Trust Visit - TrustNews Jun 11
The stained glass windows of Winchester Cathedral and the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Lyndhurst
Our Winchester Trust outing commenced in the Cathedral, divided into three groups, each with a guide. Although the Cathedral had much of its medieval stained glass destroyed during the Commonwealth period, we were shown a wealth of fascinating fragments from the 14th and 15th centuries which survived the destruction by Cromwell's armies. Many of the stained glass windows are from the 19th and 20th centuries and we were given a fascinating explanation of the ways in which both glass techniques and subject matter evolved from just before the Pre-Raphaelites until shortly after. The guides, led by Mary Calle kept us enthralled for two hours, not only explaining the subject matter but also the research that had gone into the understanding of this great art of conveying stories to the observer.
We then adjourned to the Leamans' garden on a beautiful spring day for a sandwich and strawberry lunch, before going on to the afternoon session in the church of St.Michael and all Angels in Lyndhurst. Our afternoon talk was led by Michael Morris, a Winchester Trust member who now resides in Exeter and is an authority on the Victorian period. St Michael's we were informed is considered to be within the top ten finest Victorian churches in the country. The architect, William White, was an eccentric but on occasions developed brilliantly designed buildings. He was too individualistic to fit comfortably into any of the then current architectural/artistic movements but nonetheless was recognised by contemporary architects and artists as being one of the most innovative designers of this period.
The outside of the building on first sight appears simple without being fussy. A closer examination, however, reveals many ingenious ideas which cleverly resolved detail problems. The inside is amazing with celebrated craftsmen being used to achieve extraordinary effects with brickwork, joinery, and stonework detailing. As icing on the cake the church contains stained glass windows by Burne-Jones from the Morris workshop and some later glass by Charles Kempe.
The afternoon visit linked us back to the stained glass in the Cathedral by some of the same artist craftsmen. A truly memorable day and all our thanks go to the Cathedral team led so ably by Mary Calle and her two guides for such a comprehensive introduction to the glass, and to Michael Morris who introduced us to William White and the remarkable Lyndhurst Church.