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Chichester Cathedral was originally consecrated in 1108 and evolved to its current form in 1400 when the spire, cloisters and bell tower were built. However in 1861 the tower and spire collapsed and Sir George Gilbert Scott oversaw the rebuilding. The cathedral was fully reopened five years later in 1866. The spire and tower in Goodwin’s painting were therefore completed only a few decades before this work. The Bishop’s Gardens, on the western end of the cathedral, were established as early as 1147-1148.