Hereford Cathedral

There has been a religious building on this site since before the 8th century or maybe earlier. From the year 680 Hereford became the Diocesan home of the Bishop.

The Cathedral is dedicated to two Saints - St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert the King, who was beheaded in 794 by Offa King of Mercia. His body was brought to the church site and buried there. It later became a place of Pilgrimage to visit due to several alleged miracles that had happened there.

The first cathedral church was destroyed in 1056 by a band of Welsh & Irish mercenaries. The Cathedral then remained in ruins until 1079 (after the 1066 Norman invasion and occupation) when reconstruction commenced. The restoration was finally completed in 1148.

During the following 5 centuries several major alterations were made to the fabric and layout including the addition of a crypt in the Lady Chapel.

Another 19th century restoration designed by George Gilbert Scott a renowned church architect was actually reopened in 1863.

1786 saw the disastrous collapse of the West Tower. Architect James Wyatt was commissioned for the rebuild but his design was not viewed as popular. His west elevation was known as Wyatt's folly. The current version of the west front was designed by Oldrid Scott and finally completed in 1908

The first heating equipment to be installed in the Cathedral was in 1867 when four largest size Gurney type A stoves were fitted to warm the building. The stoves were sited in North Aisle; South Aisle; South East Transept and South Transept. The tender of local firm Messrs Bennett & Brown for £240.00 was accepted by the Dean & Chapter (see note in Chapter Act book). Bennett & Brown were agents for Gurney stoves.

Littlebury's directory 1867

In 1871 an advertisement was inserted in local newspapers inviting tenders for supplying coke to fire the stoves. The records in the Chapter Act Books (see later) show how the cost of anthracite coal escalated over the time period that the stoves were fired with solid fuel.

One must assume that underheating in some areas of the Cathedral continued to cause concern so in 1931 a second-hand Gurney was purchased from St Asaph's Catherdral in North Wales for £25.00. This stove was installed and fixed in the North Transept to provide heating to the Chained Library & Lady Chapel.

In 1989 it was decided to convert all of the stoves to gas firing, the work was carried out by British Gas, West Midlands. The local building firm of Capps & Capps doing the necessary trench works.

The Gurney stoves have now given over 150 years of service in warming this large cathedral building with its Grade 1 Listed status, but now sadly they are begining to show signs of age with some fins cracking and fire brick linings needing repair.

The stove was originally designed to sit in a shallow base trough that was filled with water which was heated by the stove that was intended to evaporate and moisten the atmosphere inside the heated building.

Ref: B 5 Page 216 - copyright Hereford Cathedral

South aisle looking west

The fourth Gurney stove was sited in the South Aisle. Sadly, however this stove was later destroyed by fire.
It was so badly damaged from the fire it had to be abandoned, and was eventually removed.
These photos remain the only evidence of its original location.

CHAPTER ACT BOOKS

The following extracts are from pages in the Chapter books that relate to items referring to church proceedings discussing heating of the Cathedral; purchasing the Gurney stoves; suppliers and cost of anthracite coal; problems with heating; repairs to the stoves; purchasing another stove.

It was resolved to purchase a second hand Gurney stove which has been offered
by the Dean and Chapter of St Asaph for £25 free on rail, for use in the
North East Transept so as to afford a current of warm air to the Chained Library,
and to pay for it out of the Koffall Fund.

A poignant fact that concerns the stokers who attended the stoves through the years making sure they were supplied with sufficient fuel during every heating season from 1871 up until their conversion to gas firing in 1989, was that they had earned the right to be buried in the grounds of the Cathedral.

Their grave markers can be seen in The Bishops Cloister

NORTH AISLE	NORTH AISLE north porch
NORTH TRANSEPT	NORTH TRANSEPT
SOUTH EAST TRANSEPT	SOUTH EAST TRANSEPT
SOUTH TRANSEPT	SOUTH TRANSEPT