We leave the retrochoir by the South choir aisle. We observe the stained glass windows at left, and two tombs on the right. PLAN
102. BISHOP ANDREWES’ TOMB
Lancelot Andrewes was a great scholar, preacher and saint of the 17th century. The original part of the tomb, the effigy of Andrewes and the cresting on the north side is by a Flemish refugee, Gerard Johnson. It shows Andrewes wearing the mantle of the Order of the Garter (one of only three in the country) as the Bishops of Winchester are Prelates to the Order of the Garter.
103. AISLE WINDOWS
The rather abstract panel at left needs some interpretation! The window at right shows the risen Christ. The Latin text reads: Give us your light.
104. BISHOP TALBOT’S MONUMENT
This monument to the first Bishop of Southwark is a cenotaph or empty tomb as Talbot went on to become Bishop of Winchester where he was buried. The effigy shows the bishop in cope and mitre with the symbols of the four Gospel writers at the corners. This is one of the Cathedral's most attractive memorials.
105. HOW MANIFOLD ARE THY WORKS
This interesting window shows King David playing his lyre at top. Beneath is the Christ child with his parents. The text reads: How manifold are thy works.
106. SOUTH CHOIR AISLE II
Continuing down the South choir aisle, we pause to look back towards the retrochoir. Two large tapestries are on our left.
107. TAPESTRIES
The angels on these matching tapestries bear a banner and a sword, and a budding branch. With some abbreviations, the text reads: Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me, and in God’s house for ever more my dwelling place shall be.
108. ORGAN PIPES
This splendid pipe organ has an international reputation. It was built in 1897 and would cost over £1m at modern prices. It required major repair work in the early 1990s and an appeal fund was established to raise £200,000 to fund the work. The wind to the organ is supplied by electric fans in the Cathedral roof.
110. ORGAN AND ARMS
The organ contains 61 stops and 3,248 pipes, ranging from 32 foot to the length of a pencil. It also uses 12 bellows, of an average 5 foot x 3 foot and the electric pneumatic mechanism contains 570 actions for admitting wind to the pipes. Cardinal Henry Beaufort was the natural son of John of Gaunt. In about 1420 he assisted with the completion of the tower and the rebuilding of the south transept. His coat of arms can be seen at right.
111. TRANSEPT SOUTH WALL
There are various memorials on the South wall. These remembered include: William Clarke, Thomas Cole, James Goulding, (Chaplain) Thomas Jones, and the men and women of No 57(?) London Fire Force who gave their lives in WWII.
112. SOUTH TRANSEPT WEST WALL
In the South Transept (left) is a monument to John Bingham, saddler to both Elizabeth I and James I. He was a benefactor of the local grammar school and also one of the ‘Bargainers’, a group of parishioners who bought the church in 1611 from James I for £800. Sir Frederick Wigan (middle right) was the first Treasurer of the newly created Cathedral in 1905 and a generous benefactor, donating many of the building's furnishings.
113. SOUTH TRANSEPT COLOURS
It is an old tradition for the colours of various disbanded regiments to hang in cathedrals. The colurs shown here include those of the Royal British Legion.
115. PULPIT
The pulpit, choir stalls, and Bishop's throne, all date from the 19th and 20th centuries.
116. NORTH CHOIR STALLS
The Choir is a fine example of Early English work. There are five bays and the piers, alternately circular and octagonal, attach to triple vaulting shafts.
117. SOUTH CHOIR STALLS
In cathedrals, the Choir area is often referred to as the chancel.
118. ROYAL ARMS
At the West end of the choir hangs a Royal Arms. The text is: ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense, Semper Eadem’ which translates to ‘Shamed be he who thinks evil of it, Always the Same’. The initials A R stand for Anne Regina, referring to Anne Boleyn.
119. LECTERN
The lectern stands at the East end of the chancel. It is in the shape of an eagle, the bird thought to fly closest to heaven, and referring to the verse in Isaiah 40:31: ‘they will soar on wings as eagles’.
120. CATHEDRA
Adjacent to the sanctuary area is the Bishop’s Throne or, in Greek, ‘cathedra’. It is from here that this church takes the name ‘cathedral’. The back of the throne bears the crest of the Southwark Diocese.