The
cathedral of the
Holy Trinity at
Chichester was founded in
1075, after the seat of the
bishop was transferred to the town from nearby
Selsey[?]. It was consecrated in
1108, but a subsequent fire created a need for substantial rebuilding, which was not completed until
1184. This was not the last stage in its development, by a long way.
Saint Richard[?], who was bishop from
1245 to
1253, is buried in the cathedral, where his shrine was a place of
pilgrimage. Further damage to the cathedral had been done by fire after the second consecration, and much rebuilding was carried out in the
Early English[?] style. The spire, which was originally built in the
14th century, was of poor-quality local stone, and collapsed suddenly in
1861, miraculously without loss of life. It was immediately rebuilt.
The cathedral has many unique features. Under the floor of the nave are the remains of a Roman mosaic pavement, which can be viewed through a glass window. Also in the interior are the grave of Gustav Holst and the "Arundel tomb" referred to in a famous poem by Philip Larkin. Chichester is the only medieval cathedral in England with a separate bell tower, and also the only one visible from the sea. Despite its age, it contains several modern works of art, including tapestries by John Piper[?] and Ursula Benker-Schirmer[?], a window by Marc Chagall, and a sculpture by Graham Sutherland[?].
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