Late Norman Enlargement
Starting some time about 1180 the nave aisle walls were built following the line of the Norman transepts and thus clear of the Norman nave. The south door is the principal evidence for this (Figure 3, right). The pattern of separated chevrons on the innermost order is also found on the crossing arches at Hereford and some of the presbytery arcade arches at St David’s. The structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles in a cylinder of stone is also found in the presbytery of St David’s. The more unusual design of the outer order is found at Hereford on the font, and at St David’s in the decorative band under the eastern lancets and in the nave clerestory. St David’s was started in 1181.
The same 37' module was used for the nave aisle walls as in Urban's Cathedral, for the outer faces are aligned on 37’ lines, and the south door is situated symmetrically in the sixth 18'6" unit measured from the east face of the east wall of the transept (Figure 1). The south door is constructed of stone from Dundry near Bristol, as are the existing nave arcades, west front etc.15 The geometry of the opening of this door is that of a square surmounted by a semicircle. These simple shapes can also be seen as elemental, and give the door much of its power. The equivalent rectangle in the north door has sides in the ratio of 6:5 (Figure 3, left). The north door also displays the structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles, and two pairs intersect in a cylinder of stone. Lovegrove considered that the north door may have been reset, also the outer moulding of dog tooth is characteristic of Early English rather than Norman style. It is constructed of Sutton stone, which is the stone used for Urban's church. It conforms moreover with the geometry of the arcades, which did not exist when the door was first built. It could be the west door of Urban's Cathedral, re-erected here with a new outer moulding of reused Sutton stone when the west front of the Norman nave was demolished. 16
At some time in the late 12th century the presumed south transept apse was replaced by a rectangular chapel with east and south windows, and a vaulted ceiling. The work was contrived so as to allow light from the south east to continue to pass through the western of the two Norman windows of the lower range on the south side of the presbytery (second illustration). The arch at the west end of the chapel was built into the east wall of the Norman south transept. When the chapter house was built c. 1250 the builders chose the line of the west face of this wall to be the line of the east face of the west wall of the chapter house. With the building of the chapter house the south window of the chapel was blocked, but its apex can still be seen. The chapter house appears to add no geometry to the Cathedral. The interior face of the east wall is aligned with the interior face of the east wall of the chapel. This gives a length of 21 feet. The depth, at 23 feet, is too great for the chapter house to be called a square. When the south presbytery aisle was built, an arch was cut into the east wall of the chapel, converting it into the chapter house vestibule. The apex of the east window of the chapel can still be seen above the arch. Externally the corner of the chapel is clearly visible between the chapter house and the presbytery aisle. A buttress was inserted into the corner of the chapel when the chapter house was built. This would have made good visual and structural sense at that time. It took on its present crowded appearance when the aisle was built.
The red square in Figure 14 has diagonal of 26’, twice the width of the chapel. 26' x √2 is close to 37'. The west face is aligned with the centre of the entrance arch. The east face gives the position of the west face of the east wall. The diagonal of 26’ gives the overall length of the chapel, including the east and west walls. The south face of the south wall of the chapel is aligned on a 37’ line, and is not located by the square. Clearly the square could not have been constructed in situ due to existing masonry, so it was set up in some convenient space, and measurements taken from it, or numerical methods were used.
Because of the Norman measure of ¾ x 37’ x √2 , indicated in yellow in Figure 2, between the inner faces of the presumed Norman transept apses, the theoretical distance from the south face of the north wall to the south face of the south wall is 37’(1 - 3√2/8) or 17’4½”. Deducting 13’ for the width of the chapel leaves 4’4½” for the thickness of the south wall, which is confirmed by measuring the length of the passage into the chapter house as just that.
The similarity of the geometry to that of the Norman presbytery and transepts indicates a master mason who was steeped in Norman tradition. The lack of a boss in the centre of the vault and the profile of the ribs are further archaic features, paralleled in the north nave aisle at Gloucester and the eastern quadripartite vault at Ewenny, though the overall appearance of the chapel is redolent of the developing Early English style that reached maturity at Wells. A date of c.1175 is possible for this chapel, which would mean that it was the first addition to Urban’s cathedral, predating the Norman nave aisle walls.
The same 37' module was used for the nave aisle walls as in Urban's Cathedral, for the outer faces are aligned on 37’ lines, and the south door is situated symmetrically in the sixth 18'6" unit measured from the east face of the east wall of the transept (Figure 1). The south door is constructed of stone from Dundry near Bristol, as are the existing nave arcades, west front etc.15 The geometry of the opening of this door is that of a square surmounted by a semicircle. These simple shapes can also be seen as elemental, and give the door much of its power. The equivalent rectangle in the north door has sides in the ratio of 6:5 (Figure 3, left). The north door also displays the structure of patterned planes intersecting at right angles, and two pairs intersect in a cylinder of stone. Lovegrove considered that the north door may have been reset, also the outer moulding of dog tooth is characteristic of Early English rather than Norman style. It is constructed of Sutton stone, which is the stone used for Urban's church. It conforms moreover with the geometry of the arcades, which did not exist when the door was first built. It could be the west door of Urban's Cathedral, re-erected here with a new outer moulding of reused Sutton stone when the west front of the Norman nave was demolished. 16
At some time in the late 12th century the presumed south transept apse was replaced by a rectangular chapel with east and south windows, and a vaulted ceiling. The work was contrived so as to allow light from the south east to continue to pass through the western of the two Norman windows of the lower range on the south side of the presbytery (second illustration). The arch at the west end of the chapel was built into the east wall of the Norman south transept. When the chapter house was built c. 1250 the builders chose the line of the west face of this wall to be the line of the east face of the west wall of the chapter house. With the building of the chapter house the south window of the chapel was blocked, but its apex can still be seen. The chapter house appears to add no geometry to the Cathedral. The interior face of the east wall is aligned with the interior face of the east wall of the chapel. This gives a length of 21 feet. The depth, at 23 feet, is too great for the chapter house to be called a square. When the south presbytery aisle was built, an arch was cut into the east wall of the chapel, converting it into the chapter house vestibule. The apex of the east window of the chapel can still be seen above the arch. Externally the corner of the chapel is clearly visible between the chapter house and the presbytery aisle. A buttress was inserted into the corner of the chapel when the chapter house was built. This would have made good visual and structural sense at that time. It took on its present crowded appearance when the aisle was built.
The red square in Figure 14 has diagonal of 26’, twice the width of the chapel. 26' x √2 is close to 37'. The west face is aligned with the centre of the entrance arch. The east face gives the position of the west face of the east wall. The diagonal of 26’ gives the overall length of the chapel, including the east and west walls. The south face of the south wall of the chapel is aligned on a 37’ line, and is not located by the square. Clearly the square could not have been constructed in situ due to existing masonry, so it was set up in some convenient space, and measurements taken from it, or numerical methods were used.
Because of the Norman measure of ¾ x 37’ x √2 , indicated in yellow in Figure 2, between the inner faces of the presumed Norman transept apses, the theoretical distance from the south face of the north wall to the south face of the south wall is 37’(1 - 3√2/8) or 17’4½”. Deducting 13’ for the width of the chapel leaves 4’4½” for the thickness of the south wall, which is confirmed by measuring the length of the passage into the chapter house as just that.
The similarity of the geometry to that of the Norman presbytery and transepts indicates a master mason who was steeped in Norman tradition. The lack of a boss in the centre of the vault and the profile of the ribs are further archaic features, paralleled in the north nave aisle at Gloucester and the eastern quadripartite vault at Ewenny, though the overall appearance of the chapel is redolent of the developing Early English style that reached maturity at Wells. A date of c.1175 is possible for this chapel, which would mean that it was the first addition to Urban’s cathedral, predating the Norman nave aisle walls.