 | Association |  |
| Association | |
The Shrine of St Hugh’s Head is situated at the East end of the Angel choir, to the North side of the area below the great East window.
When the Dean and Chapter were moving St Hugh's body from its first resting place, to the newly built shrine in the Angel choir, they opened the coffin to make sure they had the right one. It must have been at this time that the head became detached from the body. Certainly on October 6th 1280 whilst the body was being removed to its new resting place in the Chapel of St John the Baptist, Hugh's head was placed in a jewelled casket and carried round the streets of Lincoln. It was then placed on the Head shrine plinth of elaborately carved stone. The site of the body tomb is probably marked by one of the table tombs to the north of the area behind the High altar.
At the time of the Reformation the Head casket was stripped of its gold and jewels but left on its plinth. The larger shrine of the body was destroyed. The head casket was finally lost at the time of the Commonwealth.
Pilgrims gladly paid to pray at such shrines and St Hugh's relics were on view twice a year. They were guarded night and day, but despite this, St Hugh's casket was stolen in 1364 and sold in London for 20 marks (£13.34). The thieves were. robbed of the money on their way back and were themselves arrested, convicted, and hanged. John of Welbourn the Treasurer, either bought back the old casket, or, paid for a new one. The casket was then returned to the plinth and remained there until 1540 when Henry VIII ordered all jewels and relics to be taken to the Tower of London.
The Cathedral accounts show that 2,621 ounces of pure gold and 4,285 ounces of silver together with a great collection of jewels were sent to London.
In 1280 when the retro choir was consecrated and St Hugh's body translated to the new shrine the cost of the translation was born by Thomas Bek, a prebendary of Lincoln who had been Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of Oxford.
As only the plinth of the Head shrine remains a new adornment was commissioned to stand guard above this plinth on 800th anniversary in 1986. It was designed by the Lincolnshire master jeweller David Poston and engineered by his associates. It was dedicated in St Hugh's year 1986.
On Friday 17 February 1989 the designer gave a talk on this work, in the Usher Art Gallery to the Lincoln Fine Arts Society.
1. He outlined his brief which was to draw attention to was to protect the shrine.
2. He outlined his approach a) physical b) spiritual. He explained the difficulties of the vault height and the narrowness of the ground area to be covered, together with the overshadowing of the north east pillar and its nearness compared with the space to the south in front of the East window. He explained his great diffidence in adding anything to a hallowed and revered mediaeval shrine. Because of this, he had taken great care to leave the shrine completely unaltered. He stressed that his adornment could be moved at any time leaving no trace of its existence.
3. He talked of the difficulties of fabrication. Having designed the adornment to fit all these criteria he took care to enclose the shrine without in anyway hiding it. The only material possible was steel. Forged steel had to be used for the curves and stainless steel tubes for strength and lightness. Thus when finished the structure had to be shot blasted and plated with aluminium bronze for a uniform finish.
4. He outlined his views of interpretation. David Poston refused to give an interpretation of his design. He hoped that the viewers would come to their own conclusions. He accepted however that certain significant points had emerged. “Terrestial through the cross to the celestial"; buried in the ground but with spires which disappear into the light - H for Hugh - the swan neck - the mitre – the throne.
It pleased him greatly when the adornment brought notice to the shrine but was itself inconspicuous.
For information about St Hugh please click.
I am grateful for permission to reproduce the above from the cards available at the Information Desk in the Cathedral.