Archbishop Frederick Temple (1821-1902) was buried in the cloister garth (the enclosed grassy area) where his memorial slab is carved by Eric Gill. His memorial in the Corona is therefore strictly a cenotaph. During his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, the Palace at Addington was sold off and proceeds used to rebuild the Old Palace beside the cathedral at Canterbury. Whilst some writers have admired the matching of an impressive bronze figure (by F W Pomeroy) with a Cornish granite surround, others have found the overall setting overdone. As expressed by Francis Woodman (1981): “The impressive bronze effigy of the Archbishop in prayer was by F W Pomeroy, who should be better known. The frenetic architectural setting was by W D Caroe, who should have known better.”
What to see:
- the bronze effigy of Temple kneeling at prayer wearing the cope worn at the coronation of Edward VII (Image 1)
- the gold processional cross set in the stone pilaster of Polyphant, a form of Cornish granite (also used in the Boer War memorial in Dane John gardens (Image 2)
Sources: see standard cathedral sources
DL