History… the interesting bits!

It is always a pleasure to welcome historian and author, Toni Mount, to History… the Interesting Bits. Toni enjoys really getting a deep understanding of her characters, the lives they lived and the places they visited. For “The Colour of Sin”, her main characters were off on pilgrimage and that meant a lot of interesting places to research. Here, Toni talks about Canterbury Cathedral and how pilgrimage actually worked. Over to Toni Mount…

A Pilgrim’s Visit to Canterbury Cathedral

In order to research my new novel, The Colour of Sin, we visited Canterbury Cathedral. The story would involve our hero, Sebastian Foxley, taking his family on a pilgrimage to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket in the cathedral, leaving behind his usual haunts in the City of London so a change of venue for him – and for me. I particularly wanted to get a feeling of what it would be like for a fifteenth-century pilgrim, to attempt to see things and experience them as he would have done. Fortunately, we had a wonderfully knowledgeable and helpful guide in Geoff Webb who was a mine of intriguing information.

Firstly, we had to remember that the cathedral was attached to a Benedictine monastery in those days so it was a far bigger larger complex of buildings, including the monks’ dormitory, rere-dorter or latrines, refectory, chapter house, infirmary, kitchen and other areas all of which would have been out-of-bounds to the pilgrims. Today, visitors can wander through the cloisters and view the garden with its water tower but for a pilgrim in 1480 this wouldn’t have been allowed. The magnificent chancel and choir were where the monks continued to hold their services throughout the day even as other areas of the cathedral were thronged with pilgrims. The same is the case today – most ordinary daily services are held in the choir but tourists may pass through whenever a service isn’t in progress, seeing some architectural wonders the medieval pilgrim would not have seen.

Secondly, how were the pilgrims ‘managed’ by the monks? Did they get a guided tour? Were they kept to a set route through the cathedral or could they wander off to admire the art works or the stained glass, or even the tomb or chantry chapel of someone important to them, personally? Geoff pointed out little windows high up, overlooking the place where Becket’s jewel-encrusted shrine would have stood. From here, the monks kept watch on the pilgrims gathered at the tomb, to make sure they behaved reverently and didn’t attempt to prise any gemstones from their settings as souvenirs. Elsewhere, stone seats were placed strategically for the similar purposes, where the monks could keep the crowds in order, if necessary.

Rather than a guided tour, there was a continuous line of pilgrims circling the cathedral, each following the one in front. On entering, the vast nave with its soaring fluted columns would have dragged every eye heavenwards. There would’ve been no seating but more than likely market stalls selling refreshments, pilgrim badges, phials of holy water and other saleable merchandise, the locals wouldn’t want to miss such a lucrative opportunity. The tour seems to have progressed along the side aisles, the north aisle having a specially constructed covered passage to take the pilgrims to the actual site of Becket’s martyrdom without disturbing the monks. Today, there is a plain stone table with a single candle burning upon it and a sculpture above representing the swords which slew Becket, forming an alarming jagged cross. This dates only to the 1990s but there would have been an altar here until the Reformation of 1538 destroyed it. Also, imprints on the floor show where memorial brasses were laid here, indicating important burials beneath. To the left is the chapel of Our Lady of the Martyrdom and St Blaise, newly constructed by the gifted mason and architect Richard Beke just thirty years before our hero, Seb Foxley’s pilgrimage.

In the area of the Martyrdom a flight of steps leads down to the crypt. For fifty years after he was slain, Becket’s tomb was down here among the Norman semi-circular arches of the 11th-century cathedral with its short, substantial round pillars, each with unique pattern and decoration, awaiting the completion of the ‘modern’ Trinity Chapel overhead. In 1220, the archbishop’s remains were ‘translated’ upstairs to the purpose-built and fabulous shrine. A later Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft was constructed down here in the mid-14th century by the royal architect, Henry Yevele, for Edward, the Black Prince. The prince wished to be buried here but, when he predeceased his father, Edward III, the king insisted that his eldest son, hero of Crecy and Poitiers, wouldn’t be hidden away in the undercroft but should share the prestigious Trinity Chapel with Becket, where every pilgrim would pass by the prince’s tomb and, hopefully, pray for his soul.

Beyond the Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft, towards the east, is the original site of Becket’s tomb between 1170 and 1220, still revered today with a candle burning on the floor and, beyond that, the circular Jesus Chapel, dedicated to Christ and his mother, the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims would have visited the undercroft as part of their ‘tour’. Graffiti adorn some of the walls beside the site of the tomb, among them a most artistic rendering of St John with his emblem of a majestic eagle. It’s thought that the graffiti were scratched in the stone by bored monks, spending hours here, watching the earlier pilgrims and making sure they didn’t do anything untoward in God’s house.

Also in the undercroft we saw a real jewel: St Gabriel’s Chapel. Its medieval wall paintings were encased in stone back in the 12th century because the wall was thought to be about to collapse – so Seb would have missed seeing them. Incidentally, this action kept them safe from the destruction of the Reformation and preserved them from the Puritan zealots of the Civil War, too. Now these once-forgotten paintings are revealed. To us, they are a marvel but to our medieval pilgrims they wouldn’t be unusual because the cathedral – and most parish churches – would have been painted with vivid murals, telling stories from the Bible for those who couldn’t read. St Gabriel’s other highlight is the glorious carvings on its central column, sharp, pristine and amusing, animals playing musical instruments, weird beasts and monsters conjured from the mason’s imagination.

Next door is the Black Prince’s Chantry Chapel where he planned prayers would be said forever for him and his beloved wife, Joan of Kent. Sadly for him, nine years after the prince’s death, in her will Joan requested burial beside her first husband and first love, Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, at the Greyfriars, Stamford, Lincolnshire, and this was granted. The prince’s chantry is now used for services held in French. The Black Prince would have spoken courtly French so perhaps this is appropriate.

Back up to the north aisle, we passed tombs of this archbishop and that, including that of Archbishop Chichele with its cadaver or memento mori beneath it, reminding all that no one escapes death. Next along is the tomb of Archbishop Thomas Bourchier, incumbent at the time of Seb’s visit. Bourchier was getting on in years so it’s quite possible that his tomb could have been under construction in 1480. Along the way, Geoff pointed out the glorious medieval stained glass windows. The Yorkist Royal window is famous, showing Edward IV kneeling with his two legitimate sons (the Princes in the Tower) behind him and facing his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, and their five daughters opposite. It was commissioned by Edward and glazed c.1480 so I don’t know whether Seb could have stood and admired this brand new window.

We climbed the steep stone stairs, dished and worn by the feet of countless pilgrims – I believe the pilgrim circuit ran anticlockwise, so they would have walked down these steps on the north side – up to the Trinity Chapel, now lacking the sumptuous shrine with its colonnaded openings through which pilgrims could reach in and touch the martyr’s coffin within for that moment of extra closeness to sainthood, to beseech Becket to put in a good word to God on their behalf. All around us were the vivid gemstone colours of the Miracle Windows, recording Becket’s known miraculous healings required as testimony to qualify for canonisation by the pope. Geoff told us to look for the green box shown at the end of each miracle story – the cash box in which the healed individual would put his donation to the cathedral in thanks for his recovery and a reminder to the pilgrims to do the same. I imagine these green boxes were all along the pilgrims’ route, maybe chained and the lids locked so nobody could help themselves to the offerings.

Beyond the Trinity Chapel is the small, circular Corona Chapel, perhaps an even holier point of contact with St Thomas than the shrine. Corona means crown and it was here that the martyr’s severed crown of his head was kept in a jewelled reliquary, the remnant of his mortal remains most closely associated with the moment of his death since this injury killed him. Gory but holy. We were now on the south side of the cathedral.

Here we passed the Black Prince’s tomb, directly opposite that of his nephew, Henry IV and his queen, Joan of Navarre. Henry IV was the first Lancastrian king and had ousted the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, from the throne in 1399 and done away with him. So Henry was greatly in need of prayers for his soul and turned the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor, the saintly king, into a chantry for himself. The Black Prince’s likeness lies in full armour, hands together in prayer, gazing up forever at the tester above him, just as in a medieval bed. The tester is painted with the image of the Trinity for which the prince had special reverence, even clinging to life in his last illness long enough to die on Trinity Sunday. Above the tester are modern but authentic replicas of his helmet, surcoat-of-arms (embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework), gauntlets and shield.

Walking back towards the Choir, Cardinal Archbishop John Morton, nemesis of King Richard III, has a finely painted tomb. Seb would have been spared the sight of his patron’s future enemy. Instead, knowing Seb, he would probably have spent ages gazing at the stained glass and the mural paintings, causing a bottle-neck in the orderly progress of pilgrims around the cathedral, being told to move along by an impatient Benedictine, back down another long flight of worn stone steps – the pilgrims would have climbed these on their knees up towards the shrine – to return to the south aisle of the nave.

Another intriguing piece of masonry is on the wall of the south aisle. It consists of three little blind arched arcades: two Norman round arches and a pointed one of the earliest style. Geoff suggested this was the mason’s demonstration piece to the dubious monks showing them how a pointed arch would work and look, being a thing never seen before in England. Maybe it’s true, maybe not, but it’s a good story.

A detour up more steps gave us a great view down the nave on one hand and the fantastic 14th-century Choir Screen on the other with its carved Lancastrian kings, constructed to give the monks more privacy as they worshipped while the pilgrims streamed by on either side. Here there’s a massive stone armchair – doesn’t look very comfortable – the seat of the Ostiarius or gate-keeper monk who guarded the entrance to the monks-only choir, making sure no pilgrim wandered in where they didn’t belong.

Outside in the Precinct, we saw the colonnade of huge Norman arches that were once the Infirmary and I have to mention a modern installation – an enormous but charming warhorse, made of off-cuts of fencing.

My thanks go to our marvellous guide, Geoff Webb, and to Melodie Robson for organising this brilliant tour around Canterbury Cathedral and inspiring me with ideas for the novel, The Colour of Sin.

To buy The Colour of Sin click here

Catch up on the ‘Colour of…’ series

Toni Mount’s Website

The Colour of Sin

Come with Seb Foxley, Rose and their enigmatic friend Kit, a priest with a shadowy past, as they join a diverse group of pilgrims on what should be an uplifting spiritual journey to Canterbury Cathedral.

Beset by natural disasters and unexplained deaths, the dangers become apparent. Encountering outlaws and a fearsome black cat, every step is fraught with peril.

Amidst the chaos, Seb finds himself grappling with the mysteries surrounding him, as well as his own demons, while Rose’s reunion with her family sets off a chain of events with unforeseen consequences.

But the greatest threat lies in the shadows, where sinister forces unleash evil upon the unsuspecting pilgrims. In a world where trust is a scarce commodity and even allies may harbour dark intentions, Seb must uncover the truth and protect his fellow travellers.

Prepare to be enthralled by a tale of betrayal, intrigue and redemption as Seb Foxley races against time to unravel the malevolent secrets hidden within the heart of the pilgrimage. Who can you trust when even friends prove false?

Praise for Toni Mount’s Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery Series

“An evocative masterclass in storytelling.” – Tony Riches, author of The Tudor Trilogy

“It’s superb. What a plot. What characters” – Carol McGrath, author of the She-wolves trilogy

“Toni mount gives you a real sense of actually being there”

“an excellent mystery, with multi-layers of plot”

“Much better than the average period detective story.”

“Toni Mount brings characters leaping off the page… plots that twist and turn, I am in heaven when reading her books”

Competition: Poster Giveaway

Want the chance to win a unique poster of The Colour of Sin by Toni Mount, the twelfth book in her Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery series? You’ll be the only person in the world to have this full colour poster! Enter here!

About the Author:

Toni Mount earned her Master’s Degree as a mature student at the University of Kent by completing original research into a unique 15th-century medical manuscript.

She is the author of several successful non-fiction books including the number one bestsellers, Everyday Life in Medieval London and How to Survive in Medieval England, which reflects her detailed knowledge of the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages.

Toni’s enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her Sebastian Foxley medieval murder mysteries.

Toni’s first career was as a scientist and this brings an extra dimension to her novels. She writes regularly for The Richard III Society’s Ricardian Bulletin and a variety of history blogs and is a major contributor to MedievalCourses.com.

As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, is an enthusiastic member of two creative writing groups and is a popular speaker to groups and societies.

The twelfth novel in Toni’s popular “Sebastian Foxley” murder mystery series, The Colour of Sin, is set in the ancient cathedral city of Canterbury, Kent.

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My Books:

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Out Now! Women of the Anarchy

Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.

Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK.

Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World

Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.

Heroines of the Tudor World is now available for pre-order from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK.

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. It is is available from King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. 

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword,  Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon,  Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

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©2024 Sharon Bennett Connolly FRHistS and Toni Mount.