Vampire Bunny

Before I stepped into the cathedral I took a tour of its perimeter. Rather bizarrely, I had an encounter with a ‘Vampire Bunny.’ This menacing bunny sat above the door of one of the buildings that faced the cathedral. The rabbit definitely has fangs and I suspect would be pretty useless for eating carrots. It dates back to 1901 and nobody really knows why it was put there. Suggestions include: deterring grave robbers, or an aesthetic joke by the architects. One theory suggests it may be a reference to a local physician, Sir George Hare Philipson. It is certainly a curiosity. 

West End

I walked into  the west end of the cathedral. This provided a wonderful view eastwards along its length to the large stained glass window at the other end. There were a few statues of notables including Lord Admiral Collingwood who picked up the batten at the Battle of Trafalgar when Nelson took one for the team. 

St Margaret's Chapel was positioned at the western end of the cathedral. The stained glass window of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus was around 600 years old. There was also an effigy of a mysterious medieval knight. Nobody knows who he was although the style of the armour suggests he lived around 1350. An information board asks you to identify the animal that lies at the knight’s feet.
‘Is it a lion, a sign of valour and nobility, or a dog to show loyalty?’ it ponders.
It actually looked like a sheep to me. What was that supposed to represent? Meekness? That doesn’t sound very appealing for a knight. 

East End

I made my way down to the Quire. This was a very impressive place. The Victorian artist Ralph Hedley directed the carvings of the wonderful beasts that adorn the furniture there. There are dragons, angels, a griffin, eagles, pelicans and the Green Man. For reference, a griffin is part lion and part eagle, whilst the Green Man was a pagan symbol of seasonal renewal.   

As I wandered around the Quire and inspected all these amazing little carvings, I couldn’t help overhearing a conversation between two nearby organists. One was giving the other some inside technical knowledge on playing the instrument. The conversation ended and the understudy started practising. He was really rather good. 

East End

The lectern was based on a brass eagle and is apparently the oldest lectern in northern England. Eagles are a popular design for lecterns because they are associated with St John, whose Gospel begins, ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ 

The Victorians added the reredos at the High Altar. It was a stunning piece of work, although it was roped off and you couldn’t really see the detail of the carved figures. The reredos blocked the view of the east window which was a bit of a shame. To see the window as a whole, it was necessary to stand quite close to it on the other side of the reredos. It was a 15th century window with 19th century glass.   

The cathedral hosts a Wetheringsett Organ that was on loan from the Royal College of Organists. An information board stated that the soundboard of the organ was discovered in a farmhouse in Wethersingsett, Suffolk in 1977. It was being used as a dairy door. The instrument currently on show was a reconstruction of an English pre-Reformation organ built in 2001-02. 

St George's Chapel

St George’s Chapel was on the north side of the cathedral. Although it was around 400 years old, it did have a modern twist to it. One of its stained glass windows portrayed St Oswald and St Cuthbert, icons of the early church. Another window though mixed historical references to those of modern day too. This included a picture of a ship, some coal mines and oil derricks. These were included to celebrate local industrialists. 

Andrew Laing was an early 20th century shipbuilder and worked on transatlantic liners and battleships. The ship in the stained glass was the SS Maurentania. Laing's company designed Mauretania’s engines. At its launch in 1906, it was the world’s largest ship. It held both the east and westbound trans Atlantic crossing times for 20 years. 

Font

I returned to the 15th century limestone  font at the west end of the cathedral. In 1640 some marauding Scottish Reformers entered Newcastle and the stone mason Cuthbert Maxwell decided to dismantle the font and hide it. He’d just witnessed the font at St John’s in Grainger street being destroyed. It was returned to its position a few years later. Looking closely, the wooden canopy hanging above the font was off-centre. This was because the cathedral’s tower has shifted over time. Given the amount of stone in the tower above me, I thought it was best to make a quick exit.    

I enjoyed my tour around Newcastle’s St Nicholas Cathedral. There were plenty of things to see and an abundance of information boards to set some context. I particularly like the creative carvings in the Quire.