WI Notes
Mr Paul Shakeshaft gave a most interesting talk to the W.I in September. His
subject was Kings College Chapel and he had obviously made a study of the
history and architecture of the building.
In 1440 Henry VI began to build the Chapel of the Virgin Mary and St. Nicolas. It is 300 feet long and very tall, the oldest and largest building in the area, very impressive when seen in an aerial photograph. Mr Shakeshaft showed slides of other cathedrals - Exeter, York, Gloucester, Ely, Norwich - and it could be seen that certain types of architecture had been copied from these earlier buildings.
After Henry VI died Edward IV continued building but it was not until Henry
Viii took over that the chapel was completed. The team of Royal carvers
employed by Henry VIII completed the amazing stonework in the west end in just
9 months, and the beautiful fan vault (ceiling) of the chapel, similar to that
in Norwich Cathedral, took just 36 months. To this day no one knows exactly how
it was built. In places there is a Spanish influence (Katherine of Aragon) and
the initials of Henry and Ann Boleyn are carved in stone.
At the end of Mr. Shakeshaft's talk we all felt we must definitely pay another visit to Kings College Chapel while all this interesting information is fresh in our minds.
Do come to the Village Hall on 17th October and bring your friends when the Barbershop Singers will be entertaining us at 8 o'clock after our business meeting.