Winchester Cathedral

The building of chantry chapels dates from about 1340, the time of Black Death, and continued until suppressed by Edward VI in 1547, when all the endowments and property, including furnishings, were seized by the Crown. The architectural interest in chantry chapels lies in their miniature quality. As buildings within buildings, they took the form of cages. Brilliantly carved, often painted and gilded, they epitomized the Gothic of their day. In front of this example is a modern shrine, marking the site of St. Swithin's grave. St. Swithin was a ninth century bishop of Winchester whose ancient shrine was visited by countless pilgrims during the Middle Ages.