Southwell Minster () is a minster and

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

in Southwell,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is situated miles from

Newark-on-Trent Newark-on-Trent or Newark () is a market town and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is on the River Trent, and was historically a major inland port. The A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road bypasses th ...

and from

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...

. It is the seat of the

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham __NOTOC__ The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham in the Province of York.''Crockford's Clerical Directory'', 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. . The ...

and the

Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, headed by the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. It covers all the English county of Nottinghamshire and a few parishes in South Yorkshire. It is b ...

. It is a grade I listed building.

History

Middle Ages

The earliest church on the site is believed to have been founded in 627 by Paulinus, the first

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

, when he visited the area while baptising believers in the

River Trent The Trent is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, third-longest river in the United Kingdom. Its Source (river or stream), source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midland ...

. The legend is commemorated in the Minster's baptistry window. In 956 King

Eadwig Eadwig (also Edwy or Eadwig All-Fair, 1 October 959) was King of England from 23 November 955 until his death in 959. He was the elder son of Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgifu, who died in 944. Eadwig and his brother Edgar were young ...

gave land in Southwell to

Oskytel Oscytel (or Oskytel or Oscetel; died 971) was a medieval Bishop of Dorchester and Archbishop of York. Early life Oscytel was probably of Danish ancestry.Duckett ''Alfred the Great'' p. 127''Oscytel, Oskytel'' is the anglicized version of the ...

, Archbishop of York, on which a minster church was established. The

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

of 1086 recorded the Southwell

manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...

in great detail. The Norman reconstruction of the church began in 1108, probably as a rebuilding of the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

church, starting at the east end so that the

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...

could be used as soon as possible and the Saxon building was dismantled as work progressed. Many stones from this earlier

Anglo-Saxon church In the seventh century the pagan Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity ( ang, Crīstendōm) mainly by missionaries sent from Rome. Irish missionaries from Iona, who were proponents of Celtic Christianity, were influential in the conversion ...

were reused in the construction. The

tessellated A tessellation or tiling is the covering of a surface, often a plane, using one or more geometric shapes, called ''tiles'', with no overlaps and no gaps. In mathematics, tessellation can be generalized to higher dimensions and a variety of ge ...

floor and late 11th century tympanum in the north

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

are the only parts of the Anglo-Saxon building remaining intact. Work on the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

began after 1120 and the church was completed by c.1150. The church was originally attached to the Archbishop of York's Palace which stood next door and is now ruined. It served the archbishop as a place of worship and was a collegiate body of

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

learning, hence its designation as a minster. The minster draws its

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

from the nearby school with which it is associated. The Norman chancel was square-ended. For a plan of the original church see Clapham (1936). The chancel was replaced with another in the Early English style in 1234–51 because it was too small. The octagonal

chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...

, built starting in 1288 with a

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

in the

Decorated Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

style has naturalistic carvings of foliage (the 13th-century stonecarving includes several

Green Men The Green Man is a legendary being primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring. The Green Man is most commonly depicted in a sculpture, or other representation of a face which is ...

). The elaborately carved "

pulpitum The pulpitum is a common feature in medieval cathedral and monastic church architecture in Europe. It is a massive screen that divides the choir (the area containing the choir stalls and high altar in a cathedral, collegiate or monastic church ...

" or choir screen was built in 1320–40.

Reformation and civil war

The church suffered less than many others in the

English Reformation The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...

as it was refounded in 1543 by Act of Parliament. Southwell is where

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

was captured during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

, in 1646. The fighting saw the church seriously damaged and the nave is said to have been used as stabling. The adjoining palace was almost completely destroyed, first by Scottish troops and then by the local people, with only the Hall of the Archbishop remaining as a ruined shell.

18th century

On 5 November 1711 the southwest spire was struck by lightning, and the resulting fire spread to the nave, crossing and tower destroying roofs, bells, clock and organ. By 1720 repairs had been completed, now giving a flat panelled ceiling to the nave and transepts.

Victorian

In 1805 Archdeacon Kaye gave the Minster the Newstead lectern; once owned by

Newstead Abbey Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, was formerly an Augustinian priory. Converted to a domestic home following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. Monastic foundation The prior ...

, it had been thrown into the Abbey fishpond by the monks to save it during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, then later discovered when the lake was dredged. Henry Gally Knight in 1818 gave the Minster four panels of 16th century Flemish glass (which now fill the bottom part of the East window) which he had acquired from a Parisian pawnshop. In danger of collapse, the spires were removed in 1805 and re-erected in 1879–81 when the minster was extensively restored by

Ewan Christian Ewan Christian (1814–1895) was a British architect. He is most frequently noted for the restorations of Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, and the design of the National Portrait Gallery. He was Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commiss ...

, an architect specialising in churches. The nave roof was replaced with a pitched roof and the quire was redesigned and refitted.

Ecclesiastical history

Collegiate church

Southwell Minster was served by

prebendaries A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

from the early days of its foundation. By 1291 there were 16

Prebends of Southwell The Prebends of Southwell were the benefices held by the Prebendaries, or Canons, of Southwell Minster. History The Prebends of Southwell were established from the eleventh century and by 1291, the number had grown to sixteen. In 1540 the prebe ...

mentioned in the Taxation Roll. In August 1540, as the dissolution of the monasteries was coming to an end, and despite its collegiate rather than monastic status, Southwell Minster was suppressed specifically in order that it could be included in the plans initiated by

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...

to create several new cathedrals. It appears to have been proposed as the see for a new diocese comprising

and

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, as a replacement for

Welbeck Abbey Welbeck Abbey in the Dukeries in North Nottinghamshire was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order in England and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a country house residence of the Dukes of Portland. It is one ...

which had been dissolved in 1538 and which by 1540 was no longer owned by the Crown. The plan for the minster's elevation did not proceed, so in 1543 Parliament reconstituted its collegiate status as before. In 1548 it again lost its collegiate status under the 1547 Act of

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour ...

which suppressed (among others) almost all collegiate churches: at Southwell the prebendaries were given pensions and the estates sold, while the church continued as the parish church on the petitions of the parishioners. By an Act of Philip and Mary in 1557, the minster and its prebends were restored. In 1579 a set of statutes was promulgated by

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

and the chapter operated under this constitution until it was dissolved in 1841. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners made provision for the abolition of the chapter as a whole; the death of each canon after this time resulted in the extinction of his prebend. The chapter came to its appointed end on 12 February 1873 with the death of Thomas Henry Shepherd, rector of

Clayworth Clayworth is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 319, increasing to 419 at the 2011 Census. The village is located north-east of Retford, on the River Idle. Clayworth app ...

and prebendary of Beckingham.

Cathedral

Despite the August 1540 plans to make Southwell Minster a cathedral not initially coming to fruition at the time, in 1884, 344 years later, Southwell Minster became a cathedral proper for Nottinghamshire and a part of Derbyshire including the city of

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

. The diocese was divided in 1927 and the

Diocese of Derby The Diocese of Derby is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, roughly covering the same area as the County of Derbyshire. Its diocesan bishop is the Bishop of Derby whose seat (cathedra) is at Derby Cathedral. The diocesan ...

was formed. The diocese's centenary was commemorated by a royal visit to distribute

Maundy money Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. At the service, the British monarch or a royal official ceremonially distributes small silver coins known as "Maundy money" (legal ...

George Ridding George Ridding (16 March 1828 – 30 August 1904) was an English headmaster and bishop. Life He was born at Winchester College, of which his father, the Rev. Charles Ridding, vicar of Andover, was a fellow. He was educated at Winchester ...

, the first

Bishop of Southwell __NOTOC__ The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham in the Province of York.''Crockford's Clerical Directory'', 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. . The ...

, designed and paid for the grant of Arms now used as the diocesan coat of arms.

Architecture

Killpack Southwell Minster 1839 Plate 03

The nave, transepts, central tower and two western towers of the Norman church which replaced the Saxon minster remain as an outstanding achievement of severe Romanesque design. With the exception of fragments mentioned above, they are the oldest part of the existing church. The Nave is of seven bays, plus a separated western bay. The columns of the arcade are short and circular, with small scalloped capitals. The

triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...

has a single large arch in each bay. The

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

has small round-headed windows. The external window openings are circular. There is a tunnel-vaulted passage between the inside and outside window openings of the clerestory. The nave aisles are vaulted, the main roof of the nave is a trussed rafter roof, with tie-beams between each bay – a late 19th century replacement. By contrast with the nave arcade, the arches of the crossing are tall, rising to nearly the full height of the nave walls. The capitals of the east crossing piers depict scenes from the life of Jesus. Two stages of the inside of the central tower can be seen at the crossing, with cable and wave decoration on the lower order and zigzag on the upper. The transepts have three stories with semi-circular arches, like the nave, but without aisles. Southwell minster 012

The western facade has pyramidal spires on its towers – a unique feature today, though common in the 12th century. The existing spires date only from 1880, but they replace those destroyed by fire in 1711, which are documented in old illustrations. The large west window dates from the 15th century. The central tower's two ornamental stages place it high among England's surviving Norman towers. The lower order has intersecting arches, the upper order plain arches. The north porch has a tunnel vault, and is decorated with intersecting arches. The choir is Early English in style, and was completed in 1241. It has transepts, thus separating the choir into a western and eastern arm. The choir is of two storeys, with no gallery or triforium. The lower storey has clustered columns with multiform pointed arches, the upper storey has twin lancet arches in each bay. The

rib vault A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Islamic ...

of the choir springs from clustered shafts which rest on corbels. The vault has ridge ribs. The square east end of the choir has two stories each of four lancet windows. Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Portal 02

Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Portal 02

Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Capitals 11 1

In the 14th century the chapter house and the choir screen were added. The chapter house, started in 1288, is in an early decorated style, octagonal, with no central pier. It is reached from the choir by a passage and vestibule, through an entrance portal. This portal has five orders, and is divided by a central shaft into two subsidiary arches with a circle with quatrefoil above. Inside the chapter house, the stalls fill the octagonal wall sections, each separated by a single shaft with a triangular canopy above. The windows are of three lights, above them two circles with trefoils and above that a single circle with quatrefoil. This straightforward description gives no indication of the glorious impression, noted by so many writers, of the elegant proportions of the space, and of the profusion (in vestibule and passage, not just in the chapter house) of exquisitely carved capitals and tympana, mostly representing leaves in a highly naturalistic and detailed representation. The capitals in particular are deeply undercut, adding to the feeling of realism. Individual plant species such as ivy, maple, oak, hop, hawthorn can often be identified. The botanist

Albert Seward Sir Albert Charles Seward FRS (9 October 1863 – 11 April 1941) was a British botanist and geologist. Life Seward was born in Lancaster. His first education was at Lancaster Grammar School and he then went on to St John's College, Cambrid ...

published a detailed description of the carvings and their identification in 1935 and

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...

wrote the classic description entitled ''The Leaves of Southwell'', with photographs by

Frederick Attenborough Frederick Levi Attenborough (4 April 1887 – 20 March 1973) was a British academic and principal of University College, Leicester. Biography He was the son of Mary (née Saxton) and Frederick August Attenborough of Stapleford, Nottinghamshir ...

, in 1945. The rood screen dates from 1320 to 1340, and is an outstanding example of the Decorated style. It has an east and west facade, separated by a vaulted space with flying ribs. The east facade, of two storeys, is particularly richly decorated, with niches on the lower storey with ogee arches, and openwork gables on the upper storey. The central archway rises higher than the lower storey, with an ogee arch surmounted by a cusped gable. The finest memorial in the minster is the alabaster tomb of Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York (died 1588).

Staff

Dean and chapter

: *

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

—

Nicola Sullivan Nicola Ann Sullivan (born 15 August 1958) is a British Church of England priest. She is the current dean of Southwell and previously Archdeacon of Wells Early life and education Sullivan was brought up in Suffolk. She qualified as a nurse in 198 ...

(since 17 September 2016 installation) *Canon Chancellor – position vacant *Canon Precentor – Richard Frith (since 8 September 2019) *Canon Missioner - Paul Rattigan (since 22 January 2022)

Other clergy

*Priest Vicar and Canon Theologian (honorary canon) —

Alison Milbank Alison Grant Milbank (''née'' Legg; born 10 October 1954) is a British Anglican priest and literary scholar specialising in religion and culture. She is Canon Theologian at Southwell Minster and a professor at the University of Nottingham in the ...

*Priest Vicar – David McCollough *Priest Vicar – Erika Kirk

Lay staff

'Green man' in Southwell Minster's Chapter House

Rector Chori – Paul Provost *Assistant Director of Music – Jonathan Allsopp *Organ Scholar – Michael D'Avanzo *Acting Head Verger – Michael Tawn

Music and liturgy

Choirs

The Cathedral Choir The Cathedral Choir comprises the Boy Choristers, Girl Choristers, and Lay Clerks who, between them, provide music for seven choral services each week during school terms. The Boys and Girl Choristers usually sing as separate groups, combining for particularly important occasions such as Christmas and Easter services, and notable events in the life of the Minster. Regular concerts and international tours are a feature of the choir’s work. Services have been sung in Southwell Minster for centuries, and the tradition of daily choral worship continues to thrive. There was originally a college of Vicars Choral who took the lead as singers, one or two of whom were known as Rector Chori, or ‘Ruler of the Choir’. The Vicars Choral lived in accommodation where Vicars Court now stands, and lived a collegiate lifestyle. The current Cathedral Choir owes its form to the addition of Boy Choristers to the Vicars Choral, and the Vicars themselves eventually being replaced by lay singers, known as Lay Clerks. For a large period of time, the format remained very similar – a number of boy choristers singing with a mixture of Lay Clerks and Vicars Choral, slowly becoming a group of entirely lay singers. Eventually, in 2005, a Girls’ Choir was started by the Assistant Director of Music, who have now been formally admitted as Girl Choristers, and we are delighted that both Boy and Girl Choristers have complete parity. Today, the Cathedral Choir comprises the Boy Choristers, Girl Choristers, and Lay Clerks who, between them, provide music for seven choral services each week during school terms. The Boy and Girl Choristers usually sing as separate groups, combining for particularly important occasions such as Christmas and Easter services, and notable events in the life of the Minster. All of the Choristers are educated at The Minster School, a Church of England Academy with a music-specialist Junior Department (years 3-6) for Choristers and other talented young musicians. The Cathedral Choir has an enviable reputation for excellence, and has recorded and broadcast extensively over the years. Regular concerts and international tours are a feature of the Choir’s work, alongside more local events such as civic services and the annual Four Choirs’ Evensong together with the cathedral choirs of Derby, Leicester and Coventry. The Cathedral Choir can be heard singing at Evensongs at 5.30pm every weekday (except Wednesday), and on Saturdays and Sundays. The Minster Chorale Southwell Minster Chorale is Southwell Minster’s auditioned adult voluntary choir, and is directed by the Minster’s Assistant Director of Music, Jonathan Allsopp. Founded in 1994, the Chorale’s purpose is to regularly sing for services, especially at times when the Cathedral Choir is not available. In particular, the Chorale sings for: - Evening Sung Eucharists (All Souls, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday etc) - A full Sunday during each half term - The Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the Fifth Sunday of Lent - Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve - The Chorale also sings regularly for the monthly Sunday Mattins. In addition to its regular round of services, one of the highlights of the Chorale’s year is its annual performance of Handel’s Messiah in the run-up to Christmas; this concert is a staple of the Minster’s Christmas programme, and is always packed out. The Chorale also regularly goes on tour; in recent years they have toured to the Channel Islands and the Scilly Isles. A 2020 tour to Schwerin, Germany was planned (together with Lincoln Cathedral Consort), but this was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Chorale also visits other cathedrals to sing services, and recently has been to York Minster. Southwell Minster Chorale rehearses weekly during term-time on a Friday from 7.45pm-9.15pm. The Chorale also enjoys a good social life, with regular trips to the pub after rehearsals and for Sunday lunches.

List of ''Rectores Chori''

* Lawrence Pepys 1499 * George Vincent 1519 * George Thetford 1568 * John Mudd 1582 * Thomas Foster 1584 * William Colbecke 1586 * John Beeston 1594 * Edward Manestie 1596 * Francis Dogson 1622 * John Hutchinson 1628 * Edward Chappell 1661 * George Chappell 1690 * William Popeley 1699 * William Lee 1718–1754 * Samuel Wise 1754–1755 *

Edmund Ayrton Dr. Edmund Ayrton (1734 – 22 May 1808) was an English organist who was Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal. Early life Edmund Ayrton was born in Ripon and baptised on 19 November 1734. His father was Edward Ayrton (1698-1774), a 'bar ...

1755–1764 *

Thomas Spofforth Thomas Spofforth, born 1743 and died on 16 May 1826, was an English organist. Life One of his pupils was his nephew, Samuel Spofforth, who later became organist of Peterborough Cathedral and Lichfield Cathedral. On 11 November 1804, he opened ...

1764–1818 *

Edward Heathcote Edward Heathcote (April 15, 1859 – January 17, 1944) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Heathcote was born on April 15, 1859, in Monterey, Wisconsin. He later moved to the Town of Fennimore, Wisconsin. Career Heathcote w ...

1818–1835 *

Frederick Gunton Frederick Gunton (1813–1888) was an English organist. Life Born in Norwich, he was the son of Thomas and Mary Gunton. He studied organ under Alfred Pettit at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich. He died in Chester in 1888 and is buried in Upton chu ...

1835–1841 *

Chappell Batchelor Chappell Batcheler (1 July 1822 – 11 January 1884) was an English organist and first-class cricketer. Life Professor Batcheler (Chappell) was born in Southwell in 1822 to John Batcheler and Ann Heathcote. He married Susanna Fletcher in Sout ...

1841–1857 *

Herbert Stephen Irons Herbert Stephen Irons (19 January 1834 – 29 June 1905), was an English Organist. He also wrote hymns including the tune "Southwell". Career He was born in Canterbury, where he became a chorister at the cathedral. He was an organ pupil of Dr ...

1857–1872 *

Cedric Bucknall Cedric Bucknall (2 May 1849 in Bath – 12 December 1921), was an English organist and botanist. Life He was the son of John Bucknall and Elizabeth Bassett. He married Abbie Cecilia Frye on 27 April 1873 in West Hackney. Children: *Janet Mary ...

1872–1876 * William Weaver Ringrose 1876–1879 * W Arthur Marriott 1879–1888 * Robert William Liddle 1888–1918 * Harry William Tupper 1918–1929 * George Thomas Francis 1929–1946 * Robert James Ashfield 1946–1956 * David James Lumsden 1956–1959 * Kenneth Bernard Beard 1959–1989 * Paul Robert Hale 1989–2016
Paul Provost
Apr 2017– To see the list of organists, assistant directors of music and organ scholars, see the

list of musicians at English cathedrals The cathedrals of England have a long history of liturgical music, often played on or accompanied by the organ. The role of cathedral organist is a salaried appointment, the organist often also serving as choirmaster. There is also an assis ...

Southwell Music Festival

The Minster is also home to the annual Southwell Music Festival, held in late August.

Image gallery

Ground plans of the Minster

File:Killpack Southwell Minster 1839 Plate 01.jpg, Plan of the Minster 1839 File:Seward Figure 1 Southwell Vestibule and Passage.jpg, Plan of vestibule and passage to the chapter house File:Seward Figure 2 Southwell Chapter House.jpg, Plan of the chapter house

Exterior

File:Southwell Minster 2016 - west view.jpg, The west front File:Southwell minster1.jpg, The Minster from the NW File:Southwell minster 001.JPG, The Minster from the NE File:Southwell Minster, south door - geograph.org.uk - 839063.jpg, Door of south transept File:Southwell, Minster, after Francis Frith - geograph.org.uk - 851537.jpg, Central tower, north transept, north porch, and chapter house

Nave and Transepts

File:Southwellnave.jpg, The Norman nave, built in the early 12th century File:Southwell Minster Nave, Nottinghamshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, Nave with the font on the right side File:Southwell Minster nave (26227101850).jpg, Nave of the Minster

Choir

File:Southwell Minster Choir, Nottinghamshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Pulpitum The pulpitum is a common feature in medieval cathedral and monastic church architecture in Europe. It is a massive screen that divides the choir (the area containing the choir stalls and high altar in a cathedral, collegiate or monastic church ...

and choir, looking west to the nave File:High Altar - geograph.org.uk - 1428606.jpg, High altar and east window of choir File:SouthwellS02.jpg, One of the

misericord A misericord (sometimes named mercy seat, like the biblical object) is a small wooden structure formed on the underside of a folding seat in a church which, when the seat is folded up, is intended to act as a shelf to support a person in a par ...

s in the quire

Chapter House

File:Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Portal left side of arch.jpg, Carvings on the left side of the portal arch of the chapter house File:Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Portal Capitals c b a.jpg, Chapter house portal capitals, right side File:Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Stalls and Canopies Capitals 07-14.jpg, The stalls and canopies of the chapter house File:Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Capitals 11 1.jpg, Chapter house capital showing hops File:Southwell Minster Carvings Chapter House Tympanum 05.jpg, Chapter house stall canopy tympanum showing green man

Windows

File:Bramley Window.jpg File:Stained glass window at Southwell Minster.jpg File:Southwell Minster - East Windows.jpg File:Stained glass window, Southwell Minster.jpg

Old illustrations

File:Wenceslas Hollar - Southwell minster.jpg, Southwell Minster before the original spires were destroyed by fire in 1711 File:Southwell Minster without the spires.jpg, Southwell Minster without the spires, which were removed in 1805 and replaced in 1879-81 File:Killpack Southwell Minster 1839 Plate 02.jpg, The central tower and transepts File:Killpack Southwell Minster 1839 Plate 05.jpg, Bays of the choir File:Dickinson Southwell Minster Chapter House Portal 1801.jpg, Chapter House Portal 1801

References

External links

Southwell Minster Virtual TourSouthwell Minster websiteDetails and pictures of the screen organ from the National Pipe Organ RegisterDetails of the nave organ from the National Pipe Organ RegisterA case study on Southwell Minster from the University of Virginia, with plans and digital models
{{Authority control 13th-century church buildings in England English churches with Norman architecture English Gothic architecture in Nottinghamshire Anglican cathedrals in England Grade I listed churches in Nottinghamshire Grade I listed cathedrals Church of England church buildings in Nottinghamshire Churches completed in 1300 10th-century establishments in England Southwell, Nottinghamshire Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Ewan Christian buildings Religious buildings and structures completed in 956 10th-century church buildings in England