22. COVERED WAYS
From the Old Water Tower we can walk West along the covered way (at left), leading to the present Great Cloister. Alternatively we can take a sidetrack along the walkway at right which follows along the West side of the Old Cloister.
23. GARDENS
The right sidetrack leads us to this peaceful walled garden area – a lovely place to take some time out from the rigors of Cathedral exploration.
25. THE GREAT CLOISTER
A view looking west across the Great Cloister lawn. The Cloister was used by the monks for recreation – walking around the covered path in any weather, and probably meditating on the Rule of Benedict!
26. GREAT CLOISTER GRAVES
There are several graves of archbishops in the Cloister lawns.
27. EAST GREAT CLOISTER
In this view, we have just come along the passage at left. The Cathedral lies straight ahead, and along a little on the left is the entry to the Chapter House. We will visit there later.
28. CLOISTER DISPLAYS
The three colourful displays here show St Dunstan resisting the Devil, The Martyrdom of St Thomas Becket, and the Martyrdom of St Alphege. They are replicas of the decoration on the vault bosses above, which were destroyed in the 16th century.
29. ROLL OF HONOUR
At the South end of the East Great Cloister is this Roll of Honour, listing names of members of the Queen’s Royal Lancers who died in the First World War.
30. NORTH VIEW OF THE GREAT CLOISTER
This view of the North side of the Great Cloister is interesting because of the two distinctive arches. They appear to have been deliberately constructed like this, perhaps as a means of bringing large objects inside the Cloister.
31. CLOISTER AND CHAPTER HOUSE
The East side of the Great Cloister is dominated by the window of the Chapter House. The Library is behind and to the left.
32. WEST WALL
We leave the Great Cloister area, and walk around to the West Wall. The original Norman northwest tower (at left), which had a lead spire until 1705, was demolished in 1834 owing to structural concerns. It was replaced with a Perpendicular-style twin of the southwest tower, now known as the ‘Arundel Tower’. This was the last major structural alteration to the cathedral to be made.
33. WEST WALL DETAIL
The West wall has many niches designed to contain statues. By 1869 thirty-six statues had been installed, including Gregory the Great, Archbishops Theodore, Dunstan, Alphage, Becket, Baldwin, Hubert, Walter, Langton, Courtenay, Sancroft, and Laud; Kings Alfred, Edmund, Canute, Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, William II., Henry I, Henry II., Edward III. Henry VIII., Edward VI., Charles I. the Black Prince, Bishop Ridley, and Dean Stanhope.
34. WEST DOOR
There is a special array of shields and statues around the West Door. In 2015 two new figures were unveiled: those of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. They have been placed opposite statues of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.
35. WEST WALL DETAIL II
Here stand the Royals in their pristine whiteness, and a further array of figures towards the South West corner. The detail is wonderful, but perhaps not the maintenance!
36. SAINTS IN GLORY
Before we enter the Cathedral through the South West door, just out of the picture on the right, we stop to enjoy the display of bishops, kings and saints on the South West corner.
38. NAVE VAULTING
The tall columns sprout like palm trees into the delicate webbing of the ceiling, with colourful bosses at the joins.
39. GREAT WEST WINDOW
The Great West Window was glazed at the end of the reign of Richard II ca 1395 – 1399 and is a major late Gothic work of English glass. In the tracery lights are prophets and saints, and below is part of a series of large standing figures of the Kings of England. Below this are 13 portraits of ancestors of Christ. At bottom centre is ‘Adam delving’ ca 1176 – one of the oldest pieces of stained glass in Britain.
40. WEST WALL SOUTH
Looking West up the nave South aisle we observe the Cathedral plan at left, the roof feature above the South West door, and the stained glass window above an old list of Cathedral clergy. The window displays unidentified (by me) royal figures.