A masterpiece of Gothic Art
At some point between 1330-49, St Michael’s chapel and its adjoining Sacristy was added to the north side of St Mary’s chancel. The result is one of the greatest architectural achievements of the period.
The design and execution of this chapel is exemplary. To support the weight of the Priests’ Rooms above, the vaulting in the ceiling contains a series of intersecting ribs. These gracefully flow down into the columns, whose fluted designs evoke tree trunks.
St Michael’s chapel was the work of Ivo de Raughton, who (along with his son, Richard) was one of the finest architects working in England in the fourteenth century.
One never fails to be rewarded by taking the time to sit and reflect in this glorious space. Although relatively small, St Michael’s is perfect in its completeness, and its status as one of the great masterpieces of English Gothic art resolutely confirms St Mary’s national significance.
WHERE TO FIND ST MICHAEL’S CHAPEL: at the most north-easterly end of the church, beyond the organ and crypt.