St Edmundsbury Cathedral
South Aisle Stained Glass Windows
The Facts
Most of the stained glass in the Cathedral is Victorian, made by Clayton and Bell. The windows on the south side depict stories from the New Testament. Along the top row there are images of saints including St James, St Alban and St Edmund.
The exception to the windows is the first one on the south side. The glass in this window is much older. Originally there was no window here as the Abbey wall came up to the edge of St James’ church and blocked this opening. The stone work was opened up in the 1860s and this window created using old glass, possibly French or Flemish from the 14th century. The window tells the story of Susanna from the Apocrypha.
If you want to find out more about stained glass, look at the website of the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Development of Stained Glass The Stained Glass Museum, Ely
Have a go at making your own stained glass window;
Did you know…?
- The image of the Madonna and child (from top row of window 2 on the south side) was used as the image of the 2nd class Christmas stamp in the year 2000.
- Near the crossing, you will find a window depicting St Edmund. But a bit of artistic licence has been used. We know that Edmund was a young man when he became king of the East Angles and he was still only a young adult when he was killed by the Danes. The Victorian stained glass makers have turned Edmund into a ‘learned’ old man with a grey beard.
If you’d like a more in-depth tour, Cathedral Tours are available! Please speak to a welcomer to find out more details.