Building record 10640/1 - Abbey of St Werburgh - Church

This monument refers to the church building of the Abbey Church of St Werburgh, certain individual components are described in separate monument records. For additional detail specific to the post-dissolution cathedral, see CHER 10641).

Benedictine monks began by using the existing Saxon church (CHER 9037) and rebuilt it piecemeal, not pulling down any part until they were ready to replace it; it is possible therefore that while nothing can be recognised as a Saxon element, that these early medieval builders would have used the material of the Saxon church in their construction. The first portion was built in 1093 and was comprised of the presbytery and the north and south transepts around the east end of Saxon church, which was then pulled down once it had been replaced. The presbytery was built on large cylindrical columns (the bases of two of these remain) in a semi-circle. The north and south aisles ended in apses, the positions of which are marked on the floors of present aisles, and there must have been large central apse between (1). Norman work of c 1100 remains in the north transept. In the east wall is a Norman arch to a chapel with triforium above. The chapel was originally apsidal, but was altered in the thirteenth century (2). The next major building work began on the two west towers and the western front; 1140 is the date of the north-west tower, although its foundations were laid and the bases of the piers were built by c1100. Until the 1870s the tower was walled off from church and divided into two floors, and it formed part of the Abbot's lodgings (CHER 10640/6). The tower now houses the baptistery (1). The font is thought to be of sixth or seventh century date, but it is in fact a nineteenth century imitation (3). The choir was built between 1224 - 1238, crossing under the central tower and one bay of the nave to the west. A document of Edward II (Harl Ms 2148) records that the choir had been rebuilt, having been in ruins, but it is thought that this probably refers to part of the Saxon church which had been in ruins. Under Abbot Hugh Grylle (1208 – 1226) the choir and the steeple were completed, and then work began on the nave. The Lady Chapel (CHER 10640/1/1) was built by Abbot Simon de Whitchurch between 1265 and 1291, and is now where the Shrine of St Werburgh can be found (CHER 10640/1/4). Work in the east end of the church was continued by Richard the Engineer, who pulled down the Norman presbytery (CHER 10640/1/3) and rebuilt the remaining piers and arches on the north and south sides to form present presbytery of five bays. Richard the Engineer also added the triforium crossing and one bay to the west was rebuilt c 1320, in addition to the central tower c 1400 - 1460. The upper tower was built between 1485 and 1492.

Work following the restoration that occurred between 1868 and 1876 found that the north-west pier was supported on thirteenth century tombstones. The enlargement of the south transept occurred c1340, but the work was halted by the Black Death. It continued under Abbot Richard de Seynesbury between 1349 and 1362, when the former Norman transept was demolished. What was then the new transept was finished up to triforium by c1360. The south arcade of the nave was rebuilt c1390 when the choir stalls and canopies were erected. Abbot Simon Ripley (1485 – 1493) completed the south transept when the clerestory and the roof were added. The north arcade of the nave was rebuilt to match the south arcade around 1360. Ripley added a stone pulpitum, which divided the choir from the nave. The nave clerestory was added by Abbot Birchenshawe (1493 – 1535), who also rebuilt the west front of the cathedral and the south-west tower. The tower never had a second storey, but in 1553 had two bells and probably a wooden campanile; the tower is now a consistory court. Abbot Birchenshawe also built the south-west porch with a parvise over and the roof of the north transept (a camber beam roof) between 1518 and 1524 with the arms of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. The north and south choir was extended to the east but between 1867 and 1875 the southern aisle extension was demolished.

Major restoration works occurred in the nineteenth century by Hussey, Scotts and Blomfield, when the exterior was re-cased. Until the 1840s, all parts of the cathedral, except for the Lady Chapel, had open timber roofs, illustrated by drawings in Ormerod (1, 4). Extensive documentary research, a catalogue of grave slab inscriptions and a detailed floor survey, including a record of the wear depressions of the nave and south transept were carried out ahead of the installation of under-floor heating (7). This work concluded that the floor of the central nave, 30% of the south aisle and 10% of the north aisle date to Eaton in 1777, the remainder to either Spencer in 1776/7 or Dean Nutter in 1600 (7). The majority of the south transept dates from the restoration of 1900. The first bays of the central and west aisle are of mixed date and appear to postdate the removal of the screen in 1880. Innumerable more recent repairs cover the whole of the floor. Wide depressions in the floor of the transept seem more likely to derive from subsidence rather than from wear. Fourteen trial trenches were excavated in the nave, south transept, the east cloister walk and the slyne found evidence of a Roman presence and of Saxon period activity (by stratigraphy only), in addition to Norman and medieval building phases (8). The Norman nave appears to have had more bays and narrower spacing than the later medieval and the nave itself may have been narrower (note however, that some authors claim it had the same dimensions as its successor (10)). A significant difference between the north and south nave arcades in the medieval structure supports the theory that there was a significant time interval between their construction. Burials were found throughout the area where test excavations occurred (CHER 10640/17/1).

<1> Burne, R. V. H., 1962, The Monks of Chester. The History of St Werburgh's Abbey (Book). SCH3213.

Benedictine monks began by using the existing Saxon church (CHER 9037) and rebuilt it piecemeal, not pulling down any part until they were ready to replace it; it is possible therefore that while nothing can be recognised as a Saxon element, that these early medieval builders would have used the material of the Saxon church in their construction. The first portion was built in 1093 and was comprised of the presbytery and the north and south transepts around the east end of Saxon church, which was then pulled down once it had been replaced. The presbytery was built on large cylindrical columns (the bases of two of these remain) in a semi-circle. The north and south aisles ended in apses, the positions of which are marked on the floors of present aisles, and there must have been large central apse between.

<2> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, /135-145 (Book). SCH3078.

Norman work of c 1100 remains in the north transept. In the east wall is a Norman arch to a chapel with triforium above. The chapel was originally apsidal, but was altered in the thirteenth century.

<3> Harris, B.E., 1979, Bartholomew City Guides - Chester, /68-77 (Book). SCH394.

<4> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/249-265 (Book). SCH1389.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, /1/6 & 6/6 (Report). SCH1934.

<6> Maddison J.M., 1981, The Choir of Chester Cathedral, Maddison J M 1983 66/31-46 (Article in Journal). SCH5934.

<7> Ward, S. W., 1996, Chester Cathedral Nave 1995 Floor Survey, R2143 (Client Report). SCH935.

<8> Chester Archaeology, 1996, Chester Cathedral 1996 Trial Excavation, R2144 (Client Report). SCH4074.

<9> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, City of Chester Intra Mural 1998/ 376-381 (Unpublished Report). SCH4570.

<10> Lewis C.P & Thacker A.T. (eds), 2005, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume Vii, The City of Chester - The City of Chester, Culture, Buildings, Institutions (Book). SCH6522.

<11> Blomfield, M. A (Reverand Canon), 1861, On the Lady Chapel in Chester Cathedral (Article in Journal). SCH5512.