The Historic Churches group undertook its annual trip to Christchurch Cathedral in Oxford on the 19th December; there were 16 of us, and we met our guides Ann and Patrick, who split the group into two, and off we went.
I was in Patrick's group, and we started with some windows in the North wall, the glass in them dating back to 1340 or thereabouts. Patrick told us a little about how they were made, the techniques available at the time, and the styles. Also that they had been moved, possibly several times, so some of their "components" may not have been in the original composition;
Although the images of the Saints (St Catherine, with her symbol of a wheel, and Mary holding Jesus) were interesting and colourful, for me more interest was the plainer panes above and beneath. Fine tracings of plant stems, leaves, and acorns. incredibly delicate and beautiful in their own right.
Patrick tooks us round some of the windows in - more or less - chronological order, talking about their history, the craftsmen who designed and made them where that is known. Of different styles and techniques, from the very ancient, to the modern - the latest, 2023 St Francis window. How windows had context within the building - the great East Windows, put in designed and placed by Gilbert Scott during his restoration of the Cathedral, rich in colours, flanked by the more muted tones of William Morris Windows to the left and right, tending to draw the eye, and the mind, to the central place. The St Francis window is adjacent to a great window of St Michael, and they do not work well together!
Of course, some windows had been removed during the Reformation, and had been stored "so the glass could be used for repairs to the remaining ones". Much remains, in storage, awaiting someone with the time and patience to go through it and try to piece it together to see what was there and if it could be rebuilt. A project, anyone?
The tour was fascinating and Patrick, with encyclopedic knowledge acquired over about 8 years of being a guide, was able to answer all our questions.
We plan to go back same time next year, there are more riches there to discover and enjoy.
