Sep 3, 2025
The two 15th century chantries that flank the shrine of St Swithun at Winchester are an exuberant expression of stone masons’ skills at the height of Perpendicular architecture. Years as Bishop Location of Chantry 1 Cardinal Henry Beaufort 1405-1447 S side of later...
Aug 29, 2025
Royal masons working at Winchester in the 1360s developed the ‘cage’ chantry.[i] The earliest free-standing ‘cage’ chantries in England are the two built in the nave of the cathedral. They were built for Bishop William Edington and Bishop William Wykeham. Years as...
Aug 27, 2025
In Winchester Cathedral are six free-standing chantries dating from the mid-14th C to the mid-16th C. They provide an interesting comparison of Perpendicular micro-architecture over two hundred years, demonstrating the innovative and master accomplishment of medieval...
Aug 13, 2025
To describe the architecture of a cathedral is a significant task and perhaps ends up as dry facts. At Winchester the magnificent nave, choir, chancel or sanctuary are a wonder to behold and experiencing the space is an aim in itself. What I thought perhaps to bring...
Apr 10, 2025
Main photo: Winchester Cathedral Crypt, 1093 Medieval history is partly shaped by the ‘magnates’ of a realm. These confident people, often men, positioned themselves to achieve what still echoes today. Two of the Norman Bishops of Winchester played their role, not...
Feb 23, 2025
Winchester was a thriving town in the medieval period as well as the seat of powerful and wealthy bishops. It had developed along a grid system with the medieval streets being laid out in the late 9th C. The High Street was known as ‘market street’ by around 900 and...
