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Top 10 Facts about Chester Cathedral

Chester Cathedral, England. By Stephen Hamilton,

Chester Cathedral is a vibrant community of worship for its people and community. It is more than a place of worship, it is a site of incredible historical importance, an ancient abbey, and an archeological treasure. It also provides a mixture of medieval and modern history. It is dedicated to Christ and Blessed Virgin Mary and was a seat of the Bishop of Chester. 

The architecture of the cathedral represents all the styles of English and medieval architecture from the Norman to perpendicular which all can be seen in the present building. The cathedral is a free attraction that welcomes visitors from all over the world.

It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire England. It was formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh.

1. There are remnants of the cathedral that date to 1093

At the cathedral, you are likely to find parts of the cathedral that date to 1093. The Chester Cathedral began as a Benedictine Abbey in 1093. During the Saxon times, the site was previously used as a place of worship. The Benedictine monks were the first to build a church there, in Norman style. The Norman style is still visible in the north transept, the north tower, and parts of the cloister. The church was rebuilt in 1250 in the Gothic style, which is still intact. For those who are not well versed in design spotting the differences between the two architectural styles would be a challenge for them.

2. You can discover the remnants of ancient games in the Baptistry

Chester Cathedral is much more than a place of worship. It is a site of incredible historical importance. When you wander into one of the oldest sections of the cathedral you are likely to find Baptistry, you will find the board of an ancient game called nine men’s Morris on the stone plinth of the northeast tower.

The game is a two-person strategy, it dates back to the Roman period. This suggestively indicates that the monks liked competitive matches or some rebellious novice.

3. Throughout the history the cathedral has been deformed

Some of the turbulent periods that the cathedral has survived during its religious history include; when Henry VII dissolved the Benedictine Abbey in 1514, the shrines to St Werburgh were broken and the colorful walls of the lady chapel were whitewashed. It was defaced again by puritans during Cromwell’s influence and many important statues and architectural elements were destroyed, but you can still the vandalism around the cathedral even though it was restored to its former glory.

4. At the cathedral you will find all kinds of creatures

Carving from the Dean’s Chair, Joopercoopers at English

The choir stalls found in the Quire, date to 1380. They feature intricately carved misericords. It is said that the woodworkers who carved the choir stalls had overactive imaginations. Some of the creatures you are likely to find include hounds, angels, dragons, and maidens.

The craftsmen may have gone off-piste when depicting animals that have never been seen before, they include, an elephant that appeared to have horse hooves for feet, and other wicked-looking creatures have human heads meshed with bodies of beasts.

5. it is a tourist attraction

Chester Cathedral is an amazing old building that is a work of art and has a full history. Some of the features you are likely to enjoy are mostly the architecture. At the t=cathedral you are allowed to wander freely at your own pace and look at all the incredible details in the wall, ceilings, and stained glass windows both old and modern.

 A guided tour is available for the tourists, to take them behind the scenes. Some of the activities you can do once you visit the cathedral are; you get the chance to climb the tower and see amazing views from the top, you can explore the bell ringing chamber, and the Victorian organ, and discover the hidden cathedral. You can look out for the carving of the devil in chains that were put up to scare evil spirits, 200 years old that were painted on the web of a caterpillar and several stunning mosaics, and many other features.

6. Cathedral’s stunning architecture

The sandstone exterior (from the south west) has much decorative architectural detail but is heavily restored. Stephen Hamilton – Family photo,

The architecture of the cathedral represents all the styles of English medieval architecture from the Norman to perpendicular which all can be seen in the present building.  The Cathedral is known for its fantastic stained glass windows, and historic woodwork in the choir that dates from 1830 and it is the only remaining ecclesiastical court in Britain.

The interior of the cathedral gives a warm and mellow appearance due to it pinkish color of the sandstone. The proportions appear spacious because of the view from the west end of the nave to the east end. The cathedral has also stained windows. The stained glass date from the 19th century and later as earlier the windows were destroyed during the English Civil war.

7 . Cathedral library a hidden gem

Chester’s cathedral library is a hidden gem of the cathedral. It is located in the heart of the cathedral. It hosts events and exhibitions. The library of Chester cathedral has a long history. It is the oldest library in the North West. During its time as an abbey, there was a scriptorium in the cathedral cloister where two of the monks became renowned for their writings. Lucian issued his Liber Luciani de Laude Cesterie in 1194 AND IN 1299 Ranulph Higden wrote Polychronicon.

The library started when the abbey became the cathedral. It started with books that were purchased in the 16th and 17th centuries. Some books of the 18th century are still in the library out of 350 volumes.  These books were accumulated over 60 years, many were on non-theological subjects such as architecture, travel regional history, and [philosophy.

The present library now consists of three rooms, whereby the largest room is the exhibition library that house almost 3000 volumes of pre-18800 date books, while the other two rooms have the Jacobson collection some of which are 1660 volume and work published from 1801 to date.

8. The cathedral hosts events

The cathedral and precinct are open to visits by both individuals and by groups. Not only does the cathedral conduct services it also hosts a variety of events such as concerts, recitals, exhibitions, and tours. It has hosted numerous modern art exhibitions, the most recent being David Mach’s ”Two Twisted’. There are weekly lunchtime organ recitals each Thursday and concerts by the Chester Cathedral Nave Choir.

The former Refectory of the abbey is used as a café. The Refectory, cloister room, the chapter house, and the Vestibule can be hired for meetings and receptions, and other purposes.

9. You can watch your favorite film at the cathedral

Chester cathedral enjoys amazing acoustics and can house a large audience. The cathedral rolls out the artificial turf and lowers the projector to create an indoor or outdoor cinema. You can watch and enjoy the film while you are laying down on your picnic rug.

In the past, the cathedral’s walls have reverberated with the Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On during a teary screening of Titanic and also filled with joyful giggles of children and adults alike throughout an exuberant showing of Finding Nemo.

10. The cathedral’s Organ

The organ of Chester Cathedral, user:mcginnly – Own work,

Chester’s Cathedral organ is the major source of instrumental music. It is usually played during the service, accompanying the choir. It is also used for concerts and recitals. The choral tradition at Chester is about 900 years old, dating from the foundation of the Benedictine monastery.

Some of the organists in the cathedral include the composer Robert White and Malcolm Boyle. The present organist and director of the music are Philip Rush forth and the assistant is Alex Palotai.