Exeter Cathedral is regarded as the most complete surviving example of Decorated Architecture in England and reflects the importance and wealth of Exeter when it was built. The west front with its statues is magnificent.
It is unusual as the cathedral has two towers over the transepts but no central tower. These are part of the original Norman building with their round topped windows, arches and dog toothed carving.
There has been a Minster Church here since the C7th and in 1050, Leofric, Bishop of Crediton gained permission to move the Bishop's seat from Crediton to Exeter, because of a fear of sea-raids. He became the first Bishop of Exeter.
In 1107 William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, was appointed to the see, and began building a new Norman cathedral, which was consecrated in 1133 and finished by 1160 and the chapter house added later in the early C13th.
Walter Bronescombe became Bishop in 1258 and replaced the Norman Cathedral with a new and much larger decorated gothic building made of Purbeck marble. Only the towers above the transepts survive from the Norman building. Building began at the east end. The nave was completed in the C14th with the west front finished last. External buttresses gave additional support, allowing larger windows which flood the inside of the Cathedral with light.
As Exeter wasn’t a monastic foundation, there was little damage during the reformation. The cloisters were destroyed during the civil war. Following the restoration of the monarchy, a new pipe organ was built.
There was some refurbishment by George Gilbert Scott in the C19th with new choir stalls and stained glass.
On 4 May 1942 an early-morning air raid took place over Exeter. Known as the ‘Baedeker Blitz’ after the series of guidebooks used to identify suitable targets, this was intended to destroy Britain’s cultural and historic cities.
The cathedral sustained a direct hit by a large high-explosive bomb on the chapel of St James, completely demolishing it. The muniment room above, three bays of the aisle and two flying buttresses were also destroyed in the blast. The medieval wooden screen opposite the chapel was smashed into many pieces by the blast, but it has been reconstructed and restored. Fortunately, many of the cathedral's most important artefacts, such as the ancient glass (including the great east window), the misericords, the bishop's throne, and other precious documents from the library had been removed in anticipation of such an attack. The precious effigy of Bishop Bronscombe had been protected by sand bags.
After the war, the chapel was rebuilt as a reconstruction of the original .
The Cathedral is a simple cruciform building with nave, quire, presbytery with retroquire and Lady Chapel beyond and side transepts. What makes it unique are the number of smaller chapels and large number of Bishop’s tombs from the very simple to very elaborate.
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It is unusual as the cathedral has two towers over the transepts but no central tower. These are part of the original Norman building with their round topped windows, arches and dog toothed carving.
There has been a Minster Church here since the C7th and in 1050, Leofric, Bishop of Crediton gained permission to move the Bishop's seat from Crediton to Exeter, because of a fear of sea-raids. He became the first Bishop of Exeter.
In 1107 William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, was appointed to the see, and began building a new Norman cathedral, which was consecrated in 1133 and finished by 1160 and the chapter house added later in the early C13th.
Walter Bronescombe became Bishop in 1258 and replaced the Norman Cathedral with a new and much larger decorated gothic building made of Purbeck marble. Only the towers above the transepts survive from the Norman building. Building began at the east end. The nave was completed in the C14th with the west front finished last. External buttresses gave additional support, allowing larger windows which flood the inside of the Cathedral with light.
As Exeter wasn’t a monastic foundation, there was little damage during the reformation. The cloisters were destroyed during the civil war. Following the restoration of the monarchy, a new pipe organ was built.
There was some refurbishment by George Gilbert Scott in the C19th with new choir stalls and stained glass.
On 4 May 1942 an early-morning air raid took place over Exeter. Known as the ‘Baedeker Blitz’ after the series of guidebooks used to identify suitable targets, this was intended to destroy Britain’s cultural and historic cities.
The cathedral sustained a direct hit by a large high-explosive bomb on the chapel of St James, completely demolishing it. The muniment room above, three bays of the aisle and two flying buttresses were also destroyed in the blast. The medieval wooden screen opposite the chapel was smashed into many pieces by the blast, but it has been reconstructed and restored. Fortunately, many of the cathedral's most important artefacts, such as the ancient glass (including the great east window), the misericords, the bishop's throne, and other precious documents from the library had been removed in anticipation of such an attack. The precious effigy of Bishop Bronscombe had been protected by sand bags.
After the war, the chapel was rebuilt as a reconstruction of the original .
The Cathedral is a simple cruciform building with nave, quire, presbytery with retroquire and Lady Chapel beyond and side transepts. What makes it unique are the number of smaller chapels and large number of Bishop’s tombs from the very simple to very elaborate.
Website
Cont...