The Cathedral Church of Canterbury

The Cathedral Church of
Canterbury [2nd
by Hartley
Withers

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[2nd
ed.]., by Hartley Withers This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere
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Title: The Cathedral Church of Canterbury [2nd ed.].
Author: Hartley Withers
Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22832]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CANTERBURY ***

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[Illustration: CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH.]

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CANTERBURY
A DESCRIPTION OF ITS FABRIC AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE ARCHIEPISCOPAL SEE
BY HARTLEY WITHERS, B.A.
[Illustration: Arms of Canterbury.]
LONDON GEORGE BELL & SONS 1897
First Edition December, 1896. Second Edition, Revised, with many
Additional Illustrations, May, 1897.
* * * * *

GENERAL PREFACE.
This series of monographs has been planned to supply visitors to the
great English Cathedrals with accurate and well illustrated guide books
at a popular price. The aim of each writer has been to produce a work
compiled with sufficient knowledge and scholarship to be of value to
the student of archæology and history, and yet not too technical in
language for the use of an ordinary visitor or tourist.
To specify all the authorities which have been made use of in each case
would be difficult and tedious in this place. But amongst the general
sources of information which have been almost invariably found useful
are:--firstly, the great county histories, the value of which, especially in
questions of genealogy and local records, is generally recognized;
secondly, the numerous papers by experts which appear from time to
time in the transactions of the antiquarian and archæological societies;
thirdly, the important documents made accessible in the series issued
by the Master of the Rolls; fourthly, the well-known works of Britton

and Willis on the English Cathedrals; and, lastly, the very excellent
series of Handbooks to the Cathedrals, originated by the late Mr. John
Murray, to which the reader may in most cases be referred for fuller
detail, especially in reference to the histories of the respective sees.
GLEESON WHITE. E.F. STRANGE. Editors of the Series.
* * * * *

PREFACE.
Among authorities consulted in the preparation of this volume, the
author desires to name specially Prof. Willis's "Architectural History of
Canterbury Cathedral" (1845), Dean Stanley's "Historical Memorials of
Canterbury" (Murray, 1855, and fifth edition, 1868), "Canterbury," by
the Rev. R.C. Jenkins (1880), and the excellent section devoted to
Canterbury in Murray's "Handbooks to the English Cathedrals,
Southern Division," wherein Mr. Richard John King brought together
so much valuable matter, to which reference has been made too often to
be acknowledged in each instance. For permission to use this the
publishers have to thank Mr. John Murray.
For the reproduction of the drawings of the various parts of the
Cathedral, and the arms on the title page, by Mr. Walter Tallent Owen,
the editors are greatly indebted to the artist, from whose volume, "Bits
of Canterbury Cathedral," published by W.T. Comstock, New York,
1891, they have been taken. Others are taken from Charles Wild's
"Specimens of Mediæval Architecture," and from Carter's "Ancient
Sculpture and Paintings."
The illustrations from photographs in this volume have been
reproduced from the originals by Messrs. Carl Norman and Co.
H.W.
* * * * *

CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
--History of the Building 3
CHAPTER II.
--Exterior and Precincts: The Angel or Bell Tower 24 The Monastery
32 Christchurch Gate 35 Ruins of the Infirmary 38 The Treasury 38
The Lavatory Tower 40 The Chapter House 42 The Library 44 The
Deanery 44 The Green Court 48
CHAPTER III.
--Interior: The Nave 52 The Central Tower 55 The Western Screen 56
The Choir 57 The Altar 61 The Choir 64 The Choir Stalls 65
South-East Transept 67 South-West Choir Aisle 69 St. Anselm's Tower
and Chapel 69 The Watching Chamber 72 Trinity Chapel 72 Tomb of
the Black Prince 75 Becket's Crown 88 St. Andrew's Tower 90
North-East Transept 90 Chapel of the Martyrdom 92 The Dean's
Chapel 94 South-West Transept 95 St. Michael's Chapel 95 The Main
Crypt 96 The Eastern Crypt 101
CHAPTER IV.
--The History of the See 103

ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE The Cathedral from the South Frontispiece Arms of Canterbury
Title The Cathedral from the North 1 Plan of Canterbury Cathedral
(Circa 1165) 4 The Cloisters 19 View on the Stour 22 The Central

Tower, "Bell Harry" 25 Detail of St. Anselm's Tower 32 The
Christchurch Gate 33 The South-West Porch of the Cathedral 36
Cloisters