Rochester Cathedral - History - Modern Foundation - 19th Century Onwards

19th Century Onwards

Between 1825 and 1830 Lewis Nockalls Cottingham was in charge. The quire and its south transept were reroofed due to dry rot. The wall between the main transept and the south quire aisle was still leaning, and the previous century's work had actually worsened the situation. Cottingham built a new external face which effectively buttresses the original wall. The tower was demolished and rebuilt without a spire. The east end was remodelled by lowering the altar and removing the old altar screen. Various windows and arches were opened up and in one of them the tomb of Bishop John de Sheppey was discovered.

Cottingham remained in charge for the next period of restoration. From 1840 the pulpit and bishop's throne were rebuilt. The removal of the old pulpit revealed the medieval wheel of life painting to be seen at the eastern end of the choir stalls today. It is said to be the oldest such painting in England. A new ceiling of the crossing, new canopy for John de Sheppey, cleaning whitewash and the renovation of the crypt all occurred at this time.

From 1871 until 1877 the work was entrusted to Sir George Gilbert Scott. The first phase of the work was to repair the clerestory of the nave, the nave could then be used for service whilst the choir and transepts were worked upon. The south transept was underpinned and the timber vaulting renovated. The north transept had new western windows and a new door. both had the masonry renovated. The gables and roofs were restored to their old high pitch form based on prints. The organ screen was restored to its original plain form, perhaps a mistake since there was now no screen on the other side of the pupitum as there had been in the days of St. Nicholas' alter. The east end gables were raised, but due to lack of funds the roof has still not been raised to match. The east window ("ugly" according to Palmer) was replaced with the present lancets. The floor of the presbytery was lowered and the whole eastern part of the building refloored. The choir and prebends stalls were renovated, using original material where possible. The work uncovered the original fleur-de-lys and leopard artwork on which Scott based his decoration of the quire.

In memory of Dean Scott the choir screen was decorated with the current statues by Mr J L Pearson. Pearson also superintended the 1888 restoration of the west front, parts of the facing of which were separating from the core. The flanking towers were restored to the original height and form and the north gable turret rendered as a copy of its partner to the south. During this work the foundations of the original church were discovered and marked out as noted above.

In 1904 the present spire was raised upon the Scott tower, creating the skyline as it is today. During 1998 the precinct outside the west end was repaved and the Saxon foundations uncovered further. The coloured sets extend define the outline.

For the 1400th anniversary of the cathedral, in 2004, a new fresco was painted by Russian icon painter Sergei Fyodorov.