Priory wall, c.1225-1340

Priory wall, c.1225-1340

The walls of the medieval priory of Saint Andrew survive in sections around the boundary of the Cathedral Precinct, particularly well preserved in the south-east corner.

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Bishop Hamo of Hythe (c.1275-1352)

Bishop Hamo of Hythe (c.1275-1352)

Perhaps second only to Gundulf in shaping the medieval Cathedral and St Andrew’s Priory, there is some evidence to suggest it may be down to Hamo and the turbulent times in which he lived that resulted in the two halves of Textus being bound together in the mid-fourteenth century.

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Crypt Colours

Crypt Colours

Randolph Jones investigates the medieval heralds of the crypt vaulting.

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Chapter Library Doorway, c. 1340

Chapter Library Doorway, c. 1340

Commissioned by Bishop Hamo de Hythe around the time of the Black Death, the Chapter Doorway is described as one of the finest examples of the English Decorated style, although we find issue its iconography today.

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Medieval Lady Chapel mural

Medieval Lady Chapel mural

Bishop’s Chaplain Lindsay Llewellyn-MacDuff discusses the medieval Lady Chapel mural in an extract from the Bertha's Daughters: A History of the Church in Kent

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Kings, Queens and Consorts

Kings, Queens and Consorts

The medieval equivalent of a datestone, dozens of regal sculpted heads adorn the Cathedral architecture, from the House of Normandy to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

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Demons and Dragons

Demons and Dragons

The medieval sculpture of the Nave Crossing features a bestiary of demons, dragons, imps and grotesques. Why did the builders and patrons of the medieval Cathedral fill their place of sanctity and refuge with such nightmarish imagery?

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Archaeology of the Priory Cloisters

Archaeology of the Priory Cloisters

Unlike most monastic establishments where the cloister (‘enclosed'/’seperate’ - the monastic part of the medieval Cathedral Precinct) ranges are to the south of the nave the cloister at Rochester is situated to the south of the presbytery and quire.

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Medieval tombs

Medieval tombs

Rochester Cathedral features twelve intact medieval coffin-tombs spaced around the east end of the building in proximity to the high altar. They were the final resting place of bishops of priors.

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The monastic cemetery, 1080-1540

The monastic cemetery, 1080-1540

The monks of Saint Andrew’s Priory were buried to the east of the Cathedral, beneath the site of the Old Deanery and Cathedral car park. Excavations during works over the past 30 years have revealed many skeletal remains from the area.

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