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Llandaff Cathedral
| £25.00 |
"This long awaited but splendid book by Nick Lambert and his co-authors.. tribute is due to the team who produced it, with my thanks for their dedication and enthusiasm."
Jenny Metcalf, Friend of Llandaff Cathedral
This is the first new book to be published about Llandaff Cathedral for more than a century. As the seat of the Archbishop of Wales, Llandaff is the hub of the Church in Wales. The cathedral dates to the eleventh century and is one of the landmark buildings of both Cardiff and Wales. In this welcome and overdue book expert authors guide us through the history, architecture, art and heritage of the cathedral from Roman times to the twenty-first century. The building and its ornamentation include almost every style in that long period as it was developed through extension, refurbishment and redevelopment. The story includes resurrection from extensive bomb damage during the Second World War and the controversial majestas by Epstein that made the cathedral national news in the sixties. Accessibly written for the lay reader, the book is heavily illustrated with line drawings, plans, and archive and contemporary photographs. The research for the book has brought to light fascinating, never before seen images from the cathedral archive and elsewhere.
Essay subjects include:
The Cathedral until the Reformation
Three Centuries, Three Restorations
Art in the Cathedral
Cathedral Glass
A Brief History of the Llandaff Bells
Music in the Cathedral
Comments
Review by Philip Morris, Archdeacon of Margam, Croeso
Although small in comparison to many of those in England, nevertheless Llandaff Catherdral has history, art and architecture second to none. It's a story of construction and destruction and its fascinating blend of Norman. Early Gothic, Victorian and 20th century work make it worthy of serious study and casual exploration. The usual Pitkin Pictorial and Young People's Guide have been available for some time, but now a substantial, long awaited and important book has been published about Llandaff Cathedral...which provides both the general reader and student with its story, pulling together material found in various sources, but also taking into account latest research and developments. The book is a collection of essays written by experts in their own field which include a history of the diocese and Catherdral, a study of the art and stained glass contained within the cathedral, the story of its bells, and the development of music, bringing it up to date with a description of the new organ, completed for Easter 2010. The book is lavishly illustrated with line drawings, plans, and archive and contemporary photographs, many of which have not appeared in print before. This book is worthy of a place on the coffee table or bookshelf of all those who know and love Llandaff Cathedral. Its detailing is impressive; its historical illustrations are fascinating. As the present Dean writes in the Preface: "I hope that this book will be read and enjoyed by members of our Cathedral and Parish and the wider Diocese and will help to spread Llandaff's name to more distant places.
Philip Morris, Archdeacon of Margam Croeso
Review by Planet
The four authors of this book, including Nick Lambert, a lecturer in the history of Art at Birkbeck College, survey the building's dramatic story, from earliest times to the present. Their styles vary widely. Lambert's overview of the first 1,200 years provides an illuminating introduction for the general reader, while other accounts, which cover the architecture, art and stained glass, read at times like exhaustively researched specialist monographs.
Mary-Ann Constantine, Planet Issue 201
Review from The Magazine of the Cathedral & Parish of Llandaff
This long awaited but splendid book by Nick Lambert and his co-authors about the history and architecture of Llandaff cathedral is a welcome tribute to one of the most inspirational of our British cathedrals. Most cathedrals have a chequered history, Llandaff perhaps more than most, and the early part of this book covers the history of the cathedral from Romano-British times to the present day. The most alarming aspects of the history include Owain Glyndwr's rebellion in the early fifteenth century when much of the area was laid waste, followed by slow decline. The Reformation was followed by despoiling and looting, surprisingly by some of the cathedral Canons! Subsequently the cathedral fell into quiet decay until the insertion of an Italianate temple in the ealry nineteenth century. This was a short lived disaster although, curiously, a similar structure is still in existence in Faversham, Kent. So many questions are answered within this comprehensive book and tribute is due to the team who produced it, with my thanks for their dedication and enthusiasm.
Jenny Metcalf, Friend of Llandaff Cathedral