The choir stalls (Image 1) were put in under the direction of the Victorian architect Sir George Scott in 1879. The 12 stalls for the Dean and Chapter at the west end designed and made in 1682 by Roger Davis, a Citizen and Joiner of London, and costing £320. The seat cushions of the main stalls are embroidered with the coats of arms of archbishops, deans and archdeacons of Canterbury. They are the work of the ladies of the Friends of the Cathedral and were placed in position in 1985.
What to see:
- The Royal Arms of Charles II (Image 2) may be in recognition of a generous gift of around £300 by the king towards the cost of repairing damage done to the cathedral by the Puritans in 1642/43.
- There are misericords under the seats of the back row and carved bench ends (Image 3).
- The acanthus leaf capital is at the rear of the stalls (Image 4)
Sources: see standard cathedral sources
MC