The beginnings of Hereford Cathedral
Hereford has had a cathedral since the 8th
century, although the Saxon building that contained the remains of St Ethelbert
(a murdered king of the East Anglians) was destroyed in 1055. Bishop Robert de
Lotharingia built a small chapel on the site in 1079, but very little of this
remains. It was not until Bishop Reinhelm came along (bishopric 1107-1115) that
anything substantial in the way of a cathedral was built, in the Romanesque
style, although that was by no means the end of the story.
Early developments
Over the centuries many additions and alterations have been
made to the original structure. Among these was the Lady Chapel at the east
end, with a crypt beneath it, added in the early 13th century.
Hereford is the only English cathedral in which the crypt is immediately
beneath the Lady Chapel. It was designed to be reached from outside the
building as well as inside.
The north transept was the work of Bishop Peter
d’Aigueblanche who died in 1268. Aigueblanche had come from Savoy, and the remodelled
transept was distinctly continental in style with its tall windows topped by triangular
arches. There is a marked contrast with the Romanesque south transept.
Bishop Cantilupe
As might be expected, the tomb of Bishop Aigueblanche is in
the north transept, but also there is the tomb of another Hereford bishop,
Thomas Cantilupe, who was next-but-one after Aigueblanche.
Cantilupe’s contribution to the history of Hereford Cathedral is probably more
significant than that of Aigueblanche, because of the miracle cult that grew up
after his remains were interred at Hereford. Cantilupe had fallen out with the
Archbishop of Canterbury and had been excommunicated. He was visiting Rome to petition
the Pope for restitution when he died in 1282.
Reports of miraculous healings associated with Cantilupe’s
tomb did Hereford Cathedral no harm at all, because a pilgrimage cult began
that, for a time, rivalled that at Canterbury for Thomas Becket. Offerings left
at the tomb by the thousands of pilgrims who visited during the last decades of
the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century
paid for major improvements at the cathedral, including the central tower, the
west front, and the north porch. Although the accounts of miracles tailed off
not long into the 14th century, the Pope was persuaded not only to have
Thomas Cantilupe’s excommunication rescinded but also to declare him a saint in
1320.
Today’s visitors can see the Cantilupe tomb surmounted by a
brightly coloured canopy that includes an icon depicting the saints of
Hereford. The canopy dates from 2008 and is a reminder that medieval cathedrals
were often painted internally in bright colours that have worn away over the
years.
The work of James Wyatt
As mentioned above, for several centuries the cathedral had
an imposing west front with a tower. However, on Easter Monday 1786 the whole
structure collapsed, taking much of the nave with it. The restoration was done
under the direction of James Wyatt, an architect whose work on English
cathedrals was extensive but not always sympathetic to the intentions of the
original builders. At Hereford he shortened the nave by one bay, built a very
ordinary west front, and rebuilt the nave by removing the upper storeys and replacing
them with his own design, which does not make a good fit with the Romanesque
columns that remain.
Wyatt also removed the lead spire from the 14th
century central tower, but this did not prove to be such a bad move given that
the tower is impressive enough as it stands and is in proportion to the rest of
the cathedral. A noted feature of the tower is its extensive use of
“ball-flower” decoration, this being a representation in stone of a round,
three-petalled flower around a small ball.
A secular cathedral
Hereford is termed a “secular foundation”, which means that
it was not founded as part of an abbey or monastery but was run by “secular
canons” who did not follow a set rule of life but were often wealthy men who brought
income to the cathedral through their ownership of land, although this was not
generally the case at Hereford. Such a cathedral would not therefore need to
build a cloister, which was normally a feature of a monastic establishment, but
Hereford has one nonetheless. This was built to enclose an exclusive burial
ground, which was important because the cathedral had a monopoly on burials in
the city.
The canons who were attracted to Hereford in the 12th
and succeeding centuries were unusual in that, contrary to the common pattern,
they tended to be scholars rather than rich men. Many of them lived in the
cathedral close and took advantage of the privilege of receiving free bread
from the cathedral’s bakehouse. One consequence of their intellectual
proclivities was that they built a substantial collection of books over the
years which became one of the largest medieval libraries in the country.
The Chained Library
Visitors to Hereford Cathedral today can view the library by
walking down the above-mentioned cloister (which also serves as the cathedral’s
coffee shop) and going into Hereford’s most recent addition in terms of
buildings, namely an annexe built in 1996 to house the Chained Library and
Mappa Mundi. The annexe allows these treasures to be kept in ideal environmental
conditions while at the same time being accessible to visitors (after payment
of an entrance fee).
The library contains 225 illuminated manuscripts (the
earliest dating from the 8th century) and more than 1,200 printed
books. They are housed in 17th century bookcases in which each book
is connected to the frame by a substantial metal chain that allows the book to
be taken down and read in situ (on a projecting shelf that is part of the
bookcase) but not taken any further. This is evidence of the intrinsic value of
these books throughout their existence.
The Mappa Mundi
However, the treasure for which Hereford is most renowned is
the Mappa Mundi, which is now housed in the same building as the Chained
Library. This is a truly remarkable document that dates from around 1300. On a
single piece of calf vellum, a team of medieval artists depicted their view of
the known world in which geography took second place to theology. Hence
Jerusalem is at the centre, and the places and events associated with Bible
stories are given prominence close by. Towards the edges are not only the outer
reaches of the Christian world, including the British Isles, but many
illustrations of people and animals that the artists must have drawn from their
imagination or as a result of hearing travellers’ tales. Hereford is worth
visiting for a view of the Mappa Mundi alone, if for nothing else.
Some other surprises
There are many surprises to be had as one walks around the
cathedral, both inside and out, in terms of works of art. These include three
1976 tapestries by John Piper in the south transept, and four stained glass
windows by Tom Denny, made in 2007, that commemorate the 17th
century Hereford poet Thomas Traherne. These windows are in the small Audley
Chapel that adjoins the Lady Chapel.
Outside the west door is a 2011 mosaic designed by Sandy
Elliott. This relates “Christ the apple tree” to the local industry of cider
making.
In one corner of the Cathedral Close is a 2005 bronze statue
of the composer Sir Edward Elgar, leaning against his bicycle and looking up at
the cathedral. Elgar had a long association with the cathedral and lived in the
city from 1904 to 1911. He was a keen supporter of the annual Three Choirs
Festival that rotates each year between the cathedrals of Hereford, Worcester
and Gloucester, and he composed a number of works with the Festival in mind.
Even when it is not Hereford’s “turn”, the cathedral is a
regular venue for music concerts, such as those presented by the 175-year-old
Hereford Choral Society.
The cathedral does not levy an entrance fee but asks for a
contribution of five pounds sterling per visitor. It costs something like one
million pounds a year to maintain the cathedral and carry out repairs. On
walking round the cathedral walls one can see where the money is being spent because
many new blocks of stone have replaced old ones that have crumbled away. One
can also see the semi-permanent stonemasons’ yard in which these blocks are
shaped as part of a continual process of restoration.
Hereford may not be among England’s largest cathedrals but
it is a fascinating one and it should not be left off the itinerary of anyone
who is touring this part of western England.
© John Welford
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