Archaeologists Uncovers Old Norman Altar at Exeter Cathedral

August 4, 2023167 views0

Archaeologists Uncovers Old Norman Altar at Exeter Cathedral

2023-08-04T11:42:52+01:00

By Church News

Archaeologists working inside Exeter Cathedral uncovered an old Norman altar, built in the early 12th Century, and now sits below the Quire area of the 900-year-old building.Beyond the Norman high altar, a sunken area has been revealed, which archaeologists now believe indicates a crypt beneath the building, thought to have been built in 1300 AD, despite experts long believing no such space ever existed.The discoveries have come just in time, as the project is due to end in the coming days.Next week, specialist contractors will continue work in the area, to complete essential building conservation, reduce the Cathedral’s carbon footprint with a more efficient underfloor heating system, and lay a new ‘Jubilee Floor’ tile design using locally-sourced Devon stone.The Quire project is funded by Exeter Cathedral’s 2020s Development Appeal and supported by the Valencia Communities Fund.Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England.The present building was completed by about 1400 and has several notable features, including an early set of misericords, an astronomical clock and the longest uninterrupted medieval stone vaulted ceiling in the world.Notable features of the interior include the misericords, the minstrels’ gallery, the astronomical clock and the organ. Notable architectural features of the interior include the multi-ribbed ceiling and the compound piers in the nave arcade.The 18-metre-high (59 ft) bishop’s throne in the choir was made from Devon oak between 1312 and 1316; the nearby choir stalls were made by George Gilbert Scott in the 1870s.The Great East Window contains much 14th-century glass, and there are over 400 ceiling bosses, one of which depicts the murder of Thomas Becket. The bosses can be seen at the peak of the vaulted ceiling, joining the ribs together. Because there is no centre tower, Exeter Cathedral has the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, at about 96 m (315 ft).ALSO READ: Minister GUC Releases a New Album ‘Popsi’