Dean's Cloister
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Introduction
St George's Chapel
Edward III's Collegiate Buildings
Albert Memorial Chapel
Dean's Cloister
Canons' Cloister
Aerary Porch
The Western Precinct

Edward III's Collegiate Buildings

cloisterThe Dean's Cloister was constructed in the 1350s as the architectural hub of the new collegiate buildings. It comprises four covered walks, lit by fine traceried windows. Enclosed within them is a small garden with a fountain in its centre. This fountain was designed by Canon John White in 1998 and constructed by the then Surveyor of the Fabric Dr Charles Brown. It was erected to commemorate 650 years of service by the Military Knights of Windsor (originally the Alms Knights). It shows the figure of St George slaying the dragon, a copy of a statue originally concealed in the choir stalls.

view of cloister walk detail of Henry III arcadeThis cloister stands on the site of an earlier cloister and garden laid out in the 13th century by Henry III between his royal lodgings and the chapel of St Edward, now the Albert Memorial Chapel. One fragment of the earlier cloister has been preserved: the inner wall of the south walk is 13th-century and decorated with a blind arcade. Remarkably, there survives on it a wall painting depicting the head of a king. This is a very rare and fine example of the kind of wall paintings that we know filled Henry III's palaces.

detail of Henry III arcade paintingAll the principal collegiate buildings opened off this cloister. To the south stood the first chapel of the foundation, now the Albert Memorial Chapel, and to the north the Canons' Cloister. Along the east walk there originally existed three important interiors: the Dean's Lodging, the Chapter House and a revestry. In the 15th century a second Chapter House, for the canons, was built beyond the Porch of Honour and by degrees the Dean's house has come to occupy this whole range. The former revestry now serves as the Dean's chapel.

entrance to Deanery RevestryThe west walk of the cloister originally formed an outside boundary to the college with only the college entrance porch - the spectacular Porch of Honour - built against it.

 

 

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