Site 6 - South Quire aisle corner

This space is adjacent to the tomb of Thomas Bekynton, or Beckington (c. 1390 – 1465), who was secretary to Henry VI, later Lord Privy Seal, and then Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1443 to 1465.  

Forming a chantry chapel within an enclosure of stout iron bars, the tomb is also a striking specimen of what is known as a “transi”, “memento mori” or “corpse” tomb, where an effigy of the once living person appears on an upper platform, while another effigy of their emaciated, skeletal and even rotting corpse appears on a lower.

The transi tomb serves to remind the onlooker of the transience of life and may be explained by the bubonic plague pandemic, which tore through the population roughly between the years 1346 to 1353.

Suitable for a floor standing artwork, the space is approximately 1m square. All General Restrictions for Installations apply.