heart of glass: young pilgrims

I traveled south for a few days for research. Paper deadline is rapidly approaching, so the many pictures I took will be spread over several posts in several days. First up: Canterbury Cathedral part one, exterior and interior (but excluding the cloisters, which will be the next post).

Majestic entrance to the cathedral precincts.

I didn't actually enter this way,
but this is the traditional entrance for pilgrims.

Tip: If you are going to the cathedral,
tell them you're going to the library and you'll
get in for free. I actually had an appointment
at the library, but it is open to the public!

Cathedral peeking out under the entrance arch.

Canterbury Cathedral is just wow.

The building campaign began in 1070.

A lot was under scaffolding, so sadly not the best views.

But still impressive.

Cathedral touching sky.
Let's go inside.

Looking towards choir.

It's hard to photograph because of all the different levels and screens.
But, in one word, Canterbury is majestic.

It's actually smaller than York Minster, but seems much bigger.
And much more impressive.

Requisite ceiling tower view.

Choir screen. York still beats Canterbury on this one though.

Looking into the choir towards high altar.

High altar. Wow.

North choir aisle.

Northern oculus window.

The candle on the floor of the Trinity Chapel marks
the former spot of St. Thomas Becket's shrine.
It was destroyed under Henry VIII.

Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury and murdered
in the cathedral by the knights of Henry II in 1170.
It was his shrine that attracted all the pilgrims.

Above the former shrine, a crescent moon on the ceiling.

South choir aisle.

South aisle of nave.

Looking west from choir into the nave.

West window.
Time for some SG, methinks.

Canterbury glass reminds me a lot of Chartres.

Mostly because of the blues and the format.

Thomas Becket.

East windows.

Canterbury is pretty much amazing.

Except for this.
Ugly modern glass that depicts the Holy Fam as Disney characters.
Seriously WTF.

And the reason I was there.
The Royal Window, c. 1482-3.
Topic of my term paper.

You can see by the amount of white glass
that most of the window doesn't survive.
It would've been AMAZING originally.

What does survive are the amazingly realistic portraits of
the family of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.
(I've shown the original Princess Cecily panel, which is now
at the Burrell Collection, on here before).

Onto more medieval royalty behind the choir...

Tomb of Henry IV (1366-1413) and Joanna of Navarre (1370-1437).

Avec flash.

Amazing paintings on the exterior wood structure
surrounding the tomb.

And across the way, tomb of Edward, the Black Prince (1330-1376).

Above the tomb, a painting on wood and replicas
of the prince's heraldic achievements.

"I have heard tales of the Black Prince.
The moment he touched the soil of our country the devil entered
into him, and made him a black fiend. But at home, in the place
made for him by God, he was good. It is always so."
~ George Bernard Shaw, Saint Joan

The Black Prince was the first Prince of Wales
to use the now-standard badge of three ostrich feathers.

The original heraldic achievements of the Black Prince,
carried in his funeral procession.

Into the crypt. Pictures were forbidden, BUT

I was obsessed with these crowned capitals painted on altar ceiling.
So some stealth photography happened.

Seriously amazing.
I am going to do crowned E's exactly like this
on my walls if I ever stop being a student and
start making some money so I can get my own place.

Bit of glass I liked in the crypt.

Cool emblems on the funerary monument in the crypt of
John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VII.
You can see a crowned Tudor rose at the bottom,
a Beaufort portcullis at the top,
and at centre an angel holds a tun barrel, inscribed with "Mor."
Another rebus, "Mor" + "Tun" = Morton.