusters, early 18th-century. Cross:
In N. aisle—on N. doorway, small equal-armed cross,
carefully incised on E. jamb. Doors: In doorways
flanking altar, two, each of three moulded panels,
late 17th-century. Font: octagonal bowl with rounded
underside, plain stem and hollow-chamfered base,
16th or 17th-century. Hour-glass: In S. vestry—in
wooden frame with round ends, four slender turned
uprights, 17th or 18th-century. Lockers: In chancel
—in E. wall, rectangular, with wooden door. In N.
chapel—in N. wall, rectangular recess; in S. wall,
tall recess, about 9 ft. high, with rebated jambs and
plain head. In N. aisle—in N. wall, large rectangular
recess with rebated reveals, slot for shelf. All the
above, mediæval. Painting: In chancel—on E. wall,
traces of large painting on plaster, of standing figure
of female saint, with book (?) in left hand, under a
canopy with a chalice on the left of the figure and a
dove near the right shoulder, figure in blue and white
robe and outlines in black, 15th-century. Piscinæ:
In chancel—recess with moulded jambs and trefoiled
ogee head, trefoiled drain, partly cut away, late 14th-century. In N. chapel—in S. wall, recess (Plate 60)
with moulded jambs and trefoiled head, enriched with
ball-flower ornament, label cut back, quatre-foiled drain,
early 14th-century; W. of preceding and set lower in the
wall, recess with moulded jambs and sill and later
square head, quatre-foiled drain, 13th-century, part of
trefoiled head, perhaps of this piscina, built into wall
near by. In S. chapel—in S. wall, recess with moulded
jambs and trefoiled head, quatre-foiled drain, 14th-century, re-set. Plate: (Plate 57) includes cup of 1570,
with band of incised ornament round bowl, cover-paten
with the inscribed date 1571; cup and cover-paten of
1634, the gift of Francis Pember, and a stand-paten of
1707 given by T. Frizer. Pulpit: (Plate 154) of oak,
octagonal with attached semi-Ionic columns at angles,
frieze enriched with arabesques, each face divided into
two stages by a band of vine-ornament, upper stage with
moulded panels surrounding an arched and enriched
panel, lower stage with an enriched arch enclosing a
cartouche with a mask; sounding-board with moulded
and dentilled cornice, frieze with inscription, "Howe
beutyful are the feete of them that bring glad tidinges
of peace R.O. 10.15," carved and pierced acanthus-ornament below frieze and carved pendants at angles
with shields, three of which bear the date 1621, soffit
with octagonal central boss and radiating ribs; all
early 17th-century, stem and steps modern, and some
repair on S. side. Reredos: In N. chapel—of wood,
in three bays divided by pilasters; the pilasters flanking the middle bay have cherub-heads at the top and
support a segmental pediment; below it are two
semi-circular panels with round heads; above the
pediment is a continuous cornice, two urns and a
centre-piece with two cherub-heads, supporting a
book and crown; the side bays have each one round-headed niche flanked by fluted Corinthian pilasters
supporting a pediment and an attic with two urns
and a mitre, late 17th or early 18th-century. Scratchings: In N. chapel—on stonework, various masons'
marks. Screen: In S. chapel—of oak and of six bays,
one forming a doorway, moulded middle rail and posts,
close lower panels and open upper panels with modern
tracery and mullions, doorway with two-centred head
and traceried spandrels; cornice partly old, 15th-century, much restored. Sedilia: In chancel—in
three bays divided by free-standing hollow-chamfered
piers, supporting arched heads and canopies, ogee
trefoil-headed panel at back of each bay, late 14th-century, much mutilated. Stalls: (Plate 155) In chancel
—range of five stalls on each side, with shaped arms,
misericordes, panelled backs, canopies, cornice and cresting; the moulded divisions and arms support quatre-foiled shafts with crocketted cappings, from which
spring the triangular-shaped canopies (Plate 64), each
with a trefoiled and sub-cusped head with carved cusp-points, crockets and finial, and open traceried sides
to canopy, finishing under main cornice; panelling
at back of each stall with cusped heads similar to
canopy and cusped or traceried spandrels; ends of
each range of stalls finished with close panelling
divided into three stages by bands of paterae and
flanked at front and back by panelled and enriched posts
terminating in pinnacles; the misericordes (Plates 70, 71)
are carved as follows—N. side, from E., (a) man's face
between two leaves, at sides two monsters, (b) bearded
human head in hood, supported by shoulders and
hands, at sides conventional flowers, (c) double-bodied
monster with crowned and bearded human face, at
sides sun-flowers with human face in middle of each
flower, (d) two bear-like beasts, back to back, at sides
conventional flowers, (e) man's head with leaves
issuing from mouth, at sides roses; S. side, from E.,
(a) two reptiles fighting, at sides foliated bosses,
(b) two winged monsters fighting, at sides flowers
with human face in middle of each flower, (c) bearded
man on hands and knees, in shirt, at sides conventional flowers, (d) two small beasts back to back, head
of third at top, at sides conventional flowers,
(e) bearded man's head between his legs, two leaves
and hands, at sides flowers; the elbow-rests are carved
as follows—N. side, (a) beast, (b) winged monster
with man's head, (c) and (d) beasts, (e) winged angel's
head, a 17th-century repair: S. side—(a) monster,
(b) beast, (c) monster with human head and draped
head-dress, (d) monster with bearded human head and
plain cap, (e) monkey-like beast; stalls 14th-century,
not in situ and partly restored. Return stalls, three
on each side with desks and lower desks in front;
stalls with moulded divisions and arm-rests; misericordes carved as follows—N. side, (a) two beasts face
to face, at sides round foliated bosses, (b) bearded
man with spurs riding, face to the tail, on a horse, at
sides round foliated bosses, (c) half-figure of angel,
at sides triple rose-sprigs; S. side—(a) two mermen
each with club and one claw-foot, at sides human and
beast-head in sunflower, (b) two lion-like beasts face
to face, at sides foliage, (c) lion-like beast without forelegs, at sides two sunflowers with human face in each;
the arm-rests are carved as follows—N. side, (a) beast,
(b) monster with human head, (c) rabbit-like beast;
S. side, (a) monster, (b) a woodman, (c) monkey, end
of stalls finished with traceried panelling; late 14th-century; at back of stalls, 17th-century moulded panelling; desk-fronts divided into two main bays each
with four and a half panels with traceried heads,
moulded top rail and plinth, late 14th-century;
incorporated in modern western gallery, desk-fronts
each of six panels with trefoiled tracery and buttresses,
moulded top and bottom rails, late 15th-century,
book-rests modern; all with some modern repair.
Stoup: In chancel—by S. doorway, mutilated recess
with two-centred head, bowl cut away, probably
14th-century, re-set. Tiles: In N. chapel—slip tiles
with tracery, letters IHC, crowned initial I and a set
of tiles with the black-letter inscription, "Shewe mon
thi liffe | Mai not ev~. endure | That thou dost thi
self | Of that thou art sure | But that thou keepest un
to thi secturs cure | and ev~ hit availe ye | Hit is but
aventure," 15th-century. Miscellanea: In tower—part of
13th-century shafted column and portion of 15th-century
capping decorated with paterae. In nave—14th-century head-corbel. In N. aisle—on W. wall, breadshelf, of oak with small turned Doric columns supporting an entablature, with the painted inscription, "The
Gift of G. Phillips and A. Martin A.D. 1683," on cornice,
small obelisks and a strapwork cartouche-of-arms.
Condition—Good, much restored externally.
Secular
a(4). The Castle, earthworks and house called
Castle Cliff, occupies the S.E. angle of the walled
town. It is said to have been built by William Fitz
Osbern, Earl of Hereford, soon after the Conquest,
and originally consisted of a motte with a quadrilateral
bailey to the E. The motte has been entirely removed,
but the bailey with its enclosing banks is now a recreation-ground. The rampart on the N. rises 21½ ft.
above the water-level of the castle-pool, a part of the
moat still filled with water; beyond the moat to the
E. the ground outside is 29 ft. below the top of the
rampart. The ditch has been obliterated by a modern
road on the E. and there is only a low rampart on the
S. towards the river. On the W. a slight scarp indicates the position of the ditch between the bailey and
the former motte. A late 17th-century plan indicates
the former existence of a round tower at the N.E.
angle, a square tower at the S.E. angle, and a gatehouse
in the middle of the N. side, but of these there are no
remains. The existing house at the S.W. angle of the
bailey is perhaps of 13th-century date, and the earliest
surviving detail is of c. 1300. The house was long
used as the city Bridewell and has been largely re-constructed in modern times. The N. front retains a
doorway of c. 1300 with jambs and segmental-pointed
head of two chamfered orders, and farther E. is an
ashlar-faced buttress and another doorway with
chamfered and two-centred head. Inside the building
is a doorway similar to that last described, and in the
main chimney-stack is an arched opening with a
segmental head. At the W. end are some 17th-century
chamfered ceiling-beams.
Condition—Of earthworks, good.
a(5). The City Wall enclosed an area, including
the castle, of about 93 acres, which was apparently
defended on the S. side, only by the river. The surviving remains indicate that it was of various dates
of which perhaps the earliest goes back to the 12th
century. There were five gates on the landward side,
called, from E. to W., St. Owen's, Byester's, Widemarsh, Eign and Friars' gates; there was a sixth gate
at the head of Wye Bridge. All these gates were
finally demolished in the latter part of the 18th century.
There was apparently a more or less accentuated break
in the line of the wall at each landward gate. Between
the gates the wall was further defended by a series of
semi-circular towers, of which sixteen are shown on
old plans of the city, and remains of two survive.
The city wall joined the castle at its N.E. angle by
an arch across the castle ditch; N. of this point there
is a surviving stretch of about 30 or 40 yards of wall
bending round to the W. St. Owen's Street was
crossed by the gate of the same name just E. of Gaol
Street. Between this point and the site of Byester's
Gate on the N. of Commercial Square are a number of
fragments of wall including one about 8 ft. high to
the S. of No. 26 Gaol Street. A passage has been
cut through the wall between Bath Street and Gaol
Street, at which point it is 15 ft. thick; about midway
between this passage and Kyrle Street is a section about
12 ft. long and 14 ft. high, built of rather small rubble;
to the S. and N. of Delacy Street are considerable
stretches of the wall. At the E. end of Maylord
Street are about 15 yards of wall, 5 ft. high and with
roughly squared and coursed facing and a further
short stretch standing about 15 ft. high; to the S. of
Blue School Street is a length of about 40 ft., 8 to 9 ft.
high and built of regularly coursed and squared stones,
perhaps of 12th-century date; between this and the
site of Widemarsh Gate, crossing Widemarsh Street,
is a further length of wall much involved in buildings.
Between Widemarsh Street and the site of Eign Gate
in Eign Street, the wall followed the outer line of Wall
Street and several portions remain incorporated in
modern buildings and much altered. Between Eign
Street and St. Nicholas' Street, which was crossed by
Friars' Gate, are considerable remains of the wall;
the first of these, in Gunners Lane, is about 4 ft. thick
and 12 ft. high; it is of roughly coursed rubble; in
a timberyard S. of West Street are remains of a semi-circular tower and at the back of Nos. 38–42 Berrington
Street is a well-preserved stretch, 5 to 6 ft. high and
with a series of shallow pilaster-buttresses on the inner
face, perhaps of 12th-century date; the wall is here
11 ft. thick, is faced with rough uncoursed ashlar, and
has a short stone staircase perhaps leading up to the
former parapet walk. S. of St. Nicholas Street is a
long stretch of wall (about 160 yards) with a semi-circular tower standing about 25 ft. high; S. of this
tower are four ashlar-faced buttresses. Near the point
where the wall now terminates it formerly turned eastwards to the head of the Wye Bridge; at the angle
was a round tower which was demolished in 1806.
Condition—Much built against and altered.
Hereford, Wye Bridge
a(6). Wye Bridge (Plate 153) crosses the river near
the S.W. end of the town. It is of sandstone rubble
faced with ashlar. A wooden bridge existed here from
pre-Conquest times, and from the architectural evidence
some part of it was re-built in stone perhaps in the 14th
century. The bridge was re-built in stone with a gatehouse at the S. end in 1490. During the siege of 1645
the third bay from the N. was broken down; it was
subsequently re-built together with much of the piers
and cut-waters supporting it. In 1826 the bridge was
widened, and it has subsequently been frequently
repaired. The bridge is of six bays; the first from
the N. has a late 15th-century four-centred arch of two
chamfered orders; the first pier has a moulded string-course carried round the cut-waters; below the string
on the N. side is a recess with a square chamfered
head; the arch has been widened on both sides. The
second bay has a late 15th-century four-centred arch of
two chamfered orders; the widening is carried on arches
above the original arch; the old arch is set slightly
on the skew; the second pier has a moulded string
carried round the cut-waters. The third bay (Plate 11)
has a 17th-century segmental arch with three shallow
ribs on the soffit, with a modern strengthening beneath
each; the modern widening is carried on a higher arch
on each face. The fourth bay has a late 15th-century
four-centred arch of two chamfered orders partly concealed by the modern widening; below the springing
on the N. side is part of an earlier arch with three ribs
and a much steeper curve. The fifth bay has a late
15th-century arch like those already described, with
modern widening on each side. The sixth bay has an
18th-century or modern segmental arch supporting a
second arch probably of the 17th century or earlier,
and of one plain order; there is a modern widening
on each side; the last pier has been much altered and
re-built. All the piers have cut-waters and triangular
refuges at the road-level; the parapets have been
re-built.
Blackfriars, Hereford.
Condition—Good.
a(7). The White Cross (Plate 156), at the road-fork
1¼ m. W.N.W. of the cathedral, is of local sandstone.
It is said to have been erected by Bishop Lewis Charlton
(1361–70); it was restored in 1864. The cross consists of a shaft and pedestal standing on a hexagonal
base of eight steps. The pedestal, of the same form,
has a moulded and embattled capping, and each face
has a moulded panel with a trefoil and sub-cusped
arch in a square head; in each panel is a shield-of-arms of Charlton, alternating with the personal arms
of the Bishop. The moulded base of the shaft is
ancient, but the shaft itself and the head are modern.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(8). St. Ethelbert's Well, on the N. side of
Castle Hill, has a modern superstructure, incorporating
the late 14th-century head of a crowned king said to
have come from the destroyed W. front of the cathedral.
a(9). Blackfriars Ruins and Preaching Cross
stand to the S. of Coningsby Hospital and E. of
Widemarsh Street. The walls and dressings are of
local sandstone. The Dominicans appear to have
definitely acquired their site in the Widemarsh suburb
only in 1322, and to about this date may be assigned
the surviving range, the W. range, of this convent.
After the dissolution of the house under Henry VIII
the major part of the buildings, including the church,
was demolished, but portions were retained as a
house. The surviving W. range was much altered by
Thomas Coningsby early in the 17th century, but by
the 18th century the structure was ruined and reduced
more or less to its present condition.
The church of the friars would appear to have
stood on the S. side of the cloister, of which the existing building formed part of the western range. As
in many friars' houses, the cloister alley was included
in the ground storey of the range. The outer walls
on the E. and W. are probably of 14th-century date,
and the E. wall still retains two openings and part of
a third which opened on to the cloister-court and
lighted the W. alley. These openings are of three
unglazed lights with cinque-foiled arches under a
square main head; the lights are divided by octagonal
shafts with defaced moulded capitals and bases, and
the jambs have attached half-shafts. The northernmost of the three openings has been mostly destroyed,
except for one light, by later alterations, and the original
extent of the cloister in this direction is not now ascertainable. S. of the openings the wall has perhaps been
re-built in the 17th century, and contains an archway;
it has plain responds and a segmental-pointed head.
At the S. end of the E. front is an added stair-turret of
circular form and of 16th or early 17th-century date.
High in the wall near the N. end is a round window.
The W. front has at the S. end three buttresses,
probably original; farther N. are two added projections, one to enclose a fireplace, one a small garderobe tower, and a third, apparently original and of
uncertain purpose; the windows, some of which are
blocked, are, with one exception, all of late 16th or early
17th-century date, and have square heads. In the
second bay from the south is an early 17th-century
doorway with chamfered jambs and round head, and
above it is a round window; the next bay has a window
formerly of a single trefoiled light, perhaps original;
above the later window in the same bay is a corbelled
projection to carry a former window of the floor
above.
In the S. wall of the building is an early 17th-century
doorway with chamfered jambs and round head. In
the N. wall is a wide opening of the same date, with
plain jambs and four-centred arch; farther W. is a
two-light transomed window with the head removed.
Inside the building the former wall shutting off the
cloister alley has entirely disappeared. In the W. wall
are two early 17th-century fireplaces, one above the
other; they have moulded heads; the head of the
upper fireplace has the initials T. P. C. for Thomas
Coningsby and Philippa his wife.
The Preaching Cross stands 30 yards W. of the building just described. It is the only surviving example
in this country of the preaching-crosses erected by the
friars in their cemeteries. The structure is of stone,
hexagonal on plan with three-stage buttresses at the
angles and standing on four steps. Each face has an
open cinque-foiled arch in a square head, the lower
part filled with an open stone balustrade, having two
cinque-foiled openings; one side formed an entrance
but the balustrade is now continued across it; the
structure is finished with a moulded and embattled
cornice. The interior has a stone bench round a
central pier with six small shafts with moulded bases
and capitals from which spring the moulded ribs of
the stone vaults; there are similar shafts in the internal
angles of the structure. The front of the bench has
cinquefoil-headed panelling, and from the central pier
rises the restored shaft and cross, above the roof. The
building is of the 14th century, but has been considerably restored.
Condition—Of main structure, ruined and much
overgrown with ivy; of cross, good.
a(10). Coningsby's Hospital (Plate 158), on the E.
side of Widemarsh Street, 700 yards N. of the cathedral,
is a quadrangular building, mainly of two storeys; the
walls are of local red sandstone and the roofs are
covered with stone slates. The site was formerly
occupied by a house of the Knights of St. John of
Jerusalem and portions of the hall and chapel range
appear to belong to this building and to date from the
13th century. The hospital or almshouse was founded
c. 1614 by Sir Thomas Coningsby when the hall and
chapel range was partly reconstructed and the three
other ranges surrounding the courtyard were added,
together with the gatehouse-range. The building
was very thoroughly restored in the 19th century.
The external elevations, generally, have a chamfered
or moulded plinth and restored windows with trefoiled heads. The chimney-stacks have tabled offsets
and modern tops. At the N. end of the E. front is
the gable of the chapel; it has three dwarf buttresses
and three graduated lancet-windows; the windows are
restored but represent an old, perhaps 13th-century
feature, and the splays and rear-arches are old; on the
apex of the gable is a finial formed of re-used material
and bearing the Coningsby initials T.P.C. The doorway to the passage through the E. range has chamfered
jambs and round head, with the Coningsby initials.
The N. front has at the E. end a modern lancet-window
to the chapel, and farther W. an early 17th-century
window with a trefoiled head and the Coningsby
initials; towards the W. end of the range is a gabled
porch, largely reconstructed; at the W. end is a doorway, with a four-centred head and the Coningsby
initials, opening into a stair-turret. The W. front
has at the end of the hall-range, a 14th-century window
of two trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a two-centred head; on the gable above is a 17th-century
bell-cote with two trefoil-headed openings, one containing a bell, and a capping of re-used material. The
doorway in the W. range has chamfered jambs and
round head with a tablet above it bearing the Coningsby achievement and initials, flanked by Ionic
columns on scrolled brackets and supporting a cornice.
The range projecting towards the S. contains an early
17th-century entrance-archway, probably the gatehouse of Coningsby's house; it is now blocked and
has moulded jambs and elliptical arch, and is flanked
by much decayed Doric columns, standing on pedestals
and supporting the remains of separate entablatures
and a continuous cornice. The archway, also blocked,
on the other side of the range is of similar form but
without columns and entablature. The N. wall of the
courtyard (Plate 158) has two doorways to the chapel
and hall, both with chamfered jambs and two-centred
heads; above the chapel-doorway are the Coningsby
initials and above the hall-doorway is the Coningsby
crest. On the other sides of the courtyard the doorways to the tenements have restored four-centred
heads and the archways to the passages, elliptical or
four-centred heads; above the archway on the E.
side is a cartouche of the Coningsby arms. On the
N. side of the courtyard are some worked stones
including one with the Coningsby initials.
Coningsby's Hospital
Interior—The Chapel has a trussed-rafter roof and
contains the following fittings—Coffin lid: with plain
incised cross, 13th-century. Communion Table: of
oak with eight legs in the form of Doric columns and
supporting round arches with key-blocks and turned
pendants, moulded bottom rail, early 17th-century.
Glass: In N. window, achievement-of-arms of Coningsby impaling Fitzwilliam, with date 1614, enclosed
in a later elliptical border, also quarries with Coningsby crest and initials and fragments; in E. window,
quarries with the Coningsby crest and initials and a
double-headed eagle. Pulpit: semi-octagonal and
made up with 17th-century carved and moulded panels.
Plate: includes cup and cover-paten of 1675, the
former inscribed "Provided by Fitz. Wm. Coningsby
Corporall" and the latter with the date 1677, also a
pewter plate probably early 18th-century. Seating: at
W. end, pew (Plate 61) with panelled front, upper
panels with arabesque ornament, high back with similar
panels and flat tester with moulded cornice, strapwork frieze and turned pendants, early 17th-century.
Miscellanea: incorporated in reading desk, carved 17th-century panel. On W. wall, stone panel with the
Coningsby arms, initials and the date 1597. The Hall
has simple moulded ceiling-beams. In the N. wall is
a fireplace with chamfered jambs, four-centred head
and the Coningsby initials. In the W. wall are two
doorways with chamfered jambs and four-centred
heads, all framed in oak. There are twelve tenements
and one additional one in the former gatehouse range.
Condition—Good, much restored.
a(11). St. Giles' Hospital, chapel and tenements,
on the N.E. side of St. Owen Street, was founded in
the 12th century. The chapel was re-built by Richard
Cox in 1682, but this building was demolished in
1927, to widen the road, and a new chapel built of the
old materials 620 yards S.E. of St. Peter's Church.
During the demolition the foundations were uncovered
of the N. side of the 12th-century chapel. This was
a round structure, about 26¾ ft. in internal diameter
with walls 6 ft. thick; there were indications of an
apsidal chancel to the E. of it with a wall 4½ ft. thick.
A mid to late 12th-century carved tympanum (Plate 8),
presumably from this building, is now built into the
W. wall of the modern tenements of the hospital; it is
semi-circular with a deep band of interlacing ornament
round the outside; the middle is occupied by a carved
Majesty set in a vesica-shaped panel supported by
four angels; the carving is much weathered. In the
westernmost tenement is a re-set niche, with a moulded
head, perhaps of the 14th century.
Hereford, St Giles' Hospital, Foundations of Early Chapel
The modern chapel incorporates much material from
the 17th-century building, including the doorway with
a stone tablet above, inscribed "Ut celebretur nomen
Dei Opt. Max. aedem precationis a solo et e ruderibus
instauravit Ricardus Cox Colleg. Heref. Custos. Anno
Salutis MDCLXXXII."
Fittings—Bell: one, dated 1682, but perhaps recast.
Book: prayer-book of 1681. Communion Rails: with
moulded rail and turned balusters, larger balusters of
the same form at corners, early 18th-century. Door:
in doorway, of nail-studded battens, strap-hinges with
fleur-de-lis ends, late 17th-century. Glass: one
quarry with shield-of-arms and date 1683. Panelling:
forming lobby, late 17th-century. In N.E. angle,
pew of similar panelling. Pulpit: hexagonal, of oak,
with panelled sides, projecting book-rest with shaped
brackets at angles, panelled standard at back supporting
sounding-board with moulded cornice, panelled soffit
and turned pendant in middle, early 18th-century.
Seating: benches with turned legs, moulded upper
rails and panelled backs; also five free benches with
turned front legs, shaped arms and open backs, late
17th-century.
a(12). Williams' Almshouses, tenements, immediately N.W. of the tenements of St. Giles' Hospital,
were re-built in 1675 and again in modern times. The
modern building incorporates some walls of the 17th-century building, and re-set in the front wall is a stone
panel with the inscription "Mr. Williams Hospitall
re-built 1675 Bridstock Harford of ye City Esq. being
then Custos of the same and a good benefactor therein.
Feare God, Honor ye King, Relieve ye Poor. Haec
tria sunt ommia." Elsewhere in the building are
re-set two capitals, a head-corbel and some fragments
of ornament, all of 12th-century date, and probably
from St. Giles' Hospital.
a(13). St. Ethelbert's Hospital, on the S. side of
Castle Street, was entirely re-built in 1805, but re-set
in the walls are a number of carved stones, mostly
from the destroyed portions of the cathedral chapter-house. These include two carved spandrels from the
wall-arcade, foliated corbels or bosses, piece of wall-panelling or the side of a tomb, etc., all of the 14th
century.
a(14). Aubrey's Almshouses stand on the E. side
of Berrington Street, 230 yards N.W. of the cathedral.
They form a block of six tenements of one storey with
attics; the walls are timber-framed and plastered with
some stone at the back; the roofs are tiled. The
charity was founded by Mrs. Mary Price in 1630 for
six poor women, and the building is approximately of
this date. The W. or street-front (Plate 157) has exposed
timber-framing and three gables symmetrically spaced
and projecting; the side posts of the gables terminate
in square moulded pendants, and there is a similar
pendant at the apex of each; the bressummer and bargeboards are moulded. The doorways, which are in
pairs, have moulded frames, the uprights of which
act also as posts in the timber-frame of the building.
At the back the lower parts of the three chimney-stacks
are of stone. The doorways form part of the timber-frame, as in front, and have chamfered jambs and flat
pointed heads. There are two old battened doors,
one of which is hung on strap-hinges. Inside the
building each tenement has a chamfered ceiling-beam
and a staircase with an octagonal newel-post.
Condition—Good.
a(15). Price's Almshouses stand on the N. side of
White Cross Street, 1100 yards W.N.W. of the cathedral.
The building is of two storeys; the walls are of stone
and brick, and the roofs are covered with slates. It
was built by William Price c. 1665, and consists of a
long range running E. and W. and containing ten
tenements and the chapel and a short wing at each end
containing an additional tenement.
The S. front has a gabled wing at each end, all of
stone. The main range has a stone lower storey
and a brick upper storey, divided by a moulded
string-course; in the middle is a gable with a stone
tablet inscribed "Mr. William Price Citizen of London
founded this Hospital in the Year 1665"; on the
gable is a square louvered bell-cote of timber. The
doorways, generally, have original oak frames with
square heads, those at the back have four-centred
heads within the frame. The windows are square-headed and most of the frames are modern, but some
windows at the E. and W. ends have original moulded
oak frames. The E. window of the chapel, at the E.
end of the building, is of stone and of three three-centred lights in a square head with a moulded label.
Prices Almshouses, Hereford
Interior—The Chapel (21 ft. by 15¾ ft.) has a moulded
cornice and an original roof of two bays ceiled below
the collars; the truss has modified hammer-beams
supported by curved brackets and having upright posts
tenoned on to the ends of the hammer-beams; these
posts terminate in shaped pendants. On the W. wall
at the first-floor level of the adjoining tenement is a
moulded beam. Fittings. Communion Table: with
turned legs and shaped brackets to top rail, 17th-century. Panelling: under E. window, panelled dado
with enriched guilloche-frieze, 17th-century. Pew and
reading-desk: with panelled front and sides, back of
seat made up of old panelling, late 17th-century, top
modern. The tenements have each two rooms, one
on each floor; the lower room has a chamfered ceiling-beam and in some tenements the joists are exposed.
The fireplaces have oak lintels, but most of them have
been filled in. The enclosure-wall in front is original
and of brick with a stone base and a modern top;
flanking the central entrance are square piers. The
garden-wall to the W. of the building is also original
but has a modern brick top.
Condition—Good.
a(16). Lingen's Hospital, range of six tenements,
on the N. side of White Cross Road, W. of (15), is of
one storey with attics; the walls are of stone and the
roofs are tiled. It was founded by Mrs. Jane Shelley
in 1609, and the building is of that period; it was
restored and partly re-built in 1801, and again in 1849.
The front is symmetrically designed with the square-headed doorways in pairs and a dormer above each
pair; the lower windows are square-headed with
wooden frames. The back has projecting chimneystacks with offsets and four doorways have chamfered
frames, probably original. Inside the building are
exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
a(17). The Old House (Plate 159) or Butchers Hall,
in the middle of the road between St. Peter's Street and
High Town, is of three storeys with cellars; the walls
are timber-framed and the roofs are tiled. It was built
in 1621 and formed the end house of Butchers' Row.
It was restored in 1882, and the N.W. and S.E. ends
have modern windows.
The house is the best preserved example of a timber-framed building in the city.
The timber-framing is exposed on all the fronts;
there is a modern projecting pent-roof between the
ground and first floor and the top storey projects on
the N.E. and S.W. fronts. The N.E. front has a
partly original central bay-window, on the ground
floor, with canted sides, mullions and transom and
supported on scrolled brackets. The first floor has
three similar bay windows each with two brackets
and a cornice; there is also a small three-light window.
The projecting top storey has a moulded bressummer
and four carved brackets with pendants in front carved
to represent grape-bunches; this storey has three
gables with barge-boards carved with scrolls, birds,
etc. and carved pendants one of which bears the date
1621; the three bay windows are generally similar
to those below but have each one bracket and a tiled
roof. The S.W. front is generally similar to that just
described; it has two bay-windows partly original, to
the ground floor, and a partly restored porch (Plate 35),
with richly carved barge-boards and carved pendants
supported on carved brackets; at the base of the gable
is a richly carved beam and above it is fixed a carving
of the arms of the Butchers' Company; the door-frame is moulded and in the square head is set a flat
four-centred arch with carved spandrels. The upper
floors have each three bay-windows, as on the N.E.
front; below the ridge-pieces of the gables are carved
cherub-heads and a half-figure of an angel with a
shield dated 1621. The partly restored chimney-stack of brick has angle-pilasters, stone terminals, and
embattled capping. Inside the building, the N.W.
room has original moulded ceiling-beams and panelling,
perhaps incorporating some old work. The S.E.
room has a plaster ceiling enriched with cherub-heads,
cartouche and flowers; on the S.E. wall is a painted
plaster panel with a man holding a spade and hoe and
a background of trees; the fireplace, brought from
No. 9 Eign Street, has moulded stone jambs and a
square corbelled head, probably of the 15th century.
On the first floor is a ceiling with fleur-de-lis enrichment, and a fireplace flanked by enriched pilasters and
with an arcaded overmantel with half-figures supporting a strapwork frieze, all much restored. On the
second floor is a moulded ceiling and surround to the
fireplace, both of early 18th-century date.
Condition—Good.
St. Peter's Street, S. side:
a(18). House, No. 15, 50 yards W. of St. Peter's
church, is modern but has a 17th-century wing at the
back, of two storeys, timber-framed and with a tiled
roof. The cellar below the main building has stone
walls and one jamb and part of a four-centred head
of a doorway probably of late 15th-century date.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(19). House, No. 16, W. of (18), is of three storeys
with cellars; the walls are of timber-framing and
modern brick. It was built probably in the 16th
century, but the front is modern. Inside the building
are some original moulded and chamfered beams and
a room on the second floor has a coved ceiling with a
cornice, probably of early 18th-century date.
Condition—Good.
a(20). House, No. 17, W. of (19), is of three storeys
with cellars and attics, timber-framed and plastered;
the roofs are covered with slates. It was built late in
the 15th or early in the 16th century, but was altered
in the 17th and refronted late in the 18th century.
The W. side faces a passage and has exposed timber
framing; the second storey is carried over the passage
and at the S. end is part of a wooden two-centred arch.
The timber-framing is also exposed at the back. Inside
the building, the former projecting upper storey in
front has been enclosed, but retains three original
brackets carved with naturalistic vine-ornament. The
two back rooms have moulded ceiling-beams; the
fireplace in the kitchen has moulded stone jambs and
depressed arch. Two rooms on the first floor have
moulded ceiling-beams. Other rooms in the house
have exposed ceiling-beams and there are three 17th-century panelled doors. The cellar has stone walls,
a series of three recesses in the E. wall and one recess
in the N. wall, all with arched heads; also in the N.
wall is a doorway with moulded stone jambs. The
chimney-breast above is supported on re-used sections
of 14th-century columns brought from elsewhere; the
ceiling has a re-used moulded beam.
Condition—Fairly good.
High Town, S. side:
a(21). The Booth Hall, W. of (20), is of two
storeys with cellars, the walls are timber-framed and
plastered. The building is said to be referred to in
a document of 1392, but the existing roof would appear
to be of rather later date. It was restored in 1921,
before which date the hall was cut up into rooms and
divided into two storeys.
Though much restored the roof is an important
example of its period.
In the passage-way from the street is part of a four-centred timber-arch. The hall, on the first floor, about
43½ ft. by 27 ft. is now of six bays. The roof (Plate 24)
has alternate hammer-beam and tie-beam trusses; the
former have moulded hammer-beams terminating in
carved half-figures, and chamfered beams above forming
two-centred arches under the collars; the tie-beams
support panelled king-posts under the collars and there
are ranges of open trefoil-headed panels between the
tie-beams and collars and above the collars; the curved
and traceried braces below the tie-beams and hammer-beams are, with one exception, modern, and there is
much modern work in the rest of the roof; between
the trusses are cusped wind-braces forming trefoil-headed arches in the lower range and quatrefoils above.
The cellars have stone walls and there is a square-headed fireplace of stone.
Condition—Good, much restored.
a(22). House, at back of No. 18 and W. of (21), is
of two storeys; the walls are of timber-framing and
modern brick, and the roofs are covered with slates.
It was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century.
The upper storey formerly projected on the E. side
and has a moulded bressummer; the framing above
is exposed and in it is a bay-window with moulded
frame, mullions and transom and shaped brackets
below. In the N. wall is a similar window. Inside
the building are some original moulded ceiling-beams,
one with enriched mouldings and two with curved
braces and trefoiled spandrels. On the first floor is
some original panelling and moulded wall-posts supporting the ceiling-beams. The room at the S. end
has a plaster ceiling with moulded ceiling-beams and
fleur-de-lis and rose enrichments in the panels.
Condition—Good.
a(23). House, No. 19, W. of (22), is of three storeys
with cellars; the walls are timber-framed and plastered
and the roofs are covered with slates. It was built
early in the 17th century, but has been largely reconstructed and the front re-built. The upper storey
projects at the back and inside the building is an
original ceiling-beam.
Condition—Good.
a(24). House, No. 20, W. of (23), is of three storeys
with cellars; the walls are timber-framed and plastered
and the roofs are covered with slates. It was built
early in the 17th century, but has been completely
modernised. The cellars have stone walls, and in the
wall between them is a doorway with a four-centred
head. The back cellar has a four-centred barrel-vault.
This work is probably of late 15th-century date, and
there is a moulded beam of the same date, re-used as
a post.
Condition—Good.
a(25). House, No. 21, W. of and generally similar
to (24), has some original panelling in the attics. The
front cellar has a moulded beam and the back cellar
a barrel-vault similar to that in (24).
Condition—Good.
a(26). House, No. 27, 30 yards W. of (25), is modern,
but at the back is a timber-framed addition of three
storeys and of 17th-century date. The upper storey
projects on the E. side.
Condition—Good.
N. side:
a(27). Houses, Nos. 3 and 4, 10 yards E. of Widemarsh Street, are of four storeys with cellars; the
walls are of brick. They were built early in the 18th
century and have brick bands between the storeys.
Inside the buildings are original staircases with straight
strings, turned balusters and square newels. On the
first floor of No. 4 is a room with bolection-moulded
panelling, cornice and dado-rail; another room has
plain panelling. The cellars are partly of stone and
probably of mediæval date; in No. 4 is a re-used
15th-century beam with cusped panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(28). House, No. 5, E. of (27), is of similar date
and character to (27). The front room on the first
floor has moulded panelling with cornice and dado-rail; the staircase is similar to those in (27). A partition is formed of early 17th-century panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(29). House, No. 11, 50 yards E. of (28), is of three
storeys with attics and cellars; the walls are of timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are covered with
slates. It was built early in the 17th century but has
been completely transformed in the 18th century.
Inside the building, the front room on the first floor
has a coved ceiling enriched with cherub-heads. The
18th-century staircase has mouldings returned round
the end of the stairs, turned balusters and square
newels.
Condition—Good.
a(30). House, Nos. 14 and 15, 20 yards E. of (29),
is of four storeys with cellars; the walls are timber-framed and the roofs are tiled. It was built early in
the 17th century, but the front part was remodelled
in the 18th century. The timber-framing is exposed
at the back of No. 14. Inside the building, the back
room on the first floor of No. 14 is lined with original
panelling. The ceiling-beams are moulded or chamfered, and the early 18th-century staircase has moulded
strings, turned balusters and square newels. There
is some original panelling in No. 16. At the back
of the house is a 17th-century outbuilding, altered in
the 18th century and with the date 1795 cut on a beam.
Condition—Good.
High Street, S. side:
a(31). House, No. 3, 40 yards E. of Broad Street,
is of three storeys with attics and cellars; the walls
are timber-framed and the roofs are covered with
slates. It was built late in the 16th century, but the
lower part of the front is modern. The W. bay of
the front has projecting third and attic storeys with
moulded bressummers and carved brackets terminating
in masks; the gable has ornamental timber-framing
and carved barge-boards; on the second floor is an
original window with moulded frame, mullions and
transom. The E. bay has two gabled dormers with
enriched barge-boards and shaped pendants. Inside
the building are some original moulded and chamfered
ceiling-beams and some early 18th-century panelling.
On the first floor is some mid 17th-century panelling
and a staircase with late 17th-century twisted balusters.
The cellars are probably mediæval; the walls are of
stone and there is a doorway with a four-centred
head and a four-centred barrel-vault over one compartment.
Condition—Good.
a(32). House, No. 4, W. of (31), is of three storeys
with cellars; the walls are partly timber-framed and
the roofs are covered with slates. It was built late
in the 17th century or early in the 18th century, but
has been much altered. The interior retains some
chamfered ceiling-beams. The walls of the cellars are
partly of stone and perhaps of mediæval date.
Condition—Good.
Broad Street, E. side:
a(33). City Arms Hotel, 20 yards S. of High
Street, is modern, but at the back is a three-storey
building of which the lowest storey is probably of
15th-century date and has original moulded main and
subsidiary ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
W. side:
a(34). House, No. 35, 55 yards N. of King Street,
is modern, but at the back is a length of about 30 ft.
of late mediæval rubble walling and including parts
of a bay-window of which parts of the trefoiled heads
of the lights and the cornice remain.
Condition—Fragmentary.
a(35). House, No. 46, 80 yards N. of (34), is of
three storeys with cellars; the walls are of timber-framing and brick and the roofs are tiled. It was
built in the 16th century, but has early 17th-century
additions and later alterations. Inside the building, a
part of the original moulded bressummer of the front
is exposed in a passage. On the first floor a room at
the back has early 17th-century panelling and moulded
ceiling-beams; the plaster ceiling, of the same date,
has two whole and two part panels with moulded ribs
forming a geometrical design and having a shallow
pendant in the middle. Another room has some
17th and 18th-century panelling including two carved
frieze-panels; the ceiling-beams are moulded. There
are several 17th and early 18th-century panelled doors.
The cellars have stone walls and are probably mediæval;
a moulded beam is re-used as a post, and there is one
jamb of an original stone doorway.
Condition—Good for the most part.
a(36). House, No. 47, N. of (35), is of two storeys
with cellars, the walls are timber-framed and the roofs
are tiled. It was built in the first half of the 16th
century but has been much altered. Inside the building is an original doorway with moulded jambs and
square head, also some exposed timber-framing. On
the first floor is some 17th-century panelling (Plate 32)
with carved frieze-panels. The cellar is probably
mediæval and has stone walls; in the front wall are
the jambs of a doorway. In the yard, at the back of
the house, is the capital and base of a 15th-century
column.
Condition—Good.
a(37). White Hart Inn and house, Nos. 48 and 49,
N. of (36), are of three storeys with cellars and attics;
the walls are of timber-framing and brick, and the
roofs are tiled. The building dates from the 17th
century. The first floor originally projected in front
and retains one carved bracket. Inside the building
the ground and upper floors have moulded ceiling-beams and some exposed timber-framing; the front
part of the ground floor has a plaster ceiling with
moulded ribs forming rectangular panels; the room
above has a ceiling (Plate 37) in twelve bays with
moulded ribs forming a geometrical design with fleur-de-lis enrichments; the corresponding room on the
second floor has a ceiling (Plate 37) with differing
geometrical designs and enrichments of vine-leaves,
grapes and moulded bosses. The cellar is probably
mediæval and has stone walls; in the front part is a
cylindrical stone pier.
Condition—Good.
a(38). House, No. 53, 40 yards N. of (37), is modern,
but beneath it is a stone basement, probably of mediæval
date. The W. division has a four-centred barrel vault
and there is an original opening in the front wall.
Condition—Good.
a(39). House, Nos. 54 and 55, N. of (38), is of two
storeys; the walls are of timber-framing and brick,
and the roofs are covered with slates. The back part
with its projecting wing was built early in the 17th
century, but the front block is modern. The S. side
of the projecting wing has an open loggia of three
bays with posts in the form of diminishing pilasters,
supporting a moulded bressummer. Inside the building
are some moulded ceiling-beams and original panelling.
Condition—Good.
King Street, S. side:
a(40). House, No. 1 at the corner of Palace Yard,
is of three storeys with attics and cellars; the walls
are timber-framed and the roofs are covered with
slates. It was built in the 16th century, but has been
much modernised. The first floor projects on the
N. front and the second floor on both the N. and E.
fronts. Inside the building is an original moulded
ceiling-beam.
Condition—Good.
a(41). Spread Eagle Hotel, W. of (40), is of three
storeys with attics and cellars; the walls are of timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are covered with
slates. It was built early in the 17th century and has
an early 18th-century wing at the back. Inside the
building is some original panelling and two early
18th-century staircases with straight strings, square
newels and heavy turned or twisted balusters. The
cellar is perhaps of late mediæval date and has stone
walls and a central octagonal column with a moulded
capital.
Condition—Good.
a(42). House, No. 3, W. of (41), is of three storeys
with attics; the walls are timber-framed with a re-built
brick front, and the roofs are covered with slates.
It was built late in the 17th century but has been altered
late in the 18th century. Inside the building, the
front room on the ground floor has a plaster ceiling
with moulded panels; the ceiling of the room above
is divided into six bays each with a double oval wreath
of moulded plaster foliage; the two middle panels
have an additional moulding enclosing the wreaths.
The staircase, from the first to the second floor, is
original and has heavy moulded rails and strings, turned
balusters and square newels.
Condition—Good.
a(43). House, Nos. 4 and 5, W. of (42), is of two
storeys, timber-framed and with a tiled roof. It was
built probably late in the 15th century and has exposed
timber-framing in front and two gables; the bargeboards of the W. gable are carved with a series of
cusped arches and those of the E. gable with leaves
and animals. Inside the building, in a passage, is a
fragment of guilloche ornament, and the ground floor
has chamfered ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
a(44). House, No. 12, 50 yards W. of (43), is of two
storeys, timber-framed and with slate roofs. It was
built probably early in the 17th century, but the front
dates from the 18th century. Inside the building, is
an original moulded ceiling-beam.
Condition—Good.
St. Nicholas Street, N. side:
a(45). Orange Tree Inn, opposite the end of
Bridge Street, is of two storeys with cellars and attics;
the walls are timber-framed and plastered and the roofs
are tiled. It was built early in the 17th century and
retains some original ceiling-beams and moulded
panelling. The cellars have stone walls.
Condition—Good.
a(46). House, No. 17, W. of (45), is of three storeys,
timber-framed and with a later brick front; the roofs
are tiled. It was built in the 17th century and has some
original moulded ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
a(47). House, No. 16, W. of (46), is of three storeys
with cellars; the walls are timber-framed with a brick
front of 1745, and the roofs are covered with slates.
The house was built early in the 17th century. Inside
the building is some original panelling and some of
the rooms are lined with 18th-century panelling. The
S.W. room, on the ground floor, has chamfered ceiling-beams and plaster panels with cherub-heads. The
original staircase has moulded strings with jewel-ornament and square newels with pendants; the
balusters and rails are an 18th-century renewal; the
soffits are plastered and have oval panels with cross-shaped enrichments; over the landing is a lozenge-shaped panel with cherub-heads. The ceiling over
the staircase has a round panel with spandrels of which
there are some remains.
Condition—Good.
Bridge Street, W. side:
a(48). House, Nos. 42–3, 20 yards S. of St. Nicholas
Street, is of three storeys with attics and cellars, timber-framed and with a slate roof. It was built early in
the 17th century and has an 18th-century front. Inside
the building, a room on the first floor has an original
ceiling with two oval moulded panels and modelled
birds. There is some original panelling in the attics.
Condition—Good.
a(49). Building, at rear of No. 41, S. of (48), is of
two storeys, timber-framed and with a tiled roof. It
was built in the 17th century and has exposed timber-framing with three cusped braces below the eaves.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(50). House, No. 40, S. of (49), is of two storeys,
timber-framed with a tiled roof. It was built early
in the 16th century, but the main block was re-built
in the 18th century. The N. front to the adjoining
alley has exposed timber-framing and a projecting
upper storey with a moulded bressummer and curved
brackets.
Condition—Good.
a(51). House, No. 39, S. of (50), is modern except
for the timber-framed back wing which appears to be
of similar character to (50).
Condition—Good.
a(52). House, No. 33, 55 yards S. of (51), is modern
but incorporates an elaborate carved overmantel (Plate
37). It is in three richly carved and arcaded bays,
divided and flanked by terminal pilasters and with a
shield in the middle bay bearing the initials and date
R. and E.P. 1632; the room has a panelled dado with
a carved frieze and a shield with the same initials and
the date 1630. In the garden are some fragments of
late 14th-century wall-arcading and window-heads.
Condition—Good.
a(53). Black Lion Inn (Plate 16), No. 31, 10 yards
S. of (52), is of two storeys with attics, timber-framed
and with a tiled roof. It was built early in the 17th
century, incorporating parts of an earlier stone building.
The plan is half H-shaped with the wings extending
towards the S. The upper storey projected on both sides
of the E. wing but has been under-built. The timber-framing is partly exposed. Inside the building are some
original moulded ceiling-beams and panelling. The
middle room, on the first floor, has an overmantel
(Plate 37) of four arcaded bays divided by diminishing
pilasters, with a band of foliage-ornament above and
below; the fireplace has a moulded four-centred head
and round the walls is a panelled dado with an enriched
frieze; the ceiling is divided into panels by moulded
beams and one bay (Plate 30) has an enriched oval
band with foliage, vases and a cherub.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(54). Wye Bridge Hotei, 45 yards S. of (53), is
of three storeys with attics, timber-framed and with
slate roofs. It was built early in the 17th century
but has been largely refaced with later brickwork.
Inside the building is some original panelling and chamfered ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
Berrington Street, W. side:
a(55). St. Vincent's Orphanage, house, 40 yards
N. of St. Nicholas Street, is of two storeys with attics,
timber-framed and with a slate roof. It was built
early in the 17th century, but was refitted and refronted
in the 18th century. Inside the building, the hall has
ceiling-beams with plaster cornices and an oval panel.
The large room on the first floor has a plaster ceiling
with enrichments of fleurs-de-lis, cross-shaped ornaments, pomegranates, etc.
Condition—Good.
a(56). Houses (Plate 16), Nos. 38 and 39, 40 yards
N. of (55), are of two storeys, timber-framed and with
a tiled roof. They form a mid 17th-century range with
exposed timber-framing. Inside the building, a staircase has twisted balusters.
Condition—Good.
a(57). Houses, Nos. 41 and 42, 10 yards N. of (56),
appear to be entirely of mid 18th-century date, but in
the front room of No. 42 is a 17th-century ceiling with
an oval panel, two double-necked swans, birds, etc.
Condition—Good.
a(58). Houses, Nos. 47–49, 40 yards N. of (57),
appear to have been almost entirely reconstructed in
the 18th century, but the front rooms of Nos. 48 and 49
have 17th-century plaster ceilings with oval panels,
birds or cherubs.
Condition—Good.
a(59). Palladium Cinema, N. of (58), is modern,
but refixed on the front are three 17th-century panels
with incised ornament. Other panelling forms a
dado.
Condition—Good.
Little Berrington Street:
a(60). House (Plate 16), Nos. 4 and 5, on the S. side,
20 yards W. of Audrey Street, is of two storeys, timber-framed and with a slate roof. It was built late in the
15th or early in the 16th century. The timber-framing
is exposed on the front and the upper storey has a deep
projection.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(61). House, Nos. 21 and 22, on the N. side, 30
yards W. of Audrey Street, is of two storeys with attics,
timber-framed and with a tiled roof. It was built
in the 17th century and has exposed timber-framing.
Condition—Fairly good.
West Street, N. side:
a(62). Nelson Inn, 40 yards W. of Broad Street,
is of two storeys with cellars, timber-framed and with
a tiled roof. It was built early in the 17th century
and has chamfered and moulded ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
a(63). Grapes Inn, 90 yards E. of Broad Street, is
of two storeys with attics and cellars, timber-framed
with a tiled roof. The E. block on the front was
built early in the 17th century, and the back wing and
western extension were added later in the same century.
The timber-framing is exposed on part of the back
wing and there are exposed ceiling-beams within the
building. The cellar has stone walls and is probably
mediæval.
Condition—Good.
Eign Street, S. side:
a(64). House, No. 9, 60 yards W. of Broad Street,
is partly of two storeys and partly of three, timber-framed and with a tiled roof. It was built probably
in the 16th century, but the front has been much
altered and reduced in height. The timber-framing
is exposed above the shop-fronts and includes the
projection and lower part of an upper storey now
removed; it has curved braces in the panels of the
framing. Inside the building are some original
moulded ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
a(65). Barrel Inn and shop, No. 13, 20 yards W.
of (64), is of two storeys with attics, timber-framed
and with a slate roof. It was built in the 17th century
and has two gables on the front.
Condition—Good.
a(66). Houses, Nos. 21 and 22, 35 yards W. of (65),
are of two storeys with attics, timber-framed and with
a slate roof. They were built in the 17th century
and the upper storey projects in front. In No. 21 is
some early 17th-century panelling.
Condition—Poor.
a(67). Houses, Nos. 23 and 24, W. of (66), are of
two storeys with attics, timber-framed and with tiled
roofs. They were built early in the 17th century,
but have been much altered. Inside the building are
some moulded ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
N. side:
a(68). House, No. 89, W. of All Saints Church, is
modern, but below it is a cellar probably of the 13th
century. The walls are of stone and the N. chamber
has a quadripartite vault of two bays with chamfered
ribs; the web has been largely removed together
with part of the ribs. The S. chamber has a stone
fireplace with shouldered corbels under the lintel.
The walls have various recesses, some of which are
original.
Condition—Good.
Bewell Street, N. side:
a(69). House, No. 43, 40 yards W. of Widemarsh
Street, is of two storeys, timber-framed and with a
slate roof. It was built probably in the 17th century
and contains some early 18th-century panelling.
Condition—Fairly good.
Widemarsh Street, W. side:
a(70). House, No. 2, at the N. corner of Bewell
Street, is of late 18th-century date, but beneath it is
a 15th-century basement. The walls are of squared
stone with ashlar dressings and the plan is L-shaped
with the wings extending towards the E. and N. The
E. room of the E. wing has heavy ceiling-beams, but
the other two rooms have four-centred barrel-vaults;
in the vault of the room in the N. wing is an air-vent
cut as an octofoil with carved cusp-points and central
ornament. There are two original doorways, one
leading into a corridor in the angle between the wings;
they have moulded jambs and two-centred arches.
In the N. wall of the E. wing is a window retaining its
original iron bars and stancheon.
Condition—Good.
a(71). Houses, Nos. 3 and 4, N. of (70), are of two
storeys; the walls are of timber-framing and brick,
and the roofs are of slate. The timber-framed back
building is of early 17th-century date, but the brick
front portion was re-built late in the 17th or early in
the 18th century, and subsequently much altered. The
upper storey projects at the back and has a moulded
bressummer. Inside the earlier part of the building are
moulded ceiling-beams and a stop-moulded post. A
staircase has original flat, shaped balusters. The main
room in the back block has original panelling on the
S. wall with a fluted Ionic pilaster, and remains of a
second pilaster opposite; the ceiling is divided by a
coved and plastered beam between the pilasters, with
modelled ornament; W. of this the ceiling is panelled,
with fleur-de-lis, leaf, lion's mask and rose enrichments. The small room to the N. has a late 17th or
early 18th-century panelled dado.
Condition—Good.
a(72). House, No. 6, 6 yards N. of (71), is of two
storeys, timber-framed with a tiled roof. It was built
late in the 17th or early in the 18th century, but the
front has been entirely re-constructed.
Condition—Good.
a(73). Black Swan Inn, N. of (72), is of two storeys
with cellars and attics. The walls are of timber-framing and brick and the roof is of slate. It was
built in the first half of the 17th century, but the front
was re-built late in the 18th century and there is an
early 18th-century back addition. This addition has
a gallery on the S. side supported on columns and now
enclosed to form a corridor on the first floor. Inside
the building, there is some original panelling, and the
large room, on the first floor of the main block, has an
original plaster ceiling with elliptical panels, modelled
birds and conventional designs. There are some early
18th-century doors and a fireplace with a moulded
surround in the back addition.
Condition—Good.
a(74). The Mansion House, 20 yards N. of (73),
is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick
and the roofs are covered with slate. It was built
early in the 18th century, but the front has been mutilated by modern shop-fronts. It has a range of five
windows on the first floor, a highly enriched eaves-cornice with modillions and three dormers with cornices and pediments. The back has a simpler eaves-cornice. Inside the building, two rooms, on the first
floor, are lined with original panelling and one of
these has a plaster ceiling with modelled roses, oakleaves, etc. The upper part of the staircase remains
and has moulded strings, turned balusters and a panelled
dado. In the attics is some early 17th-century
panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(75). House, Nos. 15 and 16, 20 yards N. of (74),
is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of timber
framing and brick, and the roofs are tiled. It was
built early in the 17th century, but the front was re-built
in the 18th century. At the back is a gable with
exposed timber-framing, and below it is a post with
a moulded bracket. In the passage-way is some
moulded timber-framing. Inside the building are
moulded ceiling-beams; the ground-floor room in
No. 16 has an original plaster ceiling, with a moulded
border, a band of vine-leaf ornament and fleur-de-lis
and other enrichments. On the first floor of No. 15
is some original panelling and an arabesque friezepanel; the front room has an original ceiling with
moulded border and a band of grapes and vine-leaves.
Condition—Good.
a(76). House, No. 18, 5 yards N. of (75), is of 18th-century date, but below it are remains of stone-built
cellars perhaps of mediæval date.
Condition—Good.
a(77). House, Nos. 20 and 21, 10 yards N. of (76),
is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick
and the roofs are covered with slate. The front part
was built in the 16th century, but the back part is an
early 18th-century rebuilding or extension; the front
to the street is modern. The back has three gables
with a band-course at the base. Inside the building,
front rooms on both the ground and first floor have
original moulded ceiling-beams. In No. 20 the
ground-floor rooms are lined with early 18th-century
panelling; the N. room has a moulded surround to
the fireplace and a corner-cupboard of quadrant plan.
In the hall are elliptical arches with panelled soffits
and moulded imposts. There is also some early 17th-century panelling. The early 18th-century staircase
has moulded strings, turned balusters and newels
formed of four twisted balusters; the walls have
cornices and plain panelling, and in the ceiling is an
altered lantern-light.
Condition—Good.
a(78). House, No. 22, N. of (77), appears to have
been re-built in the 18th century, but contains some
mid 17th-century panelling refixed as a dado.
Condition—Good.
a(79). Oxford Arms Inn, 400 yards N.N.E. of (78),
is of two storeys, timber-framed with a tiled roof.
It was built early in the 17th century, but has been much
altered. Inside the building are some original moulded
ceiling-beams and panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(80). Essex Arms Inn, 150 yards N. of (79), is of
one storey with attics, timber-framed, and with a tiled
roof. It was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th
century and has some exposed timber-framing.
Condition—Good.
E. side:
a(81). House, Nos. 108 and 109, 70 yards N. of
Catherine Street, is of one storey with attics; the walls
are of timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are
tiled. It was built probably in the 17th century and
has exposed framing at the back. Inside No. 109 is
some early 17th-century panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(82). House, Nos. 127 and 128, 10 yards N. of
Blue School Street, is of two storeys, timber-framed
and with a tiled roof. It was built early in the 17th
century, and the upper storey formerly projected in
front and has a moulded bressummer. Inside the
building are some exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(83). House (Plate 80), No. 131a, 10 yards S. of
Blue School Street, is of two storeys with cellars and
attics; the walls are mainly timber-framed, and the
roofs are covered with slates. It was built early in
the 17th century, and the N. wall is on the line of the
town-wall.
The house is interesting as a not greatly altered
example of a timber-framed building of its period.
The northern part of the front has been refaced with
modern stone, presumably where the former Widemarsh Gate adjoined the building. The S. part of
the front has exposed timber-framing except for the
modern ground-floor; the attic-storey projects on a
moulded bressummer with three moulded brackets and
pendants; the two gables have moulded barge-boards
and modern pendants. The modern doorway has a
hood with two original brackets carved with grotesque
human figures. The back elevation has a projecting
attic-storey with a moulded bressummer and four gables.
In the stone N. wall is a doorway with a flat four-centred head and the initials and date T.C. 1626; the
attic-storey projects on four carved and scrolled
brackets and a moulded bressummer and has a gable
with moulded barge-boards and pendant. Inside the
building, some of the rooms have original moulded
ceiling-beams, and there is a wall-post with an attached
shaft and bracket perhaps of earlier date. The S.
room has some refixed original and later panelling,
the former with arabesque frieze-panels. The hall
has early 18th-century Ionic pilasters below the ceiling-beams, and between them is original panelling with
incised designs in the panels; the stone fireplace has
a four-centred arch, perhaps restored and above it are
carved arabesque panels; other walls are covered
with early 18th-century panelling.
Condition—Good.
Commercial Street:
a(84). House, No. 10 on the N. side, 20 yards E. of
Gomond Street, is of two storeys with attics, timber-framed and with a tiled roof. It was built early in
the 17th century, and has a late 18th-century front.
The timber-framing is exposed at the back.
Condition—Good.
a(85). House, No. 54, on the S. side and nearly
opposite (84), is of three storeys, timber-framed and
with a slate roof. It was built probably in the 17th
century, but has been much altered and the front
re-built.
Condition—Good.
a(86). House, No. 55, W. of (85), is modern, but has
a timber-framed back addition, of two storeys and of
early 17th-century date. A room on the first floor
has an original ceiling with a moulded cornice and
fleur-de-lis enrichments.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(87). House, No. 61, 40 yards S.W. of (86), is of
three storeys with cellars; the walls are of timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are slate-covered.
It was built late in the 17th century, but the front is
modern. The cellars are of earlier date and have
stone walls incorporating a fragment with 15th-century
panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(88). Cellar at rear of Nos. 51–54, on the S. side
of the street and 30 yards N. of St. Peter's church, is
probably of the 15th century, and has stone walls
incorporating 13th-century fragments. The cellar has
a later brick vault.
Condition—Fairly good.
a(89). House, two tenements, on the W. side of St.
Peter's Close, N. of St. Peter's church, is of two storeys
with attics; the walls are of brick and timber-framing,
and the roofs are covered with tiles and slates. It
was built early in the 17th century and refronted in
brick early in the 18th century. Inside the building
is some original panelling with a fluted frieze.
Condition—Good.
Union Street, E. side:
a(90). White Horse Hotel (Plate 16), on the N.
corner of Gaol Street, is of two storeys with attics and
cellars; the walls are timber-framed and the roofs are
slate-covered. It was built early in the 17th century,
and has exposed timber-framing; the upper storey
projects on the W. front.
Condition—Good.
St. Owen Street, N.E. side:
a(91). House, No. 6, 90 yards S.E. of St. Peter's
church, is of three storeys with cellars, timber-framed,
with a slate roof. It was built early in the 17th century
but was much altered and refronted late in the 18th
century. Inside the building are some original
moulded ceiling-beams, and there is an earlier moulded
beam in the back addition. The cellars are perhaps
mediæval and have stone walls; a beam, re-used as
a post, has part of a carved 17th-century bracket.
Condition—Good.
a(92). House, No. 10, 15 yards S.E. of (91), is perhaps
of 17th-century origin, but has been practically re-built.
It contains a little early 17th-century panelling.
Condition—Good.
a(93). House, No. 13, 20 yards S.E. of (92), is of
three storeys; the walls are of brick and the roofs are
slate-covered. It was built early in the 18th century,
but has been much altered and refaced externally.
Inside the building is a considerable amount of early
17th-century panelling, fluted friezes and carved and
arcaded panels, all re-set. There is also some early
18th-century panelling, and a staircase of the same date
with moulded strings, turned balusters and heavy
moulded rails.
Condition—Good.
a(94). House, No. 22, 100 yards S.E. of (93), is of
three storeys, timber-framed with later brickwork and
slate roofs. It was built early in the 17th century and
has 18th-century additions at the back. The front is
of 18th-century and modern date. At the W. end is an
original stone chimney-stack, and at the back is a porch
partly made up of original panelling. Inside the
building are some exposed ceiling-beams. The hall,
two rooms on the ground-floor and one on the first
floor are lined with original panelling. The staircase,
of the same period, has moulded rails, panelled newels
and flat balusters in the form of diminishing pilasters.
The fireplaces have early 18th-century moulded
surrounds.
Condition—Good.
S.W. side:
a(95). House, No. 116, at the S.E. corner of St.
Ethelbert Street, is of two storeys with attics, timber-framed, with a slate roof. It was built early in the
17th century, but has been refronted and altered.
Inside the building are exposed ceiling-beams and some
refixed original panelling, with a fluted frieze.
Condition—Good.
a(96). House, No. 129, 100 yards N.W. of St.
Ethelbert Street, is of two storeys with attics and
cellars; the walls are of brick and the roofs are slate-covered. It was built early in the 18th century and
has a symmetrically designed front with a moulded
band between the storeys, modillioned eaves-cornice
and three dormers with pediments. The windows
have flush frames and the central doorway has a
moulded surround. Inside the building, the staircase
has moulded strings, turned balusters, square newels
with pendants and a panelled dado against the walls.
Condition—Good.
a(97). House, No. 133, 25 yards N.W. of (96), is
of two storeys with cellars and attics, timber-framed
and with a tiled and slate-covered roof. It was built
early in the 17th century, but the front is modern.
The timber-framing is exposed at the back, with
moulded bressummers at the floor-levels. Inside the
building, the ground floor has moulded ceiling-beams
and the front room is lined with original panelling with
an enriched frieze; in the passage is a panelled dado
of the same period. On the first floor, the front
room has moulded ceiling-beams and a dado of original
panelling with an enriched frieze; above it, on the
S.E. wall, are paintings (Plate 32) on plaster of three
of the muses—Euterpe, Urania and another; they
are in panels with a landscape background and have
been retouched. The back room has moulded ceiling-beams and a panelled dado with a fluted frieze; above
the fireplace is a cupboard with a panelled door. The
cellar, perhaps of earlier date than the house, has stone
walls.
Condition—Good.
Castle Street, S. side:
a(98). House, No. 28, 150 yards E. of the cathedral,
was almost entirely re-built in the 18th century. The
staircase is of c. 1700, with a broad well; it has turned
balusters, straight strings and square newels; the
enclosing walls are lined with panelling of the same
period. In the hall is some mid 17th-century panelling
with an enriched frieze. A fireplace in a room S.E.
of the hall has a surround of re-used woodwork
including a richly carved early 16th-century frieze of
running foliage and side-pieces of late 16th-century
guilloche-ornament.
Condition—Good.
a(99). House, Nos. 29 and 30, 130 yards E. of the
cathedral, is partly of two storeys, the walls are of
stone, brick and timber-framing, and the roofs are slate-covered. The house incorporates the early hall of
the Vicars Choral, which was built probably late in
the 14th century. The vicars were transferred to the
existing college-building in 1473. A wing was added,
S.W. of the hall, in the 17th century, and there is an
18th-century range towards the street. Modern additions have involved the removal of the S. wall of the
hall.
Though much altered the hall is an interesting
example of late 14th-century work.
The hall has stone walls on the E. and W. The E.
wall has a blocked doorway at the N. end, with a
segmental-pointed head; further S. are the jambs of
two original windows. The W. wall retains a buttress
with moulded offsets and, at the N. end, an original
doorway with moulded jambs and segmental-pointed
head; further S. are remains of two original two-light windows with two-centred heads. There is
some exposed timber-framing in the 17th-century
wing, and on the modern N. front is some re-used
tracery from 15th-century barge-boards. Inside the
building is a considerable amount of 17th-century
panelling, and one room is lined with panelling of
c. 1700. The staircase (Plate 63), of the same date,
has moulded strings, twisted balusters and square
panelled newels. The hall is now of two storeys; the
roof (Plate 23) is of nine narrow bays with moulded
main timbers; above the collars are raking struts
forming three cusped openings; the tie-beams, if they
exist, are now covered by the later inserted floor; the
top and bottom compartments between the purlins
have curved wind-braces forming sub-cusped arches,
and the fourth bay from the N. has an additional
purlin and a range of quatre-foiled panels. The bays
at the S. end have been much mutilated and there is
some modern repair.
In the garden, S. of the house, are two 17th-century
brick summerhouses, of two storeys with tiled roofs.
Condition—Good.
Harley Court:
a(100). Harley House, on the W. side of the court,
is of three storeys with cellars and attics; the walls
are of stone with some brick and the roofs are tiled.
The walls of the cellars and the narrow S.W. block are
probably mediæval, and the upper part of the S.W.
block was partly re-built in the 16th century. In the
17th century the S.E. wing and the N. stable-wing
were added. The S.E. wing was refaced in ashlar in
1739, with stone said to be derived from the destroyed
chapter-house. The stable-wing is timber-framed and
retains a 17th-century window with a moulded mullion.
Inside the building, the kitchen has a 17th-century
overmantel with an enriched Doric entablature, and
there is some 17th-century panelling.
In the garden are numerous worked and moulded
stones of 12th to 15th-century date.
Condition—Good.
a(101). House, No. 5 on the E. side of the court, is
of two storeys with cellars; the walls are of stone,
timber-framing and brick. The cellar and part of the
roof of the S. wing date from the 14th century, but
the rest of the house is of 18th-century and modern
date. Inside the building are remains of a 14th-century roof, apparently of four bays, with cambered
tie-beams, collar-beams, shaped and moulded wall-posts and moulded wall-plates; most of the work
has been ceiled and is not visible. The cellars have
remains of an original window and doorway. On
the ground floor is some 17th-century panelling.
Condition—Good.
St. John Street, W. side:
a(102). House, No. 3, 20 yards N. of the Close, is
of two storeys with cellars; the walls are of stone,
timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are tiled.
The N.W. wing was built late in the 14th or early in
the 15th century, and the cross-wing at its E. end was
added or re-built in the 16th century; the staircase-wing is also of this date. The cross-wing was extended
to the S. in the 17th century, and there are later additions on the W. On the E. front are two 16th-century
windows, with four-centred lights in square heads.
Inside the building, the ground floor of the N.W.
wing has a blocked 15th-century doorway with a four-centred arch in a square head with foliage and trefoils
in the spandrels. The roof of this wing is of c. 1400
and of five bays, with simple hammer-beam trusses,
very much restored; the side-posts lean inwards and
from them spring curved braces under the collars.
The main staircase is modern but incorporates some
17th-century material.
Condition—Good.
a(103). House, No. 8, 45 yards N. of (102), is of
three storeys, the walls are of timber-framing and
brick, and the roofs are slate-covered. It was built
in the 17th century, but was almost entirely reconstructed in the following century. In the hall is some
original panelling.
Condition—Good.
East Street:
a(104). Warehouse, on the N. side of the street,
60 yards E. of Church Street, is of two storeys, timber-framed with a tiled roof. It was built in the 17th
century and has a roof of queen-post type.
Condition—Good.
a(105). Constitutional Club, on the S. side of the
street, 40 yards E. of Church Street, is of two storeys
with attics; the walls are timber-framed and the roofs
are slate-covered. The S. wing was built early in the
16th century and reconstructed about the middle of
the 17th century; the block fronting the street was
re-built in the 18th century.
The enriched ceiling is noteworthy.
The W. wall of the S. wing has been refaced in brick,
but retains its three gables with moulded barge-boards
and shaped pendants. Inside the building, the ground
floor of the S. wing has original moulded ceiling-beams forming square panels. The room on the first
floor is lined with mid 17th-century panelling, with
an enriched frieze; the fireplace has an overmantel,
of the same period, resting on grouped shafts and having
a strapwork shelf and three bays above; the middle
bay has a round-headed niche, and the side bays have
each a square panel with side-shafts and broken pediment; the panels have emblematic carvings of Spring
and Winter. The plaster ceiling (Plate 160) is divided
into nine bays by moulded trabeations enriched with
foliage and other ornament; the bays are sub-divided
by enriched bands and have conventional and other
enrichments; under the main E. and W. trabeations
are carved wooden brackets on fluted Ionic pilasters.
Condition—Good.
Church Street, E. side:
a(106). House, 20 yards N. of the Close, is of two
storeys; the walls are of stone, timber-framing and
brick, and the roofs are slate-covered. The main wing
was built in the 15th century. In the 17th century the
N. wing was largely re-built and the kitchen-wing built
as a separate house. There are various modern extensions. The main and N. wings retain the lower parts
of original chimney-stacks of ashlar. Inside the building is some 17th-century panelling. The original roof
of the main block is of three bays, with cambered tie-beams, curved braces and king-posts with four-way
struts.
Condition—Good.
a(107). House, No. 14, 65 yards N. of (106), is of
two storeys with cellars and attics, timber-framed and
with tiled roofs. It was built early in the 17th century,
but has been much altered. Some timber-framing is
exposed at the side and back and part of the upper
storey of the back addition projects, and has a moulded
bressummer. The cellar-walls are of stone.
Condition—Fairly good.
W. side:
a(108). House, No. 24, 40 yards N. of the Close, is
of two storeys with cellars; the walls are of stone,
timber-framing and brick, and the roofs are tiled. It
was built probably early in the 16th century, but has
an earlier cellar beneath the N. part.
The plaster ceiling is noteworthy.
The upper storey projected on the E. front, but
has been under-built; the timber-framing is exposed,
and the southern of the two gables has a barge-board
carved with trefoiled arches and foliage. Inside the
building, the stone-built cellars have two 15th-century
doorways and the remains of a third; the middle room
has a four-centred barrel-vault. On the ground floor
is some exposed timber-framing and a doorway with
a four-centred head. The mid 17th-century staircase
has heavy turned balusters and hand-rails, and square
newels; it has been re-set. The S. room on the first
floor has an early 17th-century plaster ceiling (Plate 30)
in three bays, following the rake of the roof and the
collars; the beams are plastered and have running
foliage and other enrichments; the main posts have
ribs forming geometrical designs and various enrichments, foliage-sprigs, leopards' heads, fleurs-de-lis, etc.;
on the W. wall is a panel (Plate 160) with conventional
enrichment and a shield of the arms of England.
Condition—Good.
a(109). House, No. 29, 30 yards N. of (108), is of
three storeys, timber-framed and with a slate roof.
It was largely re-built in the 18th century, but in the
cellar is a 16th-century stone fireplace with moulded
jambs; there is also an early 17th-century moulded
ceiling-beam.
Condition—Good.
a(110). House, No. 31, 10 yards N. of (109), is
modern, but has a 17th-century back addition of two
storeys with attics, timber-framed and with a tiled roof.
Some of the timber-framing is exposed.
Condition—Fairly good.
Monuments (111–132):
The following monuments, unless otherwise
described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys;
the walls are timber-framed and the roofs are covered
with tiles or slates. Some of the buildings have
exposed ceiling-beams and old chimney-stacks.
Condition—Good or fairly good, unless noted.
a(111). House, two tenements, Nos. 63 and 64, on
the W. side of St. Martin's Street, 55 yards S. of the
bridge, was refronted in brick in the 18th century.
a(112). House, two tenements, Nos. 52 and 53, 45
yards S. of (111), has been refronted in brick, and has
some original moulded ceiling-beams.
Condition—Poor.
a(113). St. Martin's Nursery, house (Plate 20),
Nos. 25 and 26 on the E. side of St. Martin's Street,
250 yards S. of the bridge, is of two storeys with
attics and has exposed timber-framing.
a(114). Cottages, Nos. 29 and 30, St. Martin's
Street, 80 yards S.W. of (113), have been refronted in
brick. The timber-framing is exposed at the back.
Condition—Poor.
a(115). Causeway Farm, house on the N.W. side of
Belmont Road, 400 yards S.S.W. of the bridge, is of
irregular T-shaped plan with the cross-wing at the
S.E. end. The front has been refaced in brick, but the
timber-framing elsewhere is mostly exposed. Inside
the building are some original ceiling-beams.
a(116). Pool Farm, house 20 yards S.W. of (115),
was built in the 15th century, but except for the central
hall, was largely reconstructed early in the 16th century.
The porch was added in 1624. The plan is now
L-shaped with the wings extending towards the S.W.
and N.E. Much of the timber-framing is exposed;
the porch, on the S.E. front, has moulded barge-boards
and a small shield dated 1624; the entrance has a flat
four-centred head, and above is trellis-framing; below
the base of the gable are carved brackets; the wall-plates are moulded. Inside the building, the original
hall in the S.W. wing, formerly of one storey but now
sub-divided, appears to have been of two bays; the
central truss has attached shafts with moulded capitals
on the wall-posts, from which spring curved and chamfered braces. The inserted floor has early 16th-century
moulded ceiling-beams and chamfered joists.
a(117). Range of three tenements (Plate 16) on the
E. side of Belmont Road, 30 yards S.W. of the roadfork, was built probably in the 16th century. The
upper storey projects in front and the timber-framing
of the upper storey is exposed. Inside the building,
the roof is of king-post construction.
a(118). Range of three tenements, at the N.E. corner
of Belmont Road and Cross Street, has exposed timber-framing.
a(119). Range of five tenements, at the N. corner of
Ross Road and Cross Street, has exposed timber-framing.
a(120). Cottage, on the S. side of Hinton Road, 15
yards E. of Ross Road, has exposed timber-framing.
a(121). Hinton Court (Plate 20), on the S. side of
Hinton Road, 300 yards S.E. of Ross Road, has had
an 18th-century brick building, forming the present
main block, added on the S.E. side. The original
building has exposed timber-framing and a two-storeyed porch with the upper storey projecting at the
side. Inside the building, in the hall is a collection
of fragments of painted glass, partly mediæval and
including two fragments with a fleur-de-lis coming
out of a leopard's head, etc.
b(122). Putson Manor House, on the right bank of
the river, 1200 yards S.E. of Wye Bridge, is of two
storeys with cellars and attics. It was built early in
the 16th century, probably on an L-shaped plan with
the wings extending towards the N. and W. Late
in the 17th or early in the 18th century the stone
kitchen-wing was added as an extension of the N.
wing, and about the same time the former projecting
upper storey on the E. front was under-built. There
are later or modern additions. The timber-framing
is exposed on the E. front and the former overhang
rests on curved brackets and semi-octagonal moulded
corbels. Inside the building, the S.E. room has
plastered ceiling-beams and moulded panels of early
18th-century date; the walls have a dado of late 16th
or early 17th-century panelling. There is some
panelling of the same date on the floor above. At the
top of the staircase is an original opening with a four-centred arch.
b(123). Cottage, three tenements, S. of (122), has
exposed timber-framing and incorporates, in the W.
wall, a mediæval crutch-truss (Plate 21).
b(124). Range of three tenements, 100 yards S. of
(123), has exposed timber-framing.
b(125). Brook House, cottage ¼ m. S.E. of (124), has
exposed timber-framing.
a(126). Castle Inn, on the S. side of Stonebow Road
and 220 yards S.E. of Commercial Street, is modern,
but the N. wall is largely built of 13th-century and later
stone work; in the garden is a gable-cross.
a(127). House, three tenements, on the W. side of
New Town Road, 780 yards N. of All Saints Church,
has exposed timber-framing in the upper storey.
a(128). Plough Inn and barn, on the N. side of White
Cross Street at the W. corner of Plough Lane. The
Inn was built probably in the 16th century, but has been
refronted in brick. The Barn, N. of the house, is
timber-framed.
a(129). Cottage and barn, at Crossway Farm, 1¼ m.
N. of All Saints Church. The Cottage is of stone
and was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th
century. There are some original windows of stone.
Inside the building is an original stone fireplace with
moulded jambs and four-centred head. The Barn
forms an extension to the cottage and has exposed
timber-framing; the roof is of three bays with chamfered timbers and queen-posts.
Condition—Poor.
a(130). The Moor, house (Plate 20) 650 yards N. of
the White Cross, is of two storeys with attics and of
irregular plan. Some of the timber-framing is exposed,
and on the S.W. front is a porch with a projecting upper
storey on moulded bressummers and shaped brackets;
the lower storey is open and has shaped balusters at
the sides; the front has a moulded frame with slatbalusters above, and the gable has moulded bargeboards and a shaped pendant. The chimney-stack,
on the same front, is original and has four shafts with
diagonal nibs. The entrance door is made up of
original panelling. Inside the building are some
exposed ceiling-beams with plaster mouldings to the
panels between them. In the Old House at Hereford
is an iron fire-back, dated 1683, and said to have come
from this house.
a(131). Court Farm, house 230 yards W. of Huntington church, was built probably early in the 18th
century and subsequently refaced in brick. Inside the
building, the staircase has moulded hand-rails and flat
balusters shaped to resemble turned balusters.
c(132) Cottage, 370 yards N.E. of Tupsley Church,
has a thatched roof.
Unclassified
a(133). Row Ditch, is in two portions, the eastern
extending E. from Bartonsham Farm, E. of the river,
and the western extending W. from Victoria Bridge.
The eastern part consists of a broad ditch with the
counter-scarp on the N. side rising 6½ ft. above the
bottom of the ditch. At the top is a garden-wall.
This portion of the ditch appears to be in three lengths
with rough traverses between them. The western
part consists of a slight bank, not more than 5 ft. high;
it has been much defaced by the modern path which
runs along the top.
Condition—Bad.
a(134). Scot's Hole, earthwork (Plan, p. xxxv), ¾ m.
E. of Victoria Bridge, consists of a roughly ovalshaped entrenchment, cut in the hill-side, the spoil
being used to form a rampart on the W.
Condition—Good.