Visiting Winchester Cathedral in 10 Picutres
A tree lined park leads us to a staggering cathedral of wonderful proportions built in 1079 and expanded after that over 5 centuries with 7 different designs of architectural styles. it has had countless restorations over the centuries .
After entering the Cathedral the first site that stopped me was the west wall stained glass window at the back of the cathedral.
It has a n interesting story.
The mosaic stain glass window was not the intended design but an assortment of broken fragments collected and repaired after all of the stain glass windows of the cathedral were smashed on 12 December 1642 after the army burst through the doors rode their horses into Winchester’s historic cathedral.. Then those with guns used the windows as target practice. The ground was splattered with coloured glass.
When the angry soldiers left, the townspeople came around and picked up as much of the glass as they could. They stored it all in boxes tucked safely under their beds in hopes that when things calmed down, the windows could be reassembled and the bones could be reburied.
Oliver Cromwell, died in 1658 and within two years, the monarchy was restored. But the war had left Winchester Cathedral in a sorry state. In an effort to get things back to normal, the citizens of Winchester set about cleaning up and repairing their cathedral.
Everyone brought out their boxes of glass to see if they could be put back where they belonged. However, recreating the beautiful Biblical scenes that had once graced the windows proved to be an impossible task. So they repaired many of the broken windows with clear glass.
A Window as a Metaphor
For the huge west window, they came up with a special plan. They gathered all the bits of broken glass and made a mosaic. The result was a beautiful window.
It doesn’t have images representing stories from the Bible as it once did, but it still tells a story. It tells a story about a war and of people putting broken things back together. And maybe there’s still a spiritual message in it for us. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for life and teaches us that no matter how shattered things seem, they can still be put back together. They might not look like they did before, but they can still be beautiful.
(adapted from The Curious Rambler – Margo Lestz)
A Window, A War, and a Metaphor in Winchester Cathedral
Heard melodies are sweet,
but those unheard are sweeter; Keats
Stained glass stories with ornate tales
saints and heroes and biblical scenes
summon us to stand and wonder
imagine the emptiness of frame
when in rage men lifted muskets
shattered story and beauty reigned terror
how many brave hands were cut by shards of glass
how many pockets and boxes of glass collected
hidden for 20 years in hope of restoration
impossible to recreate the ancient windows
to their seventeenth century former majesty
yet a sense of people-power gave hope
a multicoloured mosaic of salvaged shards
with additional clear glass to fill residual gaps
makes luminosity of light live once again
a reconstructed window
its kaleidoscopic splendour tells a new story
a story of salvation and resurrection
Colleen Keating
Marvellous archetecture. We could spend hours walking around this beautiful 12th century structure.
“Winchester Cathedral is one of the most historically significant buildings in Britain.
It is located at the heart of historic Winchester, once the seat of Anglo-Saxon and Norman royal power,
on the site of an early Christian Church. Today, Winchester Cathedral stands beautifully
in the idyllic green spaces surrounding it,
boasting the title of Europe’s longest medieval Cathedral.
The Old Minster, a Benedictine monastery, was the home of St Swithun and the present Cathedral was built
on the orders of William the Conqueror. Begun in 1079, Winchester Cathedral
has been a place of welcome and worship ever since. “
A place of prayer and a prayer for PEACE
We all wanted to visit King Arthur’s Round Table of Camelot that his knights used to sit around?
Here in Winchester the Round Table is part of Winchester Great Hall. a short walk from Thre cathedral.
Although it’s not really the legendary circular table, it is a medieval recreation that dates back to the 13th-century!
As a huge fan sof the Arthurian Legends and anything to do with Merlin,we just had to check this table out for myself.
Pa and Elizabeth getting into the mood.
The architecture of the Hall was breathtaking as the Cathedral .
Finally attached to the hall was Queen Eleanotr’s Garden with its fountain, long walking trellis for ladies to walk and care fot their complexion and a mediatation corner of peace.
Pa and Eleanor sitting in the meditation corner but not really mediatation
Thomas and i walking under the long trellis way.
And so after a long drive home thanks to William we arrived with a new story and much beauty that feeds our soul.