February 686 A.D.—Present. Carlisle Cathedral & Priory, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK (Province
of York)—Purported Monastery Founded in 686 by Land-grant from Ecgfrith, King
of Northumbria; Destroyed by Danes, c.
875; Rebuilt by William Rufus & a Norman Priest, Walter, 1092; Augustinian Canons, 1122, & Built by
Henry 1; Episcopal Diocesan Cathedral, 1133; Dissolved 1540; Last Prior Became
Dean; Priory Church Called “Holy Trinity, Carlisle;” Cathedral Church Called “The Holy and
Undivied Trinity, Carlisle”
Carlisle Cathedral
From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, otherwise
calledCarlisle Cathedral, is
the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Carlisle. It is located in Carlisle, in Cumbria, North West England. It was founded as an
Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133.[1]
Carlisle, because of heavy losses to its fabric, is the second smallest
(after Oxford), of England's ancient
cathedrals. Its notable features include some fine figurative stone carving,
a set of medieval choir stalls and the largest window in the Flowing Decorated Gothic style in England.[2]
Contents
·
4 Music
History
Carlisle
Cathedral Priory
Dominican
Friary
Franciscan Friary
Locations of former monastic houses in Carlisle
Carlisle Cathedral was begun in 1122, during the reign of King Henry I, as a community of Canons Regular following the reform of the Abbey of Arrouaise in France, which followed a strict form of the canonical life, influenced
by the ascetic practices of the Cistercians. Many large churches of Augustinian foundation
were built in England during this period as the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeil, was a member of this
order, but Carlisle is one of only four Augustinian churches in England to
become a cathedral, most monastic cathedrals being Benedictine. The church
was begun by Athelwold, an Englishman, who became the first prior. In 1133,
the church was raised to the status of cathedral and Athelwold became the
first Bishop of Carlisle (1133–55). In 1233, the cathedral priory community
were joined by two friaries in the city. A Dominican friary and a Franciscan friary were founded close to the cathedral.[3] The building was refurbished
in the 13th and 14th centuries, receiving impetus from the presence of the
court of Edward I in 1307.
Cathedral Church of St. Mary at Carlisle, 1783
In the 15th and early 16th centuries, the monastic buildings were
renewed.[1][4] With the Dissolution of the
Monasteries from 1536, and the
establishment by Henry VIII of the Church of England as the country's official church, the Dominican and Franciscan friaries
were dissolved and Carlisle, along with the other monastic cathedrals, was
run by a secular chapter like the cathedrals at Lincoln and York, which
practice has continued to this day.[5] During the time of the English Civil War, a portion of the nave of
the cathedral was demolished by the Scottish Presbyterian Army in order to use the stone to reinforce Carlisle Castle. Between 1853 and 1870
Carlisle Cathedral was restored by Ewan Christian. In the early 19th century,
the cathedral became the subject for a geometric analysis by Robert William Billings.[6]
Architecture
The view from the 14th-century choir looking
towards the east window - one of the finest examples of Flowing Decorated
tracery
The view from the altar looking west towards the
choir and organ
Carlisle Cathedral was commenced in 1123 as a monastic church, possibly
on the foundations of an earlier church, in the Norman architectural style with solid masonry, large round piers, round arches
and smallish round headed windows. These features may still be seen in the
south transept and the remaining two bays of the nave, which are now used as
the Chapel of the Border Regiment.[1] The stone is the local red
sandstone, which has discoloured almost to black on parts of the exterior.
The building has also suffered from subsidence which is evidenced by the
piers, which lean at different angles.
In the 13th century, the choir of the cathedral was rebuilt in the Gothic
style, wider than the original and on a different axis. However, the new work
was severely damaged in a fire in 1292, and the work was recommenced. By 1322
the arcades and the easternmost bay were complete, with the elaborate tracery
and glass of the east window being in place by about 1350. The upper stages
of the walls were finished, probably by the architect John Lewen who died in
about 1398.[5] The Gothic arcade has richly
moulded arches with dog's
tooth decoration, and the
twelve capitals are carved with vegetation along with small lively figures
representing the labours of the months.[7]
The choir is roofed by a fine wooden barrel vault dating from the 14th
century. In 1856 this was restored and repainted to a new design by Owen Jones.[1] It is thought the eastern
bays of the cathedral never received a stone vault because at some point the
central spire blew down, and funds were required to rebuild the damaged tower
and north transept, completed in about 1420.[2]
The tracery and stained glass of the East Window
The most significant architectural feature of Carlisle Cathedral is its
East Window. The tracery of this window is in the most complex of English
Gothic styles, Flowing Decorated Gothic. It is the largest and most
complex such window in England, being 51 feet high and 26 feet wide. It has
nine lights, and tracery, which, it has been calculated, was drafted from 263
points.[8] The tracery of the window
still contains much of its original medieval glass.[2][5]
Carlisle Cathedral has a fine set of 46 carved wooden choir stalls with misericords, which were installed in the early 15th century.[1][2] Misericords are hinged
seats, “constructed to keep the monks from falling asleep while at prayers,”[9] and carved with numerous
figures and creatures. Despite their purpose, the “pillars supporting the
canopies bear traces of having been burnt, by weary monks who dropped off to
sleep in the midst of their interminable devotions while holding a lighted
candle in their hands.”[10] The misericords were made
out of black oak, and their backs carved with scenes of the legends of St.
Anthony the Hermit, St. Cuthbert, St. Augustine, and the twelve apostles, as
well as mythical themes. The misericords of Carlisle include typical
iconography of “half-length angels, beasts deriving from the Bestiary, hybrid
creatures, and narrative scenes, including the inverted world theme of the
Woman beating a Man that no decent set of misericords could be without.”
The delicate gilt canopy over the High Altar is a
modern work designed by Sir Charles
Nicholson.[1][2]
Other buildings of interest in the precinct are the Fratry dating from
about 1500 and the Gatehouse of 1527.[5] The Deanery incorporates a
15th-century pele tower, called The Prior's Tower, containing a fine
contemporary painted ceiling.
Chapter[edit]MusicOrgan
The earliest documented organ at Carlisle Cathedral is one mentioned in
an inventory of 1571. The present organ was built byHenry Willis in 1856 and was innovative for its date. It was enlarged in 1875 to
include the 32 foot pipes. In 1906 it was further extended by Harrison & Harrison. In 1930, the organ was
moved to its present position by an unknown builder. In 1962, J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd rebuilt the organ to give it a more classical sound. In 1997, a
rebuilding by David Wells sought to restore the organ to its original Victorian tone. At this time
a number of new stops were added.[12][13] The organ has 4 manuals, 72
stops: Pedal 18 stops, Positive 14 stops, Great 13 stops, Swell 14 stops,
Solo 13 stops.
Organists
See also: List of musicians at English cathedrals
The earliest recorded appointment of an organist at Carlisle Cathedral is
of Thomas Southick in 1650. Notable organists have included the composer,
astronomer and mathematician Thomas Greatorex and founder of the Royal School of Church Music, Sir Sydney Nicholson. The present organist is
Jeremy Suter.[14]
ChoirsCarlisle Cathedral Choir
The Carlisle Cathedral Choir dates from the foundation of the cathedral
in 1133, when four laymen and six boys choristers assisted the canons with
music.
In 1545, the Cathedral Statutes provided for four lay clerks and six
choristers, who were to be "boys of tender age with sonorous voices and
apt at chanting".
The present Cathedral Choir consists of 16 choristers and 6 lay clerks.
The choristers were originally educated at the Cathedral's Choir School but
this was closed in 1935 and the boys are drawn from local schools. There is
now also of 16 girl choristers, who alternate with the boys in singing three
services a week, with Evensong sung daily except Saturday, and Choral
Eucharist at 10.30 on Sunday. The boys and girls are aged from 8–13 years and
are recruited from local schools. They are selected at voice trials held
during the year and receive a thorough musical training. They are awarded an
annual bursary and pocket money.[4]
Carlisle Cathedral Youth Choir
Detail of the chancel roof
The Cathedral also has a Youth Choir for boys and girls aged 13–18 years
who sing services in the Cathedral once a week during term time.[4] They are conducted by Edward
Taylor the assistant organist. The Youth Choir last went on tour to Brittany
in October 2010.
Carlisle Cathedral Voluntary Choir
The Voluntary Choir, consisting of mixed voices, was formed to sing
occasional services in the absence of the Cathedral and Youth Choirs.[4]
Carlisle Cathedral Music Appeal
In 1999 the Carlisle Cathedral Music Appeal was launched with a target of
£750,000 to establish a choral foundation to enable annual bursaries and free
instrumental lessons to be provided for the choristers, and scholarships and
vocal tuition for the choral scholars.[4]
Burials
Tomb of Samuel Waldegrave
See alsoReferences
The cathedral from the castle
1.
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Tim Tatton-Brown and John Crook, The English Cathedral, New Holland
(2002), ISBN 1-84330-120-2
3.
Jump up^ "The friaries – Carlisle,
Penrith and Appleby – British History Online".
British-history.ac.uk. 22 June 2003. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
8.
Jump up^ Other large
windows in this complex style are the 8-light window at York Minster and the 7-light windows at Selby Abbey.
9.
Jump up^ "Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral
Church of Carlisle by C. King Eley - Free Ebook".
gutenberg.org. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
10. Jump up^ Crotchet, D.
(1909). "Carlisle Cathedral". The Musical Times 50 (794): 229–239.doi:10.2307/907989. JSTOR 907989.
External links
·
Illustrations of geometric tracery from
the paneling belonging to Carlisle Cathedral by Robert William
Billings - from Open Library
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