Cathedral Church Of Christ And St Mary

Choir, east transept, Lady Chapel, presbytery, 1224-1250.

Nave with aisles 1317-1377

central tower from 1374, and north porch from 1386, substantial restoration 1857-1863, by AE Perkins and GG Scott.

Few medieval designers are identified, but include Alexander the Mason c1224-1240 (nave west bays), William Shockerwick, c1317-1324 (nave north arcade), and John Clyve, 1376/77 (nave south arcade and central tower).

However, original medieval detail remains in most areas.

The big west door, also of C19 but with some remnants of Norman work, has a high gable breaking into the bottom part of the window.

Interior is vaulted, and inner door, flanked by Norman responds, has a narrow Dec cusped head above the C19 doors set in plain masonry to a very flat basket arch.

Although substantially rebuilt in the C19, the medieval detail has been convincingly retained.

Remains of a south side chapel are at the west end, with early stairs to the west transept, and a C20 stair flight gives access at the east end, adjacent to Prince Arthur's Chapel, here also are some excavated remains of a former pentagonal chapel, including some early wall painting.

The triforium above a Purbeck string, is in paired double lights with varied carved spandrel figures, in front of a simpler continuous blind arcade which is carried through in an independent rhythm.

In each arm the east wall retains a bold Norman arch with the 2-bay St John's Chapel, which was part of the great 1224 extension.

This arm contains many wall monuments.

Triforia have paired double lights, with very varied carved spandrel figures, there is no wall passage in the normal way, but bays are entered from doorways in the roof spaces.

The walls are almost filled with monuments, including in the south side some deep recesses.

Parts of 2 flying buttresses show within the space, and at the west end the floor is lower, over the Norman bays.

FITTINGS, MONUMENTS, AND STAINED GLASS: Most internal fittings are of the later C19, many by G G Scott, including the bishop's throne, choir reredos, choir stalls The cathedral is very rich in commemorative monuments, both free-standing and wall-mounted, including work by Nollekens, Robert Adam, Chantrey, and Westmacott Junior.

Outstanding is the chantry chapel to Prince Henry, of 1504.

This is a very elegant fine stone 'casket' on the south side of the main sanctuary, in lacy open stonework with delicate cresting and pinnacles, it has a complex flat lierne vault with pendants, and very rich stone reredos with many figures and complex canopies: these were defaced and plastered over, but when rescued, much of the detail is seen to remain.

On its south side, towards the east transept, the chapel is on two levels, with an intermediate band of shields and other devices in blank panelling, above 2 recesses containing earlier recumbent figures of the Giffard family.

Other major monuments include the splendid recumbent effigy to King John, centred below the sanctuary steps, Bishops Walter de Cantelupe and William de Blois in the Lady Chapel sanctuary, the chest tomb to Sir Griffith Ryce, 1523, with very fine in-situ brass top, in the SE transept, Sir John Beauchamp, executed by the 'merciless parliament' in 1388 - a splendid painted chest tomb on a medieval base,

Robert Wylde, 1607/08 (sic), a large multi-coloured chest tomb, these last two in the N and S arcade of the nave, respectively, fourth bay from the crossing.

In the eighth bay, near the W end, the large free-standing early Renaissance monuments to Bishop Thornborough, 1641 (N side)

Dean Eades, 1596 (S side) are especially notable.

In the N chancel aisle, opposite the Prince Arthur chantry are 2 early monuments, both of early design, with recumbent figures in recesses, of interest since they, with adjacent walling, were left 'unrestored' by Scott, to demonstrate the general state of the building before that action.

Among wall monuments some of the more striking are: Bishop Isaac Maddox, 1697-1759, in white and grey marble, with a great urn and weeping supporters over an extended inscription, and Bishop Hough, a Roubiliac design of 1746, in the NW transept and choir aisle, Dean Stillingfleet, 1599, in white marble on a gadrooned base, in the N wall of this transept, Nicholas Billington, 1576, with an esoteric selection of elements, to the right of Jesus Chapel, John Moore, 1615, with his wife Ann and six kneeling figures, with late gothic vaulting over an early Renaissance design (nave, N aisle, to left of porch).

The nave S aisle has a whole series of interesting monuments, including Bishop Blandford, 1675, a bold Baroque design, a recessed tomb chest of 1428 to Judge Littleton, and in the next bay to Bishop Henry Parry, 1616 - this under a medieval canopy, with cusping and mouchettes.

HISTORY: Worcester in the Middle Ages was an unusually large diocese, including, for instance, both Gloucester and Bristol, it was also unusual in that its Saxon Bishop, Wulfstan, remained in power after the Norman takeover, and it was during his episcopate that the earliest extant parts of the current cathedral - the crypt, nave and W transept - were established.

Subsequent Gothic phases were conditioned by the pre-existing work, but the E arm was greatly extended - including a second transept, peculiar to English cathedrals - in the C13, so that the central tower lies almost exactly half-way in the 130m (425ft) length of the structure.

Rich in architectural detailing and containing a large number of monuments, both free-standing and as wall tablets, the building has frequently undergone restoration or reconstruction because the soft sandstone used weathers so quickly.

Substantial new work, including replacement of window designs, was undertake in the C17 and C18, much damage having been caused also by Parliamentarians, but a major restoration, including replacement of window designs of appropriate type, was effected in the C19.