Cathedrals - Information Sheet
Research notes on Cathedrals painted by Janice Lyall
These brief research notes and added context were compiled by artist Janice Lyall prior to creation of paintings.
( Janice would welcome any feedback and has lots more detailed information, should anyone need it!)
1 - Gloucester Cathedral
To be replaced
2 - Coventry Cathedral
The first cathedral in Coventry was originally founded as a Benedictine priory of St Mary's in 1043 by the Saxon Earl Leofric of Mercia and his beautiful and pious wife Lady Godiva. It became a Cathedral in the 12th century, but was later dissolved in 1539 by Henry VIII.
St Michael's was designated as a Cathedral as recently as 1918, but was destroyed in the blitz of November 1940 and today stands as a testament towards forgiveness and reconciliation.
Coventry Cathedral was rebuilt as the new Cathedral solidly appended to the remaining stonework. Its dramatic, modernist architecture, so very different to that of St Michael's, shouts out even more loudly of colourful, simplistic, rich transformations from new beginnings. The past is not forgotten...., life moves on.
It costs around £4000 each day to keep the cathedral and the ruins open to visitors.
3 - Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral was founded in 676 and dedicated to martyred King Ethelbert.
The cathedral has been built and rebuilt in different ages with the nave having Norman pillars dating back to the 12th Century, whilst the side aisles and choir largely date back to the 14th Century. The Early English Lady Chapel with its ambulatory was constructed over the Crypt in the 13th Century. The acute Gothic arches are similar to those of Westminster.
The cathedral is built in a Romanesque style and has a central crossing tower with majestic pinnacles and adorned with ball flowers in the Decorated style. The stone is a soft, pink sandstone and there is lots of purbeck marble used throughout.
Hereford Cathedral contains the largest chained library in the world with some of its books dating back to the 8th Century. The illuminated manuscripts are staggering in their beauty.
Also contained within the cathedral is the largest surviving medieval world map, the Mappa Mundi.
It costs around £4000 each day to keep the cathedral open to visitors.
4 - Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral can trace its origins back to 655AD when a monastery was founded on the site in the Middle Ages by King Peada.
The cathedral was destroyed by Vikings in 870 and later rebuilt as a Benedictine Abbey in 970 AD. It survived numerous attacks but was destroyed by fire in 1116. it was rebuilt in its current form and became a cathedral in 1541.
It costs around £3600 each day to keep the cathedral open to visitors.
5 - Worcester Cathedral
The present cathedral building was built in 983 by St Oswald, to replace an earlier building founded in 680.
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It was a Benedictine monastic cathedral, being an important learning for Theology, medicine, law, history, mathematics, physics and astronomy. The monastery was dissolved by Henry VIII.
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The building was badly damaged in the Civil War and most of the restoration was carried out by the Victorians.
It costs £3,500 per day to keep Worcester Cathedral open to visitors.
6 - York Minster
The impressive, Gothic building was designed to be full of light and colour on the inside.
The intended culture was to be of Remembrance, Celebration and Prayer, which is still evident today.
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The path from the Great West Doors through to the East echoes the story of Salvation.
It is a vast, high space in which the visitor is enticed to look upwards, thus lifting the eyes in hope and wonderment and the expectation of better things to come.
The exterior of the building is designed to impress and also to raise heads of any passer-by. Close up, there are numerous gargoyles and statues to gaze at. Further away, travelers can see vast amounts of intricate spires.
It is difficult to travel to York and walk along the delightful, cobbled streets without ones attention being swayed towards York Minster. Try it!
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A 'Minster' is the Anglo Saxon name for a missionary church. The official name for York Minster is the 'Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York'.
It is an Anglican Cathedral and the largest medieval, Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.
It's origins as a place of worship can be traced back to Roman Times:
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71 AD The Roman City of Eboracum was founded
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306 AD Emperor Constantine built the Basilica which can still be seen in the Undercroft
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1080 AD Archbishop Thomas of Bayeux starts to build a stone cathedral on the site of the Roman Basilica
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1472 AD York Minster was consecrated
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today a huge stone and glass window restoration project is underway
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7 - spare
To be replaced
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8 - Spare 2
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To be replaced
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