New Discoveries in the Langton Chapel of Winchester Cathedral: 16th-Century all’antica Innovation and 20th-Century Restoration

Abstract

The east end of Winchester Cathedral was altered in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, with the Lady Chapel substantially refurbished. The Guardian Angels Chapel, on the north, was left largely untouched. To the south, the death of Bishop Thomas Langton provided the opportunity to rebuild the chapel there as a chantry within which he was buried. The vault above is peppered with his initials, heraldic devices and rebus. The Langton Chapel remained largely disused down subsequent centuries, a dusty corner in the furthermost reaches of a busy cathedral. In the mid-20th century, a remarkable man, Harry Altham, took an interest in Langton’s chapel and, in light of this, the Dean and Chapter of Winchester agreed that the restoration of the chapel would form a fitting memorial to him. In the process of researching the details of that restoration, new information has come to light regarding the early introduction of all’antica work into the cathedral, suggesting that the Renaissance style was first introduced to England at Winchester, not in Westminster Abbey as is widely supposed.