Summary. The high altar area has a Victorian Gothic Revival style designed by George Gilbert Scott, 1850s. It used Midland’s craftsmen and Midland’s materials including alabaster from Tutbury, red marble from Chatsworth and semi-precious stones from the Derbyshire mines. The sedilia were thoroughly repaired remnants of the original 15th-century high altar screen.
After many meetings and consultation
with multiple architects, canons and advisors each making drawings on the
possible new layout for the choir, presbytery and high altar, it was agreed in September
1857 to accept the complete recommendations of George Gilbert Scott. His design
included a choir and presbytery stretching 6 bays from the crossing and ending
at a 13th-century style reredos. This reredos was placed where the medieval
altar once stood. There would be 3 bays of stalls for clergy and the choir with
the pulpit on the north side (later abandoned) and the bishop’s chair (cathedra)
on the south side. Canopies above the stalls were initially considered, but
never followed up. Exits to the side aisles were located by the 4th bay
(counting from the crossing). The eastern, sanctuary bay would have canopied
sedilia on the south side and arcading on the north side.
Layout of choir and presbytery
Presbytery to the High Altar
Very little interruption to
services occurred in the reordering of the choir and presbytery[1]
and by the time of the opening in 1861, the floor of the presbytery was still
incomplete and the foundations to the reredos was simply marked out.
Reredos[2]
The reredos was designed by Scott and cost £2000 with all
materials deliberately taken from locations in the diocese. Statues were made
of alabaster from Fauld near Tutbury and brown looking columns behind the altar
table made of rare red marble (Duke’s Red) from the Chatsworth estate and
agreed by the Duchess of Devonshire. The centre was a bas-relief of the
Ascension, with, a figure of "The Lamb" underneath. On each side two
compartments contained the emblems of the four evangelists. Around the middle
arch, stones were embedded from Derbyshire mines and included red jasper, blue
john and malachite green (Derbyshire was in the diocese until 1884).
Reredos
1900, still to have the statues of C. E. Kempe added.
Reredos today in Lent
Reredos
showing embedded stones.
High
altar cross
The cross
was designed by
Charles Ashbee in 1906. At the top is a small figure of Chad and around him are
angels.
High altar cross. The figure of Chad is at the top.
Sedilia
This
is the remnant of the original 15th-century high altar screen later added in
1788 to the choir screen and then recovered by Scott in pieces. Scott had it
remade with plaster and Bath stone and the repair was extraordinary. The
much-repaired south sedilia was completed in 1869-70. The north sedilia was not completed until 1914.
Sedilia
north side (left) and south side (right).
Woodwork
All the wood carving was done in the studio of William Evans
at Ellastone in East Staffordshire. He is said to have been the model for Seth
in George Elliot’s "Adam Bede," and was a cousin of the authoress.
There is much natural foliage in the carving, with figures of apostles, kings,
and bishops, and panels representing scenes from Old Testament history. The
Bishop's Throne is by the same carpenter. It was presented by the clergy of
Derbyshire when that county transferred from the diocese to the new diocese of
Southwell in 1884.
Pavement
The tiled pavement between the stalls was made by Minton of
Stoke, under the direction of Colin Minton-Campbell. It was a layout based on
the pattern of old tiles found in the cathedral and left over from the Civil
War. The pavement in the presbytery was made of incised stone with marble
borders. There are four large medallions, which show scenes in the history of
the diocese with Chad surrounded by kings and bishops who had some connection
with the see. The scheme was arranged by Scott, but the medallions designed by
the Revd. J. Pitman, headmaster of Rugeley Grammar School.
Three roundels in the presbytery floor. From the left, Chad being consecrated bishop of Northumbria at York, Chad being given a horse by Archbishop Theodore and asked to go to Lichfield and Chad being buried in his grave in the nave area.
The pavement within the rails was given by Minton and designed by Clayton and Bell. The seven subjects from the Old Testament were inspired by tiles from Chertsey Abbey, Surrey, and now in the V & A museum.
Pavement within the sanctuary.
