Lorelai Daniel, Spring 2024
Most people are familiar with the intricate decorations of Gothic architecture, with pointed stone reaching toward the sky. This style of architecture is very common in England, particularly as several old buildings from the Gothic period remain standing as common facets of British architecture (Christopher, 2015). Canterbury Cathedral stands today as not only the beginning of this architectural style in England, but as a mosaic detailing the history of architectural development in the area. Due to a series of renovations, this stunning cathedral now displays a combination of styles, showing the architectural and cultural history of English architecture and the rich narrative of this building.
Entering the nave, the wind ushers guests into a grand room of soaring columns reaching toward the ribbed vaults of the ceiling. Beyond the Victorian style pulpit, an intricate screen separates the nave from the choir beyond. Originally constructed by Prior Chillenden around the turn of the 15th century, this stone has withstood the fires and reconstructions that have shaped the rest of the church around it. The original choir was built by Archbishop Lanfranc from white stone (Babington 1932), though today the ceiling above is higher and the surrounding arches have been replaced with darker stone in Gothic styles. Through its long history, Canterbury Cathedral has seen several renovations and changes, most extremely due to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket in 1170 and the notable fire only four years after.
A tragedy darkened the narrative of Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, 1170, when archbishop Thomas Becket was martyred within the church. Not only was this incredibly historic, but it sparked a major set of changes to the layout of the building. Trinity Chapel was built to house a shrine to Becket, necessitating the removal of a pillar and the expansion of the eastern end of the church (Willis, 1845). The style of the cathedral was added to, as the shift toward more open plan churches of the time is evident in the design of the new chapel. Reliquaries were also common at the time, providing housing for the relics that some faithfuls made pilgrimages to visit (Gardner, 2010). Becket’s shrine was one such historic site, with people travelling there and even reaching into holes in the coffin to get closer to his body, hoping this would help their prayers be answered. This is depicted in one of the stained glass windows surrounding the shrine that illustrate his 6 miracles. This shrine stood until 1538 when King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of all shrines, relics, and saint’s bodies in an effort to cement himself as the sole religious head of the new Church of England. Today, a single candle lies in the middle of the semicircle of stained glass windows, and it has been burning constantly except the two days a year the whole church goes dark, ever since the destruction of the shine.
On September 5th of 1174 (Etlin et al, 2023), a fire broke out that destroyed much of the choir, as well as the infirmary, chapel of St. Mary, offices, and church ornaments (Willis, 1845) Gervase, a monk and famous writer, witnessed the fire and reconstruction firsthand. He documented the rebuilding process in detail in his work “On the burning and repair of the Church of Canterbury” (Willis, 1845). Builder William of Sens was tasked with rebuilding the damaged parts of the church, and these renovations included the addition of new pillars combining octagonal shapes with darker stone cylinders surrounding them (Willis, 1845). The Romanesque choir was expanded into an elevated French-style hemicycle. The Cathedral St. Étienne built in 1140 in Sens featured a Gothic Revival style, and influenced these new stylistic choices (Etlin et al, 2023). His work brought in elements of Early Gothic architecture to the cathedral, such as the pointed arches that are an easily recognizable element of the style.
Though some earlier churches in England display some elements of the English Gothic style such as that in Worcester (Etlin et al, 2023), Canterbury Cathedral is the first true English Gothic cathedral. Its piecemeal construction displays the elements of several architectural styles through the church’s history. The oldest stone lies in the crypt, featuring the rounded arches of the Romanesque period. This then shifts to the ribbed and pointed arch shapes of the Gothic period in the nave, along with William of Sens’ octagonal and cylindrical composite columns. The choir also houses Decorated Gothic screens with pointed arches and intricate sculptural designs. The most recent style is seen in that of the columns of the nave, completed in 1405. Towering up to the high vaulted ceiling, they fill the space with tall vertical lines. These darker and narrower columns are a hallmark of the English Perpendicular style, following Late Gothic preferences. All these architectural styles can be seen at once while sitting in the choir between the nave and shrine, creating a unique marbled mosaic of history.
The stained glass windows of the church also show the history of changing architectural tastes, as they were added over time. The English Perpendicular windows show the lineage of Jesus. Put in by the Victorians using the glass from the 12th and 13th centuries, these windows also include a portrait of King Richard II- the nave was completed during his reign. The windows added in the 1700s focus on patterns instead of storytelling. Construction on the church continues to the present, including the addition of windows around the courtyard that were designed for benefactors that are still alive.
Canterbury Cathedral shines as a beautiful example of English Gothic Architecture, as well as encapsulating a compelling historical tale written into the very stone of its walls. Its construction captures the architectural movements of its history like a bug in amber. The events that shaped the history of this building as well as its foundations highlight the ways that a building can change over time and provide rich cultural significance to Canterbury Cathedral. Events such as martyrdom or natural disasters can have repercussions for a community as well as the architecture itself, shaping buildings into living records of the movements they’ve withstood. Canterbury Cathedral continues to open its doors to those seeking to revel in its rich story and be surrounded by the glory of its impressive history and beauty.
Bibliography
Babington, M. A. (1932). The romance of Canterbury cathedral. Published for the Friends of
Canterbury Cathedral by R. Tuck.
Christopher, D. P. (2015). British culture: An introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Etlin, R. A., et al (2023). The Cambridge guide to the architecture of Christianity: Early Christian,
Byzantine, medieval.
Gardner, H., & Kleiner, F. S. (2010). Gardner's art through the ages: A global history. Cengage
Learning.
Willis, R. (1845). The architectural history of Canterbury cathedral
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank UAH Honors College and UAH Study Abroad for making this trip and project possible. I would also like to thank the staff of Canterbury Cathedral and Lambeth Palace Library for their research assistance and hospitality.
