Portrait of James Wyatt
James Wyatt, 1746–1813,[1] a
local architect specialising in neo-classical style, was commissioned to
upgrade the choir-presbytery area of the cathedral and this led to further
fundamental repair of the stonework. The initial project was for the convenience
of worshippers and the subsequent project was for the restoration of part of
the cathedral. His work[2],[3].
was heavily criticised, especially in a later time by Victorian restorers, but it
was not always his fault. He has been identified as the first of the ‘Gothic
romantics’.[4] He
showed a building would thrill by its sheer scale, so opening it up to a
greater size and making it simpler, as well as dark and gloomy, was his idea of
beauty. His problem was he removed areas of the cathedral, such as a large
presbytery, which had a ritual function. Wyatt preferred simplicity destroying
chapels, tombs and rood screens in the name of architectural purification.[5]
 |
| Layout of the church at some time between 1700 and 1739 as drawn by William Walmisley for Stebbing Shaw’s book, 1798. Note the heavy screen between the crossing and the choir. |
First project: Changes for convenience of worshippers.
Wyatt was asked in 1781 to
forward suggestions for reordering the eastern end of the cathedral and plans
were submitted in 1785. In March 1787, work began to increase the size of the
choir area and make it more comfortable for clergy, choristers, and
congregation. Whenever, there was a sermon on the second Sunday in the month all
the listeners in the choir stalls had to move to the nave where the pulpit was
positioned. They joined parishioners from the town, many having attended
worship in their own churches. The cathedral was cold and showed signs of age.
Wyatt estimated the work would cost £2020 (a few changes were made later)
At the end of 1787, pews and the
pulpit were removed from the nave. The old pulpit went to Elford Church. The
nave brick floor was replaced with Derbyshire Hopton Stone slabs. Grave stones and
some coffins were taken outside; one grave had to be buried deeper. The nave now
became an empty area with only the font present. The seating in the choir area
was then extended into the Lady Chapel, which meant the removal of an old stone
screen that had separated the two sections. This sculptured screen with six
statues had been covered in whitewash during the Civil War. It was now cleaned,
repaired with plaster, and located in the approach to the choir from the
crossing. A small organ was placed on top.
The screen looking along the nave.
James Wyatt’s drawing of the sculptured screen viewed from the choir towards the nave, c. 1780.
Screen drawn in Britton 1820.
The wooden reredos was discarded.[6] Bishop Hacket’s monument was moved to the south choir aisle and his cathedra (bishop’s chair) with two stalls moved to the Consistory Court. See the post, ‘Bishop John Hacket.’ The old high altar was given to St Chad’s church. The new one had a 7-branched candlestick. Some prebend’s stalls were removed and 48 repainted; 24 were placed each side of the middle aisle. On the north side the stalls extended to the pulpit and on the south side were limited by the new cathedra. Vaultings were cleaned and windows repaired. The old floor had previously been paved in a lozenge (diamond) pattern with black cannel coal from Beaudesert and white alabaster. It was replaced with grey and white marble tiles in a lozenge pattern. The six richly painted wall statues in the choir of Peter, Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalen, Philip, James, and Christopher had been badly mutilated in the Civil War and were removed. Plaster buttresses and pinnacles were added to the Lady Chapel; but later removed by G. Gilbert Scott. The Lady Chapel was given a painted window of the Resurrection executed by Francis Eginton.[7] Two adjoining windows were left to receive painted windows once funds were found. The rest of the Lady Chapel windows were given curtains to retain heat and help focus on the end window. After the Civil War the four western choir bays had been filled between the pillars with stalls to reduce draughts. These bays and four eastern bays in the presbytery were now filled in with plaster. A simple heating system was added. The bishops throne and two sub-stalls were re-used in the Consistory Court.
These changes left a long,
narrow, dark, warmer and draughtproof church within and separate from a cold cathedral.
Critics moaned the Gothic cathedral had been reduced in style, the eastern
altar was difficult to see and acoustics had been changed. Wyatt was only
following the wishes of the cathedral managers. Indeed, he opposed the filling
in of the bays, but had to accede to the demands of churchmen. Joseph Potter
carried out the alteration and he too came in for criticism.
 |
| Plan of cathedral in 1820, from Britton, showing the extended choir-presbytery. |
Second project: Necessary Restoration
During the alteration of the nave and choir alarming
structural problems, such as cracks in the nave wall, were uncovered. A letter
in 1788[8]
stated the cathedral had grown much out of order and was in some parts ruinous.
In March 1788, Wyatt estimated the cost of repair and restoration to be £5950.
Subscriptions from the church and diocese amounted to £3270. A request for
funds was sent to the diocesan clergy and the total increased to £5200. The
shortfall was then borrowed. Work started immediately in 1788; it overlapped
the work in the choir.
Five of the seven stone vaults (bays 2–6) in the roof of the nave were replaced with stucco, lath and plaster, and painted wood to reduce the weight of the roof[9] and stop the pushing outwards of the walls. Lead on the roof was replaced with stone slates. Three additional trusses were added to the roof and the pitch was lowered. Three stone buttresses were repaired. The roofs of the side aisles were raised to the height they were before the Civil War to give additional support to the walls. In later years this artificial Gothic roof was much derided. It is difficult to know whether the funds raised would have enabled a new, lighter stone roof, even if it could have been fabricated. When G. Gilbert Scott was later asked if the roof could be returned to a stone structure, he declined. Many visitors do not notice the roof is false.
On the west wall of the nave Wyatt added an imitation Georgian gallery made of timber and plaster. The flimsy platform was removed by Scott.
Drawing of
the gallery (Britton 1820)
The inside
and outside steps were repaired. All columns, including capitals and bases,
were supposedly restored. Windows were reglazed. A rebuild of the clerestory
was abandoned. The middle spire was taken down and rebuilt, but no date for
this is known. Wyatt’s work ended in 1793[10]
and Joseph Potter became the cathedral architect. However, there is some
evidence Potter was acting for Wyatt; it is unclear.
Much stone
work was re-pointed, despite considerable repairs between 1773 and 1780 when
local masons carried out a general maintenance of the roofs and walls. New, very
large, tapering buttresses were added to the south transept; the date for this is
not known. The south spire was strengthened in 1794.[12] Between
1795–7, the groins, walls, and roof of the north transept were repaired
extensively. Windows in the transepts were ornamented with the arms of the
nobility and gentry of the diocese at their expense. In 1796, the vestry or
sacristy off the south choir aisle was appropriated for use as a consistory
court. In 1799, access to the library was improved.
James Wyatt
in retrospect is either admired or loathed. He ignored or removed much medieval
Gothic architecture and replaced it with ‘Georgian Gothic’ including the use of
much sculptured stucco. Pugin called him ‘the destroyer’ and Potter ‘the pupil
of the wretch himself.’ Many of his works did not last; many being removed in
the counter-culture of Victorian high Gothic.[13]
Despite his charming, amiable, hard-working, and accommodating nature, Wyatt
frequently pushed ahead with great renovation having little regard for heritage.
Those who loved gothic architecture were astonished at his depredation. He rarely
recycled preferring to use instead new materials and methods. This worked well
for large residences, but subsequently seen to be insensitive and disastrous
for old churches and cathedrals. In mitigation it has been said Wyatt made
great improvements with the lowest cost, but there is evidence his charges were
not always low. Some thought him to be original and creative, but churchmen
often found out too late this was not what resulted. The reality is the
churchmen should equally have been held responsible.
Cobb[14]
wrote, “It must be remembered that architects to cathedrals were never given
carte-blanche (at least not in theory) to carry out a repair or alteration.
They were employees of the Dean and Chapter and credit for whatever improvement
or vandalism was effected must be shared in varying degrees between architect
and cathedral body.”
[1]
Born 1746, at Blackbrook Farm, Weeford (side of A38, now an antique centre). He
became the ‘Surveyor General of the King’s Works’ to George III.
[2]
T. Cox, T. Survey of the ancient and present state of
Great Britain. (London: 1738), 231–332.
[3]
J. M. Frew, ‘Cathedral improvement: James Wyatt at Lichfield Cathedral,
1787–92, South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society
Transactions for 1977–8. (1979), 19, 33–46.
[4]
M. J. Lewis, The Gothic Revival. (London: 2002), 38.
[5]
Ibid. 41. “His freewheeling restorations of Durham, Salisbury, Hereford and
Westminster Abbey earned him an indelible reputation for ruthlessness”. “His
controlling idea was to treat the cathedral as an artistic whole, to unify its
disparate parts into one overwhelming space.”
[6]
The reredos was a gift of Dean Smallwood in 1678 and was a replica of one in
the Royal Chapel of Whitehall Palace. It was alleged to have been designed by
Christopher Wren; Dean Savage stated this was fiction. It is possible the
screen was left in the Sacristy, but thereafter its fate is unknown. See R.
Prentis, ‘Rearranging the furniture, 1785–2010’, Unpub. article in Cathedral
Library. (2013).
[7]
Some assumed it was taken from a design by Joshua Reynolds, but there is no
evidence.
[8]
From Dr Simon Pegge, a prebendary and antiquarian of the cathedral.
[9]
Estimated to have been 500 tons, causing a bowing outward of 13–14 inches. The
new roof was estimated to be one twentieth the original weight.
[10]
Between 1787 and 1793 Wyatt appears to be acting alone without Joseph Potter.
[11]
Joseph Potter junior became the cathedral architect 1794-1842. He was
responsible for many changes on the west front, including the use of Roman
Cement for restoring the statues. See R. B. Lockett, ‘Joseph Potter: Cathedral
architect at Lichfield 1794–1842, South Staffordshire Archaeological and
Historical Society Transactions 1979–1980. (1980), 21, 34–49.
[12]
In 1842, the top 41 feet had to be rebuilt.
[13]
It is possible Wyatt’s Georgian Gothic and Gilbert Scott’s Victorian Gothic have
minimal imitation of medieval Gothic. Both claimed they knew what a Gothic
cathedral should look like, but both were products of their own times. Also,
materials and methods have also changed over time. Architects need to criticise
past innovation in order to substantiate new design.
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