Cathedral Church Of The Holy And Indivisible Trinity

Includes major portions of the Romanesque church built 1089-1100 for Abbot Serlo, the nave completed 1104-22, the timber roof of nave replaced by vault completed 1242

south aisle of nave rebuilt in Decorated style 1319-29

The earliest fan vaulting in the country, dating from the C14. This might lay claim to be the most beautiful building in England.

© Derek Harper

south transept remodelled with innovative use of Perpendicular details 1331-6

presbytery remodelled in developed Perpendicular style 1337-67, followed by the north transept 1368-73

Lady Chapel rebuilt late C15.

ambulatory around presbytery of five bays with the east bay canted outwards to accommodate the greater width of the C14 great east window which replaced the C12 apse (evidence of early Romanesque pier left visible in the second pier from the NE corner at Tribune level)

Lady Chapel to east, entered below a gallery inserted to replace the section of the C12 tribune gallery removed in C14, of five bays, with symmetrical north and south chapels, with singing galleries above, which project from the fourth bay to the east

the niches on three of the buttresses contain badly weathered C14 statues.

SOUTH TRANSEPT: at each outer corner a large, projecting C12 turret linked at lower level across the south, gable-end wall by a projecting wall face surmounted by a tier of blank arcading crowned by a parapet of open arcading

the outer order of the window arch of reused C12 chevron moulding

in each spandrel a C12 blank arch cut by the insertion of the window and above, a crenellated, pierced parapet masking the lower part of the recessed C12 transept gable, the gable with a stepped blank arcade of five bays with chevron moulding and on the apex a crocketted finial

against the east and west walls massive raking buttresses added in C15 to support the central tower and in each wall a four-light Perpendicular window with four-centred arch

on the east side C12 polygonal projections containing chapels at crypt, aisle and tribune levels

at each level most of the original C12 windows altered and infilled with Perpendicular tracery

the ambulatory aisle to the presbytery and the south-east polygonal projection containing chapels also has C12 windows with inserted Perpendicular tracery.

NAVE: two west bays with Perpendicular arcades and lierne vault, bays to east with C12 arcades with tall cylindrical piers with convex caps and semi-circular arches in three orders with chevron and billet mouldings

clerestory windows inserted in C15

C13 quadripartite, ribbed vault rises from clustered, corbelled shafts inserted above and below the triforium string course

South aisle has early C14 ribbed vault with the ribs of the three eastern bays decorated with ball flower.

SOUTH TRANSEPT: the C12 walls refaced with early Perpendicular panelling integrated with the glazed panels in the south window

on the east side a screen incorporating a pair of doorways, on the left leading into the south aisle of the presbytery and on the right the entry to the crypt, the openings with elaborately moulded, ogee-arched heads and arches above with an angel carved in high relief in a foiled frame on each spandrel

on the pier to the right of the screen an angled lamp or image bracket, its soffit carved with a miniature vault and incorporating the figures of two masons, the younger apparently falling from the vault.

Within the crossing the lierne vault is supported on the east and west sides by vertical ribs rising from the crowns of flying arches inserted between the C12 piers.

PRESBYTERY: the C12 arcades

galleries faced in C14 with grids of Perpendicular panelling, with open panels across the original voids, and continued into the C14 clerestory level

NORTH TRANSEPT: C12 walls also faced with C14 Perpendicular panelling and with a lierne vault

rebuilt against the north wall an elaborate C13 stone screen with openings to a narrow, lateral vaulted chamber (built as reliquary)

the stops to the hoodmould over the central arch carved with crowned heads

in the north and south aisles of the presbytery the C12 arcade piers and quadripartite vaulting

FITTINGS: many important fittings including carved wooden canons' stalls with canopies and 58 misericords, c1350

with C14 painted panels on the backs of the stalls on the north side

in the sanctuary a decorative encaustic tile pavement, 1455, for Abbot Seabrooke

medieval pulpitum refronted in C19 and supporting organ in a case with painted pipes of 1665

brass eagle lectern by JF Bentley

in the Lady Chapel a late C12 font from Lancaut

STAINED GLASS: of major importance, the glass in the great east window believed to be a memorial of the Battle of Crecy but also incorporating some other panels of medieval glass

SO8318 : Gloucester Cathedral: stained glass window (i)

© Basher Eyre

in the east window of the Lady Chapel a confused assembly of medieval glass of various dates

except for some medieval fragments other windows with C19 glass of varying quality, the majority by Christopher Whall and his daughter Veronica Whall.

MONUMENTS: many good funerary monuments of all periods including early C13 effigy of Duke Robert (Curthose) of Normandy on C15 tomb chest with an iron hearse frame

C13 canopied effigy of Abbot Serlo

cenotaph monument to Osric as founder of monastery, c1330, for Abbot Parker

the kneeling figures of Alderman Thomas Machin and wife against screen of Corinthian columns supporting entablature, 1615

half-effigy of Alderman John Jones on wall tablet, 1630

effigies of Elizabeth Williams and infant, early C17

in choir gallery a monument with bust to William Little by John Ricketts the Elder of Gloucester.