Pipe Organs of England - Pipedreams - American Public Media

PAGE 60THURSDAY, 17 MAYThe College and the ChapelExeter College was founded in 1314 by Walter deStapeldon of Devon, as a school to educate clergy.During its first century, it was known as StapeldonHall and was significantly smaller, with just twelveto fourteen students. The college grew significantlyfrom the 15th century onward. In the 16th century,donations helped to expand and transform the college.In a clever move by the bursar to fill the newbuildings as they were completed, a significant numberof noble Roman Catholic students were invitedto enroll and take classes at the enlarged college. Asa result, over time, Exeter College became one of theleading colleges in the University. In the 18th centurythe college experienced declining popularity, asdid all of Oxford’s other colleges. University reforms in the 1850s helped to end this period of stagnation. Until 1979 the collegedid not allow women students, but in 1993 Exeter College became the first of the former all-male colleges to elect a female Rector.The Chapel is hard to miss when you come into the College. It is a classic example of the Victorian Gothic revival, designed byGeorge Gilbert Scott and consecrated in 1859. The interior is a beautiful and peaceful space, cleaned and restored in 2007. Theyear 2009 marked the 150th Anniversary of the Consecration of the ‘new’ chapel at Exeter College. The idea of a replacement forthe chapel built in 1623-24 was first suggested in 1813; concerns had been expressed about the structural soundness of the building.In reality, the decision to demolish the seventeenth century chapel was influenced as much by the religious leanings of theFellowship as by concerns about the state of the building. Several of the Fellows were supporters of the Oxford Movement; indeedin 1837, Newman had remarked, ‘At Exeter, right opinions are strong’. The mood was therefore right for a complete re-design andthe building of a chapel which would be Eucharistic in focus and Decorated Gothic in style. Scott was approved unanimously todesign the new chapel in July 1853. Greatly influenced by French architecture, in particular the Parisian medieval jewel La Sainte-Chappelle, his proposal for Exeter reflected the best of French Gothic style. By the time the work was finally completed the costwas near £12,000, met by an extensive fundraising campaign as well as significant sacrifices made by the Fellows and studentsof the day. The chapel was consecrated on 18th October 1859 by the then Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, with BishopPhilpotts of Exeter in attendance. In 2007 the Chapel underwent thorough restoration as part of the Anniversary celebrations, andcleaning work revealed bold features such as the elaborate ceiling stonework and marble inlays, which had been obscured for decades.The same year work began on the exterior, cutting out large areas of crumbling stone and fixing newly carved grotesquesand gables. After a recent restoration of the windows, the Chapel is looking more resplendent than ever before.