This
is a view of Christ Church Gate from Mercery Lane and this stretch of what is
now, part of the pedestrian precincts in Canterbury, must be one of the most
photographed places in the World. The last figures that I saw were ten years
ago when the estimate was that there were about two and a half million tourists
passing through Canterbury each year and I'm sure that number has increased
substantially since then. If any of you live in towns of an equivalent size
to Canterbury where the population is sixty thousand, you will be able to imagine
the congestion that this kind of traffic would create through your community.
Anyway, back to the point, which is that I would estimate that most of the people
that visit the Cathedral walk up, or down, Mercery Lane and click their cameras
at least once in the process.
The gate, which is the main entrance to the Cathedral Precincts was originally built in the Tudor period. Carvings of the "Tudor Rose" can be seen in several places over the main archway together with the arms of Henry VII, the Father of Henry VIII. It is probable, given the assumed date of construction and some of the other arms that are carved here, that the Gate was constructed as a tribute to Arthur, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Henry VII, who died at the age of sixteen in 1502. It was his wife, the Spanish Princess, Katherine of Aragon, that Henry VIII married following the death of his brother. The arms of both Arthur and Katherine appear on the gate together with several of the then nobility, some of whom held estates in Kent at the time. The arms of these indivduals that are also supported by a line of angels are; Sir Henry Guldeford, Sir William Scott, Sir John Fyneaux, Sir Edward Poynings, Sir Thomas Howard (Duke of Norfolk), Sir George Neville and Sir Charles Somerset (Earl of Worcester). From some of the other arms and crests that appear on the Gate, it is thought that the construction was not finally completed until about 1517.
The heavy oak gates were carved in 1660 to replace the originals which were
destoyed by Commonwealth troops in 1643. In fact, there was a lot of damage
done to the Gate and the Cathedral at that time. After originally being damaged
by Commonwealth troops, a statue of Christ that stood in the niche which is
detailed in the centre of this smaller picture, was eventually pulled down
and smashed at the instigation of the local puritan fanatic, Richard
Culmer, who was responsible for a lot of damage to the
Cathedral. This picture was taken before a new metal "sculpture" of Christ
was placed back in the niche about three years ago. The new addition, as I
think I have said somewhere else on this site, in my eyes is hideous and not
in keeping with the beautifully restored stonework and I wish that Robert
Culmer was around today and not in the 1600's.