Choir

The look of the choir has changed a great deal since the earliest times. Originally there was a stone screen with the organ on top of it separating the nave from the choir. The wooden stalls, which you can still see, were much further west, most of them under the tower, and the place would have been generally dark and dingy. The floor was probably paved with plain slabs, and possibly featured monumental brasses as well.

The overall effect would have been to mark this part of the cathedral off from the rest, and there were two reasons why this was desirable. First, this was the place where the daily worship of the cathedral community took place, and it was intended to be seen as significant. Secondly, then as now, this was where the Bishop’s seat was, and due honour had to be given to it.