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Dr James Alexander Cameron @drjacameron.stainedglassattitudes.com · 19/06/2026

you think that's cool? wait until you see... the Interdict break!

straight join in the masonry of the inner face of the wall of the S nave aisle of Wells Cathedral between bays 6/7 (!), widely understood as a downing of tools after the Interdict is declared on England by Pope Innocent III against King John's choice for Archbishop of Canterbury, that resulted in an exodus of bishops and the possession by the Crown of their secular property incomes, which made it impossible to pay masons. The join is accentuated by the change in the size of ashlars in the resumption of work in the 1220s.

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Dr James Alexander Cameron @drjacameron.stainedglassattitudes.com · 19/06/2026

you can see the Wells Cathedral Interdict Break of 1208 on the N side too even though they didn't change ashlar size here when the work started again after 1220. The join has slightly come apart and has been remortared.

General view of bay 7, 8, 9 and the return of the W front. The gap in the mortar join is under the window of bay 7.

Interior view of bay 7 N with remortared gap

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Dr James Alexander Cameron @drjacameron.stainedglassattitudes.com · 19/06/2026

though to be clear you wouldn't attribute that minor fissure to a building break if it wasn't for the change of ashlar size on the opposite aisle wall.

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