Bells Cathedrals: Chichester | Page 4

This latter probably rose only just above the ridge of the roofs. To carry
it up so far would have been dictated to the builders by structural
reasons; for such a height would be required to help the stability of the
piers and arches below, since they had to resist a variety of opposed
thrusts. But even this tower, low as it no doubt was, like others of the
same date, did not survive the dedication more than about twenty-six
years. The whole building was covered with a high-pitched wooden
roof over the nave, transept, and chancel; and beneath the outer roof
there was a flat inner ceiling of wood formed between the tie beams,
similar to those now to be seen at Peterborough and S. Albans. The
north and south aisles of the nave were protected by roofs which sloped
up from their eaves against the wall that rose above the nave arcades.
Internally the ceiling to these was a simple groined vault supported by
transverse arches.
Immediately above the vault of the aisles was the gallery of the
triforium. This was lighted throughout by small external round-headed
windows, some of which may still be seen embedded in the walls. The
aisles and ambulatory of the chancel were treated by the same methods.
In the triforium gallery, above the transverse arches of the aisles, were
other semicircular arches. These served a double purpose: they acted as
supports to the timber framework of the aisle roofs, and also as a means
of buttressing the upper part of the nave walling in which the clerestory
windows were placed. Such other buttresses as there had been were
broad and flat, with but little projection from the surface of the wall.

The windows throughout the building up to about the end of the twelfth
century were small in comparison with some of those which were
inserted at various times afterwards.
[Illustration: VIEW THROUGH THE SOUTH TRIFORIUM OF THE
NAVE FROM THE SOUTH-WEST TOWER. _From a photograph by
Mr. F. Bund_.]
It has been remarked that the termination of the early chancel towards
the east was an apse, and that round this was carried the north and south
choir aisles in the form of a continuous ambulatory. From this
enclosing aisle--a semi-circle itself in form--three chapels were
projected, each with a semicircular apsidal termination. The central one
of the three was the lady-chapel. This consisted then of the three
western bays only of the present chapel. The lady-chapel was added
about eighty years after the early part of the nave had been built, and
has since been much altered.
The presence of this grouping of features is indicative of that influence
which Continental architecture had exercised upon English art, and
now that Norman government had been established that influence
became more directly French. But though so strongly affected by this
means, Anglo-Saxon character was always evident in work which was
a native expression of the thought and personality of those by whom it
was executed.
Thus we see that the plan which Ralph approved for the new church
that was to be built for him at Chichester was devised according to
accepted traditional arrangement. He adopted no new idea when he
decided what general form the cathedral should follow. The disposition
of the several parts differed in no wise from that which had been
followed during centuries before. The requirements of ritual had
decided long since what were those essential features of planning to be
insisted upon, for the pattern in germ was shown in the arrangement of
the Mosaic Tabernacle. In the earliest plans the same distribution of
parts was observed, though at a later date the transept was
introduced--an idea which no doubt had its origin in some practical
necessity, and was afterwards retained as being representative of an

ecclesiastical symbol.
Of the practical and artistic character of the architectural details we
shall see more in examining the exterior and the interior of the church.
These will lead us, of necessity, to deal more with archaeology in its
relation to the history of architecture rather than of this particular
church as a building used for ecclesiastical purposes.
After the ceremony of 1184 building operations were continued, but the
records available do not tell about anything of much interest for the
next two or three years. Then in 1186-1187 a catastrophe occurred--the
cathedral was again burnt. But this time the effects of the fire were
much more disastrous than had been the case in 1114. So extensive was
the destruction that the entire roofing, as well as the internal flat ceiling,
was gone; and though we can glean no certain knowledge from
documentary evidence, it appears probable that the eastern section of
the building suffered more than any other, for whatever other causes
may have