|
|
In
909 the large diocese of Sherbourne was split and the
minster church of St. Andrew became the first Wells
Cathedral. Giso, the last Saxon bishop built both to
the south, buildings for live-in priests, and north,
a cloister. Pottery and animal bones were found to the
south and a fine tomb cover of the tenth century with
a pattern representing the Tree of Life to the north.
After the death of Giso in 1088, his successor John
of Tours moved his seat to Bath Abbey and Wells was
temporarily demoted. In the early 1100s Bishop Robert
partially rebuilt the neglected church and carved stone
fragments of the Norman period were recovered during
the excavations.
By 1180 the foundations of an entirely new church were
being laid to the north of the old one and on a better
east-west alignment. Bishop Reginald, the then Bishop
of Bath and a Norman by family, brought with him the
exciting ideas of a new architectural style - the Gothic.
Probably by 1196 the demolition of the Saxon cathedral
began as the new church was sufficiently advanced to
be used for worship. Some stone was recycled for use
in the new building. Out of respect for the ancient
sacred site of the Roman mausoleum, the St. Mary Chapel
was preserved and joined on to the new east cloister
at a skewed angle. It became known as the "Lady
Chapel by-the-Cloister".
In 1477 Bishop Robert Stillington embarked on a complete
rebuilding of the chapel on a grand scale. The foundations
of this cruciform building are what can be seen today
in the Camery garden. This grand chapel did not last
long and was blown up with gunpowder in 1552 because
Edward VI had abolished Chantry chapels in the height
of Reformation zeal. |
|
|
QUICK LINKS
