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Main
Page Have a look at our Gallery page You will find the following sections: THE FOUNDATION OF THE CATHEDRAL THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATHEDRAL THE BENEDICTINE MONKS AT NORWICH CATHEDRAL TALK TO BROTHER NICHOLAS The Foundation of the Cathedral As you probably know, 1066 was a very important year in English history. It was during that year that the Normans invaded England from across the Channel. They came from Normandy in Northern France and were led by William, Duke of Normandy, who was later to become King William I of England. The Normans defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings and then set about conquering the rest of the country. The Normans came to Norwich in 1067 when work started on the first castle. William and the Normans certainly knew that grand castles and cathedrals would be powerful symbols to the English of their new Norman masters. Churches as well as castles would play an important part in controlling peoples lives. When the Normans arrived in England, they brought with them an energetic churchman called Bishop Herbert de Losinga. He was the first Bishop of Norwich and in 1096 he began to build this great cathedral.  Barges brought the Caen stone up the River Wensumn to build the Cathedral Image by Rene Gardiner |
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After the Norman conquest,
similar great cathedrals and churches were built and then maintained all
over England with the purpose of worshipping God. Norwich Cathedral became the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia, and was placed in the care of a community of Benedictine monks (see below).  Cathedrals
get their name because they contain the Bishop's chair or throne, and the
Latin name for this is cathedra. At Norwich Cathedral, there are stone remains
of the Bishop's throne from an earlier cathedral at North Elmham, which
date from the 600s.Top The Construction of the Cathedral Cathedrals were the biggest buildings in medieval England, and were certainly the most impressive. No expense was spared and the best materials were used in their construction. Cathedrals showed the latest styles in architecture, and building one was an enormous enterprise involving many different kinds of workers:
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 A Stonemason © Julia Hedgecoe |
Building usually only
took place between February and November - during the winter, stone was
designed and cut. The normal working day was from sunrise to sunset with
breaks for breakfast and dinner. As you can imagine, cathedrals took a long
time to build! Norwich Cathedral was started in 1096, and wasn't completed
until 1145. Because cathedrals were so big and took so long to complete,
no one man could mastermind the whole work from start to finish. Therefore,
when the master mason changed, it usually meant a change in design. Norwich Cathedral was begun at the east end in 1096 on the site of the present St Saviour's Chapel. Norfolk had no suitable building stone apart from flint, and Herbert, being a Norman, was well aware of the excellent quality stone back home in Normandy. Most of the stone used to build Norwich Cathedral therefore comes from Caen in Normandy. It was cut and shaped in France, and then sent by sea to Great Yarmouth. Here it was transferred to barges which sailed up the River Wensum to Norwich. A canal was specially dug from the present Pull's Ferry to Lower Close, to bring the stone as near to the building site as possible (see picture). When
you visit the cathedral, you will be able to easily detect the creamy coloured
Caen stone. See if you can also find examples of Barnack stone, which is
darker in colour and came from Northamptonshire.Top |
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The Benedictine Monks at Norwich Cathedral From 1096 until 1538, Norwich Cathedral was part of a Benedictine monastery. This monastic order took its name from Saint Benedict of Nursia (c 480 - c 543 AD). St Benedict was responsible for many changes in monastic life. His chief contribution was his Rule which described how monks could best serve God and themselves. The Benedictine Rule required its followers to lead a life of perfection and poverty, and to withdraw from the secular world. This would lead to salvation for the individual monk, and for Christian society at large. At Norwich Cathedral, it is possible for you to experience our Monks Trail, as you travel back in time to discover what life was really like for the Benedictine monks. Top Talk to Brother Nicholas Brother Nicholas is an expert on the daily lives of the monks here in Norwich. If you have any questions you would like to ask him about the monks, which would help you with your studies, send them to the following address: education@cathedral.org.uk Top What makes Norwich Cathedral a Christian place of worship? A fearsome account of riots and natural disasters at Norwich Cathedral. Information on the Dissolution - when Henry VIII closed down the monastery and the monks lives were changed for ever. How the bitter Civil War between king and parliament affected the Cathedral in the 1640s. See and find out about some of the beautiful art (paintings, sculptures, glasswork, carvings) that the Cathedral has. |
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