Photo Friday:  Author’s choice – Roof tops and chimney pots

I hadn’t intended to post pics of Exeter Cathedral (The Church of St Peter) for Photo Friday, but while I was in Exeter recently, I happened to take some rather interesting roof line views:

 I’d love an opportunity to climb the bell tower and see the roof from above ~ and also explore the roof space. I’m in the process of becoming a member of the friends of the cathedral, so it may be possible in the near future. They say that if you visit to explore the roof space:

“You should bring your camera. The views can be fantastic and the interior spaces are fascinating”

 The first master mason of the cathedral whose name is known, Master Roger, is mentioned in the Fabric Roll for 1297. Amongst subsequent architects, the best known was Thomas of Witney (master mason from 1316 to around 1242). Masons left a number of their marks in the vault.

Fast forward past the history if it doesn’t interest you – to see some chimney pots in Sidmouth.

Timeline of Exeter Cathedral:

AD 909	Devon’s first cathedral established in Crediton, seven miles from Exeter.
1046	Leofric appointed Bishop of Crediton and St Germans.
1050	See moved by Leofric from Crediton to Exeter. From 1050 until 1114, the cathedral occupied the large Saxon minster church that stood a few yards from the present West Front.
1114	Construction of the Romanesque (Norman) cathedral started on the site of the present church (it was two thirds of the length of this).
1133	Consecration of the Norman cathedral (at around this time the cathedral priests were able to evacuate the Saxon minster).
1170/80	Completion of the Norman cathedral.
1225	The first Dean of Exeter, Serlo, was appointed.
C1230-1270	Carving of the cathedral misericords.
1258	Bishop Bronescombe attended the consecration of Salisbury Cathedral, traditionally the stimulus for the decision to rebuild Exeter Cathedral in Gothic style.
C1265/70	Start of the rebuilding of Exeter Cathedral in Decorated Gothic style. The work began in the Lady Chapel and its flanking chapels, 100 feet from the end of the Norman Cathedral. The Cathedral Fabric Rolls (from 1279-1353), kept in the Cathedral Archives, provide an almost complete written history of the rebuilding.
1280	By the time of Bishop Bronescombe’s death in this year, the Lady Chapel had reached window-sill level.
1303/4	First glazing of the Great East Window.
By 1310	The quire was probable structurally complete at the death of Master Roger, the first named master mason of Exeter Cathedral.
1310-19	Construction of transeptal crossing
1313-27	Quire furnished, including the installation of the high altar, reredos and sedilia (1316-C1325), the pulpitum (1317-1325) and the quire-stalls.
1326	Assassination of Bishop Stapeldon in London
1328	The High Altar was dedicated and the area west of the pulpitum evacuated to allow the nave to be ‘Gothicised.’
1332	West front reached and great timber roof of nave under construction.
1342	Completion of body of the cathedral and presumed death of Thomas of Witney, Master Mason of the cathedral from 1316 – 1342.
C1342-1360	Erection of lower two tiers of west front image screen. They depict angels (bottom tier) and kings, probably Kings of Judah (middle tier).
1350/1360	Addition of Minstrels Gallery
1391	Re-glazing of Great East Window by Robert Lyen
C1412	Fire destroys upper part of Chapter House.
1450-1470	Addition of upper tier of west front image screen, depicting saints and apostles. When complete, this was coloured.
1465/1478	Wooden roof of Chapter House installed
1530-50	During the English Reformation, secular cathedrals like Exeter tended to suffer less damage than the monastic institutions, but the high and other altars were dismantled, the reredoses stripped of gold, silver and jewels and images and effigies of the Virgin Mary and the saints were despoiled.
1642-60	During the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period the church and the chapter house were in the hands of an extremely Puritan City Chamber. The medieval cloisters were demolished in 1657.
C1661-65	Building of the cathedral organ by John Loosemore
1748-1784	Light refurbishment and re-glazing
1805-1821	Partial restoration of the west front of the cathedral by John Kendall.
1870-1877	Major restoration by George Gilbert Scott, who was also responsible for the installation of the Martyrs’ Pulpit in the nave.
1939	Cathedral ‘treasures’ removed, including the Great East Window, the Bishop’s Throne, the misericords and the Bronescombe effigy and distributed for safe-keeping to cellars in Devon and Cornwall.
1942	On 4th May, in the only major air-raid on Exeter, the St James Chapel, the muniment room above it and two flying buttresses were almost completely destroyed. They were rebuilt between 1945 and 1953.
1971-1973	Excavations on the west side of the close revealed the site of the Saxon minster, home of the first Exeter Cathedral in 1050AD, cemeteries from various ages and a Roman bath-house.
1973-1982	Nave and crossing vaults cleaned and restored and quire vault cleaned.
1980s	Major conservation work on the west front, including the replacement of the figure of St Peter in the apex.
1983-1989	Design and creation of the Exeter Rondels

~

 And a row of chimney pots on some Regency houses in Sidmouth:

 And finally, chimney pots on our own Regency home (1830):

Take a closer look (oh dear, I wish I hadn’t zoomed in – the guttering needs clearing again!): 

Photo Friday Advance Diary:

Friday 10th July:  Author’s choice -  A  Guided tour around …. (a selection of photos that give a guided tour around a favourite building  or place – it could be a church, or library, or any building, or a park etc. in you own home town)

Friday 17th July: Author’s choice -  Water, rain, puddles, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, tears ~ you choose!