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Hereford Cathedral

An impressive cathedral with some remarkable treasures

By John WelfordPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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The beginnings of Hereford Cathedral

Hereford has had a cathedral since the 8th century, although the Saxon building that contained the remains of St Ethelbert (a murdered king of the East Anglians) was destroyed in 1055. Bishop Robert de Lotharingia built a small chapel on the site in 1079, but very little of this remains. It was not until Bishop Reinhelm came along (bishopric 1107-1115) that anything substantial in the way of a cathedral was built, in the Romanesque style, although that was by no means the end of the story.

Early developments

Over the centuries many additions and alterations have been made to the original structure. Among these was the Lady Chapel at the east end, with a crypt beneath it, added in the early 13th century. Hereford is the only English cathedral in which the crypt is immediately beneath the Lady Chapel. It was designed to be reached from outside the building as well as inside.

The north transept was the work of Bishop Peter d’Aigueblanche who died in 1268. Aigueblanche had come from Savoy, and the remodelled transept was distinctly continental in style with its tall windows topped by triangular arches. There is a marked contrast with the Romanesque south transept.

Bishop Cantilupe

As might be expected, the tomb of Bishop Aigueblanche is in the north transept, but also there is the tomb of another Hereford bishop, Thomas Cantilupe, who was next-but-one after Aigueblanche.

Cantilupe’s contribution to the history of Hereford Cathedral is probably more significant than that of Aigueblanche, because of the miracle cult that grew up after his remains were interred at Hereford. Cantilupe had fallen out with the Archbishop of Canterbury and had been excommunicated. He was visiting Rome to petition the Pope for restitution when he died in 1282.

Reports of miraculous healings associated with Cantilupe’s tomb did Hereford Cathedral no harm at all, because a pilgrimage cult began that, for a time, rivalled that at Canterbury for Thomas Becket. Offerings left at the tomb by the thousands of pilgrims who visited during the last decades of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century paid for major improvements at the cathedral, including the central tower, the west front, and the north porch. Although the accounts of miracles tailed off not long into the 14th century, the Pope was persuaded not only to have Thomas Cantilupe’s excommunication rescinded but also to declare him a saint in 1320.

Today’s visitors can see the Cantilupe tomb surmounted by a brightly coloured canopy that includes an icon depicting the saints of Hereford. The canopy dates from 2008 and is a reminder that medieval cathedrals were often painted internally in bright colours that have worn away over the years.

The Cathedral rises above the city's rooftops

The work of James Wyatt

As mentioned above, for several centuries the cathedral had an imposing west front with a tower. However, on Easter Monday 1786 the whole structure collapsed, taking much of the nave with it. The restoration was done under the direction of James Wyatt, an architect whose work on English cathedrals was extensive but not always sympathetic to the intentions of the original builders. At Hereford he shortened the nave by one bay, built a very ordinary west front, and rebuilt the nave by removing the upper storeys and replacing them with his own design, which does not make a good fit with the Romanesque columns that remain.

Wyatt also removed the lead spire from the 14th century central tower, but this did not prove to be such a bad move given that the tower is impressive enough as it stands and is in proportion to the rest of the cathedral. A noted feature of the tower is its extensive use of “ball-flower” decoration, this being a representation in stone of a round, three-petalled flower around a small ball.

A secular cathedral

Hereford is termed a “secular foundation”, which means that it was not founded as part of an abbey or monastery but was run by “secular canons” who did not follow a set rule of life but were often wealthy men who brought income to the cathedral through their ownership of land, although this was not generally the case at Hereford. Such a cathedral would not therefore need to build a cloister, which was normally a feature of a monastic establishment, but Hereford has one nonetheless. This was built to enclose an exclusive burial ground, which was important because the cathedral had a monopoly on burials in the city.

The canons who were attracted to Hereford in the 12th and succeeding centuries were unusual in that, contrary to the common pattern, they tended to be scholars rather than rich men. Many of them lived in the cathedral close and took advantage of the privilege of receiving free bread from the cathedral’s bakehouse. One consequence of their intellectual proclivities was that they built a substantial collection of books over the years which became one of the largest medieval libraries in the country.

The Chained Library

Visitors to Hereford Cathedral today can view the library by walking down the above-mentioned cloister (which also serves as the cathedral’s coffee shop) and going into Hereford’s most recent addition in terms of buildings, namely an annexe built in 1996 to house the Chained Library and Mappa Mundi. The annexe allows these treasures to be kept in ideal environmental conditions while at the same time being accessible to visitors (after payment of an entrance fee).

The library contains 225 illuminated manuscripts (the earliest dating from the 8th century) and more than 1,200 printed books. They are housed in 17th century bookcases in which each book is connected to the frame by a substantial metal chain that allows the book to be taken down and read in situ (on a projecting shelf that is part of the bookcase) but not taken any further. This is evidence of the intrinsic value of these books throughout their existence.

The Mappa Mundi

However, the treasure for which Hereford is most renowned is the Mappa Mundi, which is now housed in the same building as the Chained Library. This is a truly remarkable document that dates from around 1300. On a single piece of calf vellum, a team of medieval artists depicted their view of the known world in which geography took second place to theology. Hence Jerusalem is at the centre, and the places and events associated with Bible stories are given prominence close by.

Towards the edges are not only the outer reaches of the Christian world, including the British Isles, but many illustrations of people and animals that the artists must have drawn from their imagination or as a result of hearing travellers’ tales. Hereford is worth visiting for a view of the Mappa Mundi alone, if for nothing else.

Some other surprises

There are many surprises to be had as one walks around the cathedral, both inside and out, in terms of works of art. These include three 1976 tapestries by John Piper in the south transept, and four stained glass windows by Tom Denny, made in 2007, that commemorate the 17th century Hereford poet Thomas Traherne. These windows are in the small Audley Chapel that adjoins the Lady Chapel.

Outside the west door is a 2011 mosaic designed by Sandy Elliott. This relates “Christ the apple tree” to the local industry of cider making.

In one corner of the Cathedral Close is a 2005 bronze statue of the composer Sir Edward Elgar, leaning against his bicycle and looking up at the cathedral. Elgar had a long association with the cathedral and lived in the city from 1904 to 1911. He was a keen supporter of the annual Three Choirs Festival that rotates each year between the cathedrals of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester, and he composed a number of works with the Festival in mind.

Sir Edward Elgar looks towards the Lady Chapel

Even when it is not Hereford’s “turn”, the cathedral is a regular venue for music concerts, such as those presented by the 175-year-old Hereford Choral Society.

The cathedral does not levy an entrance fee but asks for a contribution of five pounds sterling per visitor. It costs something like one million pounds a year to maintain the cathedral and carry out repairs. On walking round the cathedral walls one can see where the money is being spent because many new blocks of stone have replaced old ones that have crumbled away. One can also see the semi-permanent stonemasons’ yard in which these blocks are shaped as part of a continual process of restoration.

Hereford may not be among England’s largest cathedrals but it is a fascinating one and it should not be left off the itinerary of anyone who is touring this part of western England.

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About the Creator

John Welford

I am a retired librarian, having spent most of my career in academic and industrial libraries.

I write on a number of subjects and also write stories as a member of the "Hinckley Scribblers".

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