CATHEDRAL STONES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20539, 14 April 1930, Page 12

CATHEDRAL STONES.

GIFTS FOR ST. PAUL'S. OLD ENGLISH RELICS PROMISED. Ancient stones from several English cathedrals aro to be incorporated in the new chancel for St. Paul's Church, Auckland. Two have already been received, one being from St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and the other from Canterbury Cathedral. The Dean of Westminster Abbey and the Dean of York Minister havo each promised a stono from those historic buildings, and a reply is being awaited from the Dean of Lichfield, to whom application was made in view of the association which Bishop Sclwyn had with that see. Old St. Paul's, which stood at tho top .of Shortland Street, was Bishop Selwyn's pro-cathedral. Bishop Selwyn is buried in Lichfield Cathedral. The Rev. C. A. B. Watson, vicar of St. Paul's, conceived the idea which is now being carried out. His plan was to build tho old stones into tho rood screen which is to divido the present navo from the proposed chancel. Jt has been decided, however, that tho two which have come to hand could bo better displayed in parts of the chancel other than the screen

Tho St. Paul's stono, which was taken from the interior of the dome during tho recent work of restoration," bears on its face, which is 15in. square, floral carving in high reliof, in tho Renaissance stylo. It dates from tho latter part of the seventeenth century, being part of the cathedral which Wren erected following tho destruction of tho original St. Paul's in the Great Fire of London. Tho clerk of works who supervised the restoration when this stono was removed has written as follows: "This particular block" of Portland stono was removed from tho cornice in tho dome area and is an exceptionally choice piece. The carving is a patrie, and this patrio design occurs between every modilion in this cornice. Tho leaves and boss were gilded, but I havo removed this as it was not Sir Christopher Wren's doing." I'rom Canterbury lias been recoivod a Norman capital of buff sandstone, bolievod to bo between 700 and 800 years old. Probably it was quarried at Caen, in Franco, and fashioned by Norman masons. " The chapter has asked me to inform you thnt it does not usually make theso grants to parish churches, but feels that yours is a very special case," wrote the agent to the cathedral.

The surveyor of Westminster Abbey, to whom tlio Auckland application was referred by (lie Dean, wrote: "Wo have to be careful to keep all the old stones which have any moulding or carving on them. They were discarded in times of ignorant and drastic restoration and are very valuable in throwing light on how things were before. Nowadays, of course, we do not discard any ancient stones, but proserve thorn nil, somehow, in position. Wo could llnd you a plain ancient stone, more or less square, and about the cubic foot you mention. There are one or two, but wo do not know from what part of the building they were removed."