This year the Church of England is celebrating animals in churches with their summer campaign #GreatAndSmall.
Bradford Cathedral is home to a whole host of animal depictions, but the most notable collection that we’d like to share for #GreatAndSmall is on our World War One Memorial Window, located by the North Door.
Bradford Cathedral’s stunning World War One Memorial Window, by AJ Davies of the Bromsgrove Guild, dedicated in 1921, commemorates the bravery of the 6th Battalion of The Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment, and tells the story of that battalion in picture form. In and amongst the images of warfare and the names of key campaigns and battles are some eye-catching and also some hidden animals.
In the lower part of the central panel can be seen a white horse and a tiger, which are symbols connected with the regiment and battalion. Raised in 1685, the regiment first saw active service in Flanders in 1693 and in 1759, when stationed at Windsor, it was granted royal permission to wear the White Horse of Hanover. After several successful actions in India, the 1st Battalion was, on returning home in 1831, granted the badge of the Royal Tiger, superscribed “India”.
The Bradford coat-of-arms of the time has been included at the bottom of the left-hand panel. It features a ram and an angora goat- the wool from both animals was used in the local woollen industry- and a boar’s head without a tongue, which refers to a local legend.
At the top of the right-hand panel is a pelican with its left foot raised, which is a motif of the 62nd Division. Further down this window, there is a beautiful pack mule. This is a tribute to the work of the horses and mules of the “Transport” section of the regiment. The right-hand panel also includes: the coat-of-arms of Cambrai, featuring a double-headed eagle and 3 lions; the white horse of the West Yorkshire regiment; and the arms of Valenciennes, featuring a golden lion.
Harder to spot, in the same panel, are 2 tiny pelicans, included in the window because the pelican is a Christian symbol of sacrificial love.
Come and admire this window, and the rest of our stained glass collection, during our opening hours Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm.
