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The Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Holy Sepulchre, commonly known as the "Round Church", is a church in Cambridge, England.
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11th century Crusaders to the Holy Land would have seen the Holy Sepulchre, located near the centre of Jerusalem. It was a round church supported on eighteen columns or piers with an ambulatory around the perimeter on the west of the church, and the well attested site of Christ's tomb at the centre. There would have been four apses at each of the cardinal points, and on the east side there would have been a facade, so that the east apse was accessible directly from the rotunda. After restoration, this church is what would have remained of a 4th century church built by Constantine I, with the rotunda being reminiscent of an earlier Roman circular temple.
The Holy Sepulchre in Cambridge, built around 1130, may be inspired by the original church in Jerusalem.
The entrance of the church is on the west, through a round-arched doorway. The rotunda is supported by eight large round piers, and the ambulatory is vaulted with a gallery above. The piers support Norman round arches and there is Norman dog-tooth or zig-zag decoration throughout.
The church has a conical stone-slated roof. In the 19th century it was in disrepair and was restored as was expected to be in keeping with the original Norman design.