Chichester Cathedral
...inspiring architecture and works of art
Chichester Cathedral stands in the centre of the city, a dominating influence and a landmark for all the surrounding countryside. In 1075 William the Conqueror ordered a cathedral to be built in Chichester and the main part of the present building was dedicated in 1108. After two serious fires it was reconsecrated in 1199. |
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Click on pictures to enlarge |
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| The 277ft spire was not added until the late 13th or early 14th century. It collapsed in 1861 but was rebuilt by Sir Gilbert Scott in four years. | |||
| View from the Bishop's Palace | |||
 The south transept window |
The great window in the south transept was inserted, with considerable imagination, by Bishop Langton between 1305 and 1337. Among the early bishops was St Richard of Chichester, often described as the most English of saints. Following the removal of his body to a shrine behind the High Altar in the presence of King Edward I, it became a place of pilgrimage for centuries. |  High Altar with tapestry |
You will not fail to see the tapestry designed by John
Piper in 1966, but do not miss the two powerful and deeply religious 12th century sculptures in the south choir aisle. A memorial to Dr G K A Bell, Bishop of Chichester 1929-1958, can be seen in a bas relief and the re-erected Arundel Screen.
There is a close on the south side of the cathedral, beyond the cloisters, which is somewhat hidden but well worth discovering. |
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