The North Transept was used as the place of worship by the congregation of a pre-Cathedral church dedicated to St Peter.
It is believed that this church had previously worshipped in the Nave but was displaced from there around 1500. The site of their font is marked on the floor and the nearby Treasury (originally the Chapel of the Four Virgins) was their Sanctuary. They finally moved to the new Church of St Peter, built opposite the Cathedral in 1852.
Lambert Barnard Paintings
Under the Great Window on the north side, you will see a painting of the Bishops of Selsey and Chichester. Bishop Robert Sherborne from St Wilfrid commissioned the painting in the 1530s and his face is shown in each of the paintings. They were painted by Sherborne’s court painter, Lambert Barnard and his descendants. Barnard also painted the large Charter paintings in the South Transept and, together, they are regarded as examples of the finest Tudor artworks.
Memorials
The most significant memorial is on the eastern wall, above the grave of Gustav Holst, is a memorial to Thomas Weelkes, a 17th century organist and noted composer of madrigals and church music. His composition ‘”Hosanna to the Son of David” is often sung here on Palm Sunday. Known as a tempestuous character, he was sacked from his post three times and reinstated twice!