More than 140 lots of stone from one of Canterbury Cathedral's largest and finest windows, are to go under the hammer on Saturday 24 September. The stone had to be removed from the Great South Window of the south transept during major conservation work and the pieces being sold range in size and shape from those suitable as large garden ornaments to smaller ones that could be used as book ends. Many date back to when the perpendicular Gothic window was built in the early 15th century and retain the detailed carving and markings of the stonemasons who have worked on the window during the centuries. Much of the huge 55 feet high and 25 feet wide window has had to be rebuilt, in one of the largest projects of its kind ever undertaken in Europe, after a fall of stone in 2009 identified serious structural problems.
 
The south window was dismantled and rebuilt in 1792 when much of the medieval fabric was retained with replacement stone of Portland limestone, and the use of iron cramps.
 
The cathedral took four centuries to rebuild after a fire destroyed it in 1174 and was built of Caen stone. The south window was also built from Caen limestone, oolitic limestone similar to Bath stone but better known by the Norman builders, and more easily brought by sea to the nearby, then tidal, village of Fordwich.
 
However, the new window is being rebuilt at a cost of £3m using Lavoux à Grain limestone which has the necessary bed heights of more than three feet needed for the mullions. Caen limestone is also being used at the cathedral but the 'B' bed which most closely resembles the durable medieval stone of the Cathedral, is only available in bed heights of up to 12 inches.
 
Then longen folk to go on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seeken strangé strands,
To ferme [=ancient] halwes [=shrines] knowthe [= known] in sundry lands
And specially from every shirés end
Of Engéland, to Canterbury they wend,
The holy, blissful martyr for to seek
That them hath holpen when that they were sick.
 
Excerpt From: Gordon Home. Beautiful Britain: Canterbury. 1911