On the grey memorial we noticed earlier are inscribed the names of the Welsh Fusiliers who gave their lives in the First World War. Nearby is a stand of what appear to be kneelers: each bearing a shield with a cross. PLAN
22. NORTHWEST NAVE
The small Northwest corner of the Nave is bounded by the North row of Gothic arches, and the North side door. There are various historical display boards in this area, but also a stained glass window. This shows the Archangel Michael defeating a dragon alongside a victorious Christ figure carrying a very English banner!.
23. NAVE WALL
Looking along the North wall we notice a map next to the door at left, and an iron chest, just visible bottom right. A special memorial is on the wall at left, and then three windows, the first of which has clear glass. The green ‘box’ in the distance is actually an Easter Tomb Garden, and then our way leads us to the North transept.
24. MAP AND CHEST
The map is interesting as it shows the route of the north Wales Pilgrims’ Way, which leads from Basingwerk Abbey, past St Asaph and Bangor, and down to St David’s. The iron chest was the work of a noted smith, Robert Davies, and dates from 1738. It was originally used to store the Cathedral Plate.
25. WAR MEMORIALS
Along this wall are a number of memorials to those from St Asaph who died in WWI and WWII. In the small WWII plaque notice the name of Nurse Margaret Owen. And on the windowsill is an icon of Our Lady of Walsingham. There is a whole interesting story about this little town in Norfolk where a widow had a vision of the Virgin Mary, but I am unsure of the connection with St Asaph.
26. TOMB GARDEN
Many churches and cathedrals have a tomb garden around Easter time, to help children understand better the Resurrection of Christ. Behind this garden is an attractive two-lancet window with Samuel in prayer and David playing his lyre.
27. SAINTS WINDOW AND BEYOND
Beyond the tomb garden is a final stained glass window, another war memorial plaque, and a wooden cross. The window is called the Saints Window. It pictures the two patron saints of this Cathedral : St Asaph and St Kentigern (Welsh Cyndeyrn) or Mungo, who lived from ca 518 – 603. The window shows a scene from the legend ‘The fish and the ring’, and also shows Asaph carrying coals in his apron to warm Kentigern.
29. ORGAN PIPES
This appears to be the end view of the organ pipes, and they form a fine set. The Cathedral has a rich musical tradition. Piers Roberts recorded that in 1635 ‘ye greate and newe organ in ye Cathedral Churche was sett up’. From 1675-86 it was cared for by the famous organ builder ‘Farther Smith’. This instrument was sold in 1740 and replaced by an organ costing £447 and built by Abraham Jordan and placed in the east crossing.
In 1834, for the same price, William Hill of London replaced Jordan’s organ with a one-manual organ. This instrument was placed by Thomas Jones, the Cathedral architect, on the new stone screen at the west crossing, which separated the choir from the nave.
In 1867 the firm Wm Hill removed the organ from this position and rebuilt it in the north transept. A hundred years ago the organ was rebuilt by the firm who proudly stated ‘We take peculiar interest in this instrument because among many Cathedrals with which we are connected and which contain an organ this is we believe our longest connection …’ The 1897 instrument was a four-manual organ and has been judged ‘… as a superb example of British organ building at its best’. … More at #59 …
30. NORTH TRANSEPT
This transept is set up quite informally with a simple covered altar resting on a Persian carpet. A small number of chairs are arranged in an arc in front of it. A small plaque is set in the floor immediately in front of the altar. It reads: ‘The entrance to the vault of John Lexmoore D.D. Bishop of St Asaph and of his family January MDCCCXXX.’
31. TRANSEPT AUMBRY
In the far corner, beyond the altar, there is a small aumbry in the wall, and a lighted sanctuary lamp. The lamp shows that Reserved Elements of the Eucharist are presently stored in the aumbry.
32. ACROSS THE TRANSEPT
Looking back across the transept from the aumbry corner we see the entrance from the nave at left, a framed painting, and to the right, a banner and flowers. By the nave entrance is a blue sign with gold text: ‘Capel y Cyfieithmyr’ or ‘The Chapel of the Translators’.
33. TRANSEPT PAINTING
This painting is a copy of ‘Madonna of the Harpies’ – an altarpiece in oils by·Andrea del Sarto, a major painter of the·High Renaissance. It was commissioned in 1515 and signed and dated by the artist in 1517 in the inscription on the pedestal; it is now in the·Uffizi·in Florence.· It shows St Francis of Assisi at left, and St John the Evangelist at right. The harpies are the little monsters shown at the corners of the pedestal.
34. CORNER OF THE TRANSEPT
The banner in this corner is that of the Diocese of St Asaph, showing a family group at the foot of a cross.
35. CATHEDRAL INFORMATION SHEET
We now leave the North transept and return to the Information Desk near the West door. This pamphlet available for visitor use is an excellent source of information about the Cathedral. The sheet is also available online.
36. FONT
The font stands close to the Information Desk in the Southwest corner of the nave. It is a solid standard font of octagonal design. Baptism is regarded by the Church as the rite of entry to the Church and the Christian life; for this reason the font is often placed near the entrance of a church or cathedral. This font was desecrated during the Civil War and was taken to the river and used as a watering trough by Cromwell’s soldiers. Following the War it was returned to the Cathedral.
37. SOUTHWEST NAVE
Plenty of interest in this rather cluttered corner of the nave! Two stained glass windows, a statue, memorials and a Bible display. The base of the font is just visible at right.
38. SOUTH NAVE WINDOWS
The interesting window shown at left could almost be based on ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. It shows six scenes of a pilgrim’s walk, with accompanying affirmative passages of Scripture. The window at right, on the West wall, shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and blessing the children.
39. WILLIAM SHIPLEY STATUE
William Davies Shipley (1745 – 1826) was an Anglican priest who served as Dean of St Asaph for nearly 52 years, from 1774 until his death. In a legal cause célèbre which became known as the Case of the Dean of St Asaph, he was tried and convicted on a charge of seditious libel in 1784, but was discharged by the Court of King’s Bench a few months later without being punished.
40. MEMORIALS AND BIBLES
Around on the South wall there are some old memorials above a display of historic Bibles. The wall itself here is of some interest, with a history of its own. The old Bibles relate to the important part various local identities had in the translation of the Bible into Welsh. One might have thought that this display rightly belongs in the Translators’ Chapel.
