Carvings and Ornamentation

STONE CARVINGS AND ORNAMENTATION: The interior of the Cathedral and the front porch abound with stone carving by Lewis Mortimer Marmaduke Godfrey. He was employed on the Cathedral from 1885-1886. Note the carvings in the Baptistery, especially the carved cherub, the arch of the transept at the entrance to the sanctuary with the wreath of ivy leaves, and the capitals on the pillars and about the windows. The carvings over the principal entrance door and over the porch entrance are of particular skills. Birds and lizards, grapes and leave, Kings and Queens, Saints an d Sinners, foliage, fruits, fiends and flowers in endless variety are a feature of Godfrey's carvings. These are other example of his work in the city.

The beautifully carved cherub is one of several of Mr Godfrey's carvings in the North Tower, formerly the Baptistery. The groined ceiling of Oamaru stone is ornamented with designs which show his skill and imagination. Interestingly, too is the use he makes of the fern in his designs.

The Baptismal Font, as old as the Cathedral, is lined with pebbles from Moeraki Beach were Bishop Pompallier on his first visit to the south in November 1840 conducted his first Baptisms. Basically Oamaru stone, the Font was designed by Mr. F. W. Petre and the ornamentations by Mr Godfrey. It is located at the North aisle of the Cathedral by the front entrance..

Mr Godfrey's work can be seen on the cluster columns at the entrance to the sanctuary and the carved capitals on all the columns on both sides of the nave. On twelve columns the carvings in Oamaru stone encircle the whole column. Although Mr Godfrey uses an endless variety of carvings - flowers, petals, birds, figs, grapes, leaves, lizards, petals and ferns - no two capitals are alike or the carving repeated. Carved into the Oamaru stone wall above and between the arches are examples of Mr Godfrey's carving in oak leaf.

The carvings on the Oamaru stone walls above the arches on both sides of the nave of the Cathedral are done in small panels of six inches by six inches in an oak leaf design. They give a tiled appearance and are on indication of the painstaking effort in carving such an area out of Oamaru stone.

1. The carved capital on one of the columns shown in greater detail
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2,3,4 These carving on the south wall are appropriate to Gothic buildings and are of particular skill. Strange monsters and fiends, birds, kings and queens, and foliage are a feature of Mr Godfrey's carvings. It is said that some of the tools he used for the finer details of his carvings in Oamaru stone were as fine as needles.

Mr Godfrey's skill in carving in Oamaru stone is seen in the varying expressions he achieved in his many carvings of kings and queens, saints and sinners to be seen in many parts of the Cathedral.

1. The kingly carving on the wall at the base of the timber bracket of the choir gallery.

2, 3. These two stone carvings are in the North Tower porch at the junction of the groined ceiling to the wall. The king is on the left hand side, and the queen on the right hand side of the entrance to the porch. The only distinguishing feature of this queen carving, from another queen carving in this porch, is in the lips.

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These three photos of Mr Godfrey's carvings on the columns of the Cathedral porch archway show his superb workmanship and creativity. With foliage, figs and grapes he depicts birds, a butterfly, a frog, a snake and a lizard.

1. Carvings on the left hand column of the Cathedral porch archway.

2. Carvings on the right hand column of the Cathedral porch archway.

3. Closer detail of the carvings.

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1, 2 The three confessionals were built by Parker and McNamara in bluestones between the lower buttresses on the north wall. The arches are beautifully made and the stone carving at the top of the columns is that of Mr Godfrey. The carving designs are different on each column.

The original confessional doors and the interior lining were of Kauri, but in 1972 when alternations were made the Kauri doors were replaced.