Peterborough Cathedral is an almost complete Romanesque church that was completed in the 13th century, and aside from a few restorations, little has been altered since then. The bulk of the church is 12th century Norman, and it even retains its apse and original flat wooden ceilings of nave and transept. The nave ceiling itself retains its early medieval painted decoration, which has mostly been over-painted in the 18th and 19th centuries. The final addition to the church prior to the Reformation is the ambulatory around the apse, a superb example of late medieval perpendicular with a stunning fan-vaulted ceiling.
Peterborough Cathedral was once known simply as Peterborough Abbey, but it has cathedral status since 1541. It was one of the most well-endowed monastic houses in the country and was the burial place of two queens. Katherine of Aragon lies on the north side of the choir, and Mary Queen of Scots was originally interred here before her son James I had her body moved to Westminster.
The cathedral was once a victim of the Civil War, and its monuments and furnishings were destroyed. The cloisters on the south side were demolished, and the Lady Chapel attached to the north transept was also demolished. In the following centuries, much was done to repair the building and bring it back into order. The 19th century saw major restorations, including the dismantling and rebuilding of the central tower owing to structural failure in the crossing piers.
Today, the cathedral is a marvel of architecture, and few cathedrals can rival its grandeur. However, it lacks the clutter of the centuries that other cathedrals often possess, and there are few windows of real note.
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2017-06-13 18:25:25