England’s cathedrals are continuously a ponder, with taking off buttresses, smiling figures of deformity, and recolored glass windows casting their colors all around. These cathedrals in Britain are persuasive images of the church’s antiquated control. The Cathedrals of Britain can date back 1000 a long time from the 1100s to the more present-day British cathedrals in Coventry and Liverpool. They include a wide run of structural styles from early English Gothic to Renaissance, to the 1960s present day. England’s cathedrals a see of St. Paul’s from the Millenium Bridge at night. I’m not devout by any implies but living in Britain gave me the chance to visit numerous of these mind-blowing buildings.
The respectful quiet once you enter a cathedral, the magnificence of the designs reflected onto the floors by the recolored glass windows and the exemplification of a history long since gone shocks me each time. The staggering wood carvings on the seats and baptismal textual styles and the organ lofts take off me puzzled. I adore fairing sit and assimilating the works of a virtuoso that these English cathedrals are.
Sometime recently the Renewal and the Gracious War cathedrals were shockingly brightly colored and beautified. Most of the medieval work of art was secured up or annihilated amid these times but there are numerous churches and British cathedrals experiencing rebuilding work where followers of these craftsmanship pieces are being re-discovered and brought back to life.
History of Cathedrals in Britain
In Medieval Britain, the Church overwhelmed everybody’s life. All Medieval individuals – be they town laborers or townspeople – accepted that God, Paradise, and Hell all existed. From the exceptionally most punctual of ages, individuals were instructed that the as it were the way they might get to Paradise was in the event that the Roman Catholic Church let them. Many English Cathedrals were built in cities since this was where the cash was.
To ‘glorify god,’ the church and its affluent benefactors would construct a terrific cathedral in an awesome area so that all might see what a triumph their city was. It appeared that the city was capable and those that had contributed to the fetching of the building were charitable in sharing their riches.
The Design of Cathedrals in Britain
Cathedrals were as a rule built in a cross or cruciform shape to reflect the execution and the give up of Jesus. Each zone inside the cathedral was planned to speak to different Christian implications. The Apse may be a representation of Christ’s head and is continuously found within the course of the rising sun as Cathedrals and churches were built confronting the East. Given that all the worshipers look toward the aspe or head where the Eucharist was celebrated.
Of course, this was where the Minister or clerics stood and lectured which was an image of those devout roles’ significance. The transepts are the two arms of the Cathedral arrange and they are said to speak to the arms of Jesus on the cross. The nave is the most rectangular range of the church where the worshipers accumulate and are situated. Usually, the body of Christ is named after the Latin word for dispatch. This is often an image of the Church as a transport of souls and is spoken to by Dwindle the Fisherman’s follower.
The Narthex was frequently the secured range fair exterior of the church on the western conclusion it was more often than not a long, narrow, encased patio, or entryway into the most body of the church and took up the whole width. This is often where those who were not baptized assembled to anticipate the custom that permitted them passage into the body of the assembly and the church itself.
Cathedral floorplan
42 Cathedrals in Britain bring in more than 11 million guests a year to the different cities where they are located. Thirty-nine of these forty-two cathedrals are reviewed and recorded by Noteworthy Britain. Durham Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, and Westminster Nunnery are too UNESCO World Legacy Destinations. Guests may also enjoy free choral exhibitions at a few of these destinations, or see important sacrosanct and noteworthy relics, like two of the four surviving duplicates of the Magna Carta, which turned 800 a long time ancient in 2015.
English Cathedral trivia
Are cathedrals and convents the same thing? And what’s a ‘minster’? No, they are not Convent churches were a portion of nunneries, a kind of cloister or religious community for ladies. A Minster was regularly a church that in medieval times was a middle of a mission. A few cathedrals these days like York, Southwell, and St. Albans utilize the chronicled title of Serve or Abbey but they are the same as all other cathedrals.
Which cathedral took the longest to construct?
Liverpool Cathedral took from 1904 to 1978 to total. Liverpool Cathedral is additionally the biggest cathedral in Britain.
What is the most seasoned Cathedral in Britain?
Canterbury Cathedral has the most punctual establishment date: St Augustine built it in 597 Advertisement. Having said that no portion of the first structure remains from these times. The Ripon Cathedral contains the most seasoned surviving part of a Cathedral which is the tomb.
Where are the other Cathedrals in Britain and Ireland?
In Scotland, the cathedrals are in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Millport, Oban, and Perth. Ireland has 30 cathedrals in the Territory of Armagh: Armagh, Belfast, Clogher, Derry, Downpatrick, Dromore, Enniskillen, Killala, Kilmore, Lisburn, Raphoe, Sligo, and Tuam. There are as it were 6 medieval cathedrals in Wales and they are Bangor, Brecon, Llandaff, Newport, St. Woolos, St Asaphin Clwyd, and St. Davids in Dyfed. The Republic of Ireland has cathedrals in Cashel, Clonfert, Cloyne, Cork, Dublin (Heavenly Trinity), Dublin (St Patrick), Greeneries, Kildare, Kilfenora, Kilkenny, Killaloe, Leighlin, Limerick, Lismore, Rosscarbery, Trim, and Waterford.
Which cathedral was Harry Potter shot in?
A few of the Harry Potter movies utilized cathedrals as shooting areas these included: Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters; Durham Cathedral; Christ Church College, and Oxford (college hall, not the cathedral).
Which English Cathedral has the tallest tower?
Salisbury Cathedral had the tallest church tower within the Joined Together Kingdom, at 404 feet (123 m). Lincoln’s was taller until it collapsed in 1549. Cathedrals are the most churches in each see within the Church of Britain, and its sister Anglican groups in Ribs, Scotland, and Ireland. In spite of the fact that they are generally the seat of the diocesan bishop, they are run as places of revere, history, tourism, and art by a Dean.
Outline of the Cathedrals in Britain
Manchester Cathedral – Manchester
Manchester Cathedral, on Victoria Road in Manchester city middle, is the mother church of the Bishopric of Manchester and one of 15 Review I-listed buildings in the city. Primarily built in gothic fashion, it contains late medieval wooden decorations, commissioned by former superintendent James Stanley, and was broadly rebuilt and rebuilt in the Victorian period and 20th century.
The location of Manchester Cathedral is thought to originally have been domestic to an early Saxon church, appeared by the ‘angel stone’ – a little carving of a blessed messenger with a scroll – discovered embedded within the divider of the initial south patio of the cathedral, which dates back to around 700. The remains of the church are protected interior of the cathedral. Around 1075, Lord William the Conqueror gave the land stretching from the River Ribble to the River Mersey to Roger de Poitou, who in turn gave the Manor Manchester to the Greslet family, in some cases spelled Grelley or Gresley.
Southwell Cathedral – Nottinghamshire
Known as the ‘hidden gem’ of English Cathedrals the Minster’s antiquated stones are splashed with 900 a long time of history. The most punctual church on the location is accepted to have been established in 627 by Paulinus, the primary Diocese supervisor of York when he has gone by the area while sanctifying through water devotees within the Stream Trent. The church endured less than numerous others within the English Transformation because it was refounded in 1543 by an Act of Parliament.
Southwell is where Charles I surrendered to Scottish troops in 1646 amid the English Respectful War. The war saw the church genuinely harmed and the abutting royal residence was nearly annihilated, to begin with by Scottish troops and after that by the neighborhood individuals. The Clears out of Southwell at Southwell Minster has been voted #1 within the CathedralTreasures competition. The clears out are a showstopper of carving and they incorporate Green Men, creatures, and plants and are considered the finest illustration of 13th-century carving in Britain.
Bristol Cathedral – Bristol
Bristol Cathedral is found at the west conclusion of the city near the harbourside. It is free to enter and open 365 days a year. (gifts are welcome.) It is wheelchair-accessible and direct pooches are allowed. Photography is allowed but amid administrations. I especially appreciate the cafe within the cloisters. You can take a drink within the award-winning gardens that are kept up by volunteers and take time to reflect away from the hustle and haste of city life. It is nearly certain that there was a Saxon chapel in the location.
The chapter house and the east conclusion of the cathedral once shaped a portion of an Augustinian nunnery which was established in 1140. The convent was broken up by Henry VIII in 1539 but the church was given to the citizens of Bristol to be their cathedral and committed to the sacred and unified trinity. The nave and west conclusion were included in 1868. It is built in a Gothic restoration fashion in keeping with medieval highlights. Bristol Cathedral was utilized for scenes within the later show Getting to be Elizabeth and copies as Westminster Convent within the adjustment of Wolf Corridor. Guests might like to test the chapter house gin which is still refined in a copper vat and accessible from the cafe.
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral is one of the foremost popular and oldest Cathedrals in the country. The Cathedral is additionally the situated of the Ecclesiastical Overseer of Canterbury, the head of the Church of Britain, and the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion. One of the most seasoned and most celebrated Christian buildings in Britain, the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury, is the situate of the Diocese supervisor of Canterbury, pioneer of the Church of Britain, and head of the around the world Anglican Communion. Established in 597, it was completely rebuilt 1070-77.
Going to the Cathedral is without a question among the foremost imperative things to do in Canterbury
The Cathedral is open to the open most days, and the entrance ticket is £14 for a grown-up. There is moreover an additional guided visit of the Cathedral and the grounds that you simply can book once you purchase the ticket, for an additional £5. It is worth checking out the site of the Cathedral for uncommon offers – currently, children under 18 have free passage, while final summer the ticket was reduced to £9. Going by the Cathedral and the grounds can take a great few hours because it is a massive location.
The most excellent time to visit the Cathedral is early morning, fair because it opens. Attempt to dodge ends of the week in the event that you’ll be, able on the off chance that you do not like swarms. One spectacular feature of the engineering of Canterbury Cathedral is the dazzling recolored glass windows. They are encased into stone Gothic outlines which go up tall, towards the curves of the ceiling.
The whole insides of the cathedral may be a work of craftsmanship, with depictions, figures, and statues brightening the walls. The sepulcher is another curious portion of the Cathedral, which you must not disregard visit. The Cathedral regularly has distinctive craftsmanship presentations inside the cathedral. On the grounds of the Cathedral, you’ll be able to see the ruins of the unique 12th-century Norman Infirmary Chapel, the portion of the cloister that the Cathedral was built.
Coventry Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Holy person Michael is the full title for the Coventry Cathedral and the current church is the 3rd to stand in the same zone. Around 700 AD St Osburga established a convent other than the Sherbourne River, which in the long run became a cathedral, and the name Coventry is believed to have come from the word religious community. The convent was crushed by Lord Canute.
Coventry had a medieval cathedral that survived until the Renewal. This was St Mary’s Monastery and Cathedral. During WWII the Cathedral was intensely harmed by the Luftwaffe bombs. The current St. Michael’s Cathedral was built on the remains of the ancient cathedral and was built within the 1950s.
Basil Spence planned the unused building and was knighted for his work. Spence demanded that the ruins of the ancient cathedral ought to be kept as a cultivation of recognition and the unused building should be built nearby it. The establishment stone was laid by Ruler Elizabeth II in 1956. The tower that stands 80 feet tall was brought down onto the level roof by a helicopter in 1962. The cathedral was sanctified on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem was composed for the consecration of the modern cathedral. The Cathedral is free to enter.
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral is the jewel in the crown of the notable city of Gloucester. It’s a lovely building in interior and out, counting a few phenomenal grounds. Gloucester Cathedral includes a captivating history dating back to 1089. Since that point it has had many highlights included, counting its prevailing tower in the 15th century.
There are parcels of things to see while visiting the cathedral, counting an impressive nave, a gigantic organ, and the notorious cloisters. They have some or maybe complicated fan vaulting to see within the cloisters, which encompass the secret garden. The cloisters have been highlighted in many movies counting the town in the Harry Potter movies. Dr. Who has also been filmed at the cathedral as well. Gloucester Cathedral too has a few noteworthy recolored glass, counting parcels of littler windows along the cloisters. One of the most popular tombs is that of Ruler Edward II, the seventh Plantagenet king of Britain, who suffered a gruesome passing adjacent to Berkeley Castle. Too buried here is Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror.
Bishop Hooper was arrested and charged with sin in January 1555 on the orders of Ruler Mary. they burnt Religious Administrator Hooper at the stake within the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral in February 1555. There are a number of apparitions within the cathedral, which incorporate a 14-year-old boy who fell amid development. The building highlights the city’s apparition visits.
Going to Gloucester Cathedral is free, be that as it may, they request a gift on passage. Finding the cathedral is pretty straightforward because it is visible from many parts of the town. Overall, Gloucester Cathedral may be a captivating and lovely put and well worth going by.
Guildford Cathedral – Surrey
A visit to Guildford Cathedral is one of the most excellent things to do in Surrey. The amazing 49 m tall tower is visible from numerous places in Guildford. The cathedral is found on Stag Slope which makes it stand out in this noteworthy town. The best way to visit Guildford Cathedral is to urge a train from London which takes 40 minutes. At that point, it is as if it were a few bus stops from the train station or 15 minutes walk. On the off chance that you are driving, you’ll be able also to park at Guildford Cathedral Car Stop. The cathedral is open 7 days a week for guests, however, hours shift depending on the day.
Development works on Guildford Catherdal started in 1936 with a capital of £250,000. In any case, it couldn’t be completed rapidly, since of the Moment World War. When the work started again, the huge budget was not there any longer. To total the development of the Guildford Cathedral, over 200,000 individuals bought a single brick with their title for £6. Indeed the Regal family including Elizabeth II and Prince Philip marked bricks with their names which you’ll still see in the interior of the cathedral. The Insides of Guildford Cathedral isn’t only breathtaking but moreover allude to the town’s history.
Guildford’s wool was known for its blue colour which you can respect inside the cathedral. However, the vaulting of the nave is something that will attract your fundamental consideration as soon as you enter this devout building. Guildford Cathedral is a beautiful put to see and learn about history. On the top of the tower, you’ll spot a colossal plated angel. It was included to respect Reginald Adgey-Edgar who passed absent whereas serving his nation.
Lincoln Cathedral – Lincoln
The Lincoln Cathedral was set up in 1073 and is as of now the third-largest church in Britain. It was initially built under the authority of Cleric Remigus. An enormous earthquake in 1185 led to the remodel in 1186 under Great St. Hugh, the at that point Cleric. Nowadays it stands as a conspicuous case of Gothic architecture in Britain. The Cathedral has once deemed the tallest building in the world due to its 525 ft tall Central Tower. This tower boosted its ubiquity as a visitor spot since its construction in the 14th century, but It afterward collapsed along with several other spires over time.
People around the world still wonder about engineering
With multiple towers, wonderful carvings, statues, and other complicated details, these places are ethereal in the eyes of everyone. The Lincoln Imp, the image of Lincoln, could be a celebrated carving of a small devil at St. Hugh’s hallowed place. The Medieval and Wren Libraries, inside the cloisters of this building, hold an amazing collection of books dating back to the 15th century. A dedicated chapel interior of the Cathedral grounds is committed to the Lincolnshire saints of World War 2. The most perfect way to explore the put is by the guided visit advertised by the Cathedral.
There are primarily five sorts of visit alternatives accessible: floor tour, roof tour, tower tour, open-air visit, and spray painting visit. The floor tour is the easiest and is open all through the year. Each visit costs £7.50 per person. The section expense for person adults is £9, and for children up to 16 long times, it’s £4. The section is free for below five children. Family tickets of £20.80 allow two adults and three children. Tickets are available on-site only. Most of the church is accessible by wheelchairs, and guide dogs are too permitted inside.
Liverpool Cathedral – Liverpool
A lot of people may be shocked to memorize that the biggest cathedral in Britain is not one or the other Holy Person Paul’s Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, or the York Minster. The largest cathedral in English, in terms of volume, is Liverpool Cathedral in Liverpool. Found within the heart of Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral is within a strolling separate from the Lime Street Station, the first railway station in Britain; and opposite Liverpool’s Chinatown, one of the most seasoned in Britain. In this way, the cathedral is always a well-known choice for sightseers planning a Liverpool city strolling visit.
Two primary cathedrals in Liverpool dominate the city’s horizon: The Metropolitan Cathedral may be modern engineering and the Liverpool You’ll also pay tribute to Edith Cavell, Norwich’s courageous woman of World War I. Her grave is right next to the cathedral. The cathedral is additionally one of the most frequented places in Norwich. There have been a few apparition sightings, including those of a bishop, a local legend, a Catholic priest, and a secretive lady. You’ll be able to find the cathedral within the Tombland zone of Norwich, and there’s no charge to go inside. Give in case you’ll be able to help cover the tall costs to preserve the noteworthy building.
Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford
Individuals have been going by this medieval church for over 800 years, ever since nearby pioneers came here to implore at the hallowed place of St. Frideswide, the benefactor and holy person of Oxford. In 1522, the cloister was surrendered to Wolsey, who had chosen it as the location of his modern college. Broad changes and increases were at once commenced by the Cardinal, but when he irritated Henry VIII in 1529, his resources were seized by the Ruler, and all the work ceased.
A long time afterward, Henry VIII took over the building and re-established it. The cathedral contains examples of the different styles of English Gothic and Romanesque design. In spite of being one of the littlest cathedrals in all of Britain, Christ Church Cathedral’s design is terrific, thanks to a broad update in the 19th century by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who also outlined the Albert Memorial in London. Once the biggest hall in Oxford (until Keble claimed the title by building a greater one within the 19th century),
Christ Church Lobby may be a striking spot
Terrific canvases hang on the dividers, with long lines of tables and seats sitting between them, all topped with a 16th-century hammer-beam ceiling.
The works of art alone are a who’s who of celebrated graduates; look closely, and you’ll find representations of a different run of figures, from W.H. Auden to Robert Burton. You might think that the official eating lobby for Christ Church’s understudies might look like it’s been taken straight out of a Harry Potter film—that’s no mischance. You might recognize the Incredible Corridor, which is the official feasting corridor for the understudies, as it looks like it is out of a Harry Potter motion picture, and in spite of the fact that it was utilized within the motion picture, it was the motivation for the set. The Bet Hall and the Bodley Staircase were used within the film. People visit the great corridor of Christ Church, University of Oxford, Britain. It is the center of college life, where the academic community congregates to eat each day.
Inside the Christ Church Cathedral are eight recolored glass window sheets. Search for the Alice in Wonderland window that contains a rabbit playing the bugle and a rabbit carrying a tea kettle. These windows are, of course, a reference to Lewis Carrol, who got to be a minister at the cathedral.
Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Salisbury Cathedral is located in the southern English medieval town of Salisbury, Wiltshire. This staggering cathedral makes an ideal side trip for those going by Stonehenge, as it’s only 9 miles away from the famous attraction. The 13th-century cathedral is best known for housing one of the remaining four unique duplicates of the Magna Carta (The Awesome Constitution), a groundbreaking archive on human rights fixed on June 15, 1215, by Lord John at Runnymede. Guests to the cathedral can see the record within the dazzling Chapter House. In spite of that, there’s more to the cathedral than the Magna Carta. The cathedral tower is the tallest in Britain at 123 meters.
Visitors can take a tower tour, walk up the 332 steps to the base, and learn approximately the development and history of the tower. Salisbury Cathedral is additionally home to the world’s oldest working mechanical clock, built in 1386, and is also Britain’s biggest cathedral. The area may be an incredible place to eat a picnic lunch when the weather is nice. While the cathedral has a lot of history to brag about, it’s also structurally excellent.
Take a few minutes to wander around the building and the grounds and wonder at the craftsmanship from all angles. The cathedral is a dynamic church, and administrations happen day by day. All are welcome to go to the administration, whether you’re a guest or a member. Whether you’re taking a day trip from London, road-tripping through Britain, or making a speedy side trip from Stonehenge, a visit to Salisbury Cathedral is well worth the time. The entrance fee to the cathedral is £10 for adults, £7 for understudies with substantial ID, £6 for children ages 13–17, and under 13s are free.
St. Alban’s Cathedral, Hertfordshire
St Alban may be a beautiful Hertfordshire town, but it is 35km from London and easily accessible by car or public transport. The gem of the city is undoubtedly the cathedral, which represents the most seasoned Christian religion in all of extraordinary Britain. Built on the spot where Alban, the primary British Christian martyr, was buried, the cathedral is a set of diverse styles that affirm the various functions the building has played over the centuries, to begin with as an abbey and afterward as a cathedral.
The exterior is genuinely a perfect work of art, and you’ll spend hours admiring it. It also brags the longest nave in Britain, and its most recent expansion may be a Chapter House, which was formally opened in 1982 by Ruler Elizabeth. The inside incorporates an awe-inspiring rose window (whose recolored glass window was introduced in 1989 by Diana, Princess of Grains), a framed ceiling over the choir, a tiled floor, and awe-inspiring sacrificial tables. St. Alban was the first British Christian saint who passed on decapitated in the 308 advertisements by Maximian, by arrangement with Head Diocletian.
He had announced the Christian loyal backstabbers, requesting passing for all those who denied complying with him. In June each year, the cathedral organizes the Alban Journey, a tremendous occasion recognizing martyrdom and its importance for Christian history. The story of the holy person is recreated with a parade of mammoth puppets through the city, and the puppets are at that point exposed in the cathedral. Admission to the cathedral is free.
Sheffield Cathedral
When looking at the cathedrals of Britain, you cannot bear to miss out on Sheffield Cathedral. Found at the foot of Fargate, Sheffield’s well-known pedestrian region, the cathedral is arranged in a fair inverse and could be a genuine eye-catcher. There’s a whole choir benefit twice a week, counting a Sunday benefit, for the dynamic and assorted community of Sheffield, as well as anybody else who cares to connect.
This historical building was used by Ruler Elizabeth II in 2015 for the Illustrious Maundy Service (where she regarded 89 men and 89 women). At that time, crowds of individuals arrived in Sheffield from all over the world to witness the Ruler’s presence nearby this building I recorded. Many say it is usually one of the finest things to see in Sheffield, but to completely appreciate it, you must enter the building to get bona fide views of the structure.
At that point, it would be discourteous not to pass by the charming on-site blessing shop that is filled with themed trinkets. Aside from the ravishing stained glass windows and breathtaking calligraphy works, in more recent years, Sheffield Cathedral has done God’s work by caring for the destitute and most helpless citizens of Sheffield. The cathedral offers nourishment, back care, and therapeutic care to those who are most in need. The entryways to the cathedral are open each day of the year, so in the event that you ever discover yourself in the north of Britain and arrange to pass by Sheffield, everyone is welcome. Contributed by Dan of Urban Abroad.
Truro Cathedral, Cornwall
Truro Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Favored Virgin Mary, is found within the town of Truro in Cornwall and is an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture. The cathedral could be a relatively advanced one when compared with medieval cathedrals like Canterbury and Salisbury, having been built between 1880 and 1910. The most attractive feature of the cathedral, apart from Gothic engineering, is the stained glass windows, which are some of the most excellent Victorian recolored glass windows in the nation. The windows delineate scriptural stories, stories of the history of the English church, and a few neighborhood stories of the locale itself.
Minister Benson was one of the foremost critical devout figures in his day, and he started the building of the cathedral as well as making the ‘Service of Nine Lessons and Carols’ in 1880, which has been utilized for Christmas Eve administrations in Truro Cathedral ever since, as well as in other Anglican churches around the world. Religious administrator Benson would later become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1882.
The stunningly impressive towers of Truro Cathedral linger expansively over the town and are particularly great at nightfall or on a clear day and is, not at all like numerous cathedrals in England, free to enter. Truro is one of the best towns in Cornwall to visit, and when there, make sure beyond any doubt you visit the really shocking Truro Cathedral, one of the most amazing legacy buildings in Cornwall and all of Britain. Contributed by Jonny of Back Pressing Man
Wells Cathedral, Somerset
Wells Cathedral is in the littlest city in Britain, Wells, which sits at the base of the Mendip Slopes in Somerset. At the end of the High Road may be a huge commercial center, and a little passage in one corner leads to Cathedral Green. The cathedral is free to enter, but gifts can be made, and it is conceivable to make an annual donation. Adjacent to the cathedral is the Bishop’s Royal Residence, which costs £16 for adults and £8 for children.
The cathedral has a lavish exterior with over 300 statues carved into the West Front, which continues along the side of the cathedral. Whereas these are presently uncovered stones, initially they would have been secured in gold leaf. Inside, at the end of the nave, there may be a marvelous combination of curves known as scissor curves that were built in 1348 to prevent the wooden towers from collapsing. These outline the organ that stands over the altar.
They are excellent cream sandstone and lead up to the vaulted ceiling that’s painted with ruddy and blue floral patterns. Tucked away in one corner of the cathedral is the Wells Clock, the most seasoned clock in Britain, which still has its unique medieval face from the 1300s. This has jousting knights and a moving jack that show up on the hour and quarter. To one side of the cathedral is the Bishop’s Royal Residence, which has ornate gardens and views back across to the cathedral, whereas on the opposite side is the Vicar’s Near. This can be the most seasoned medieval street in Europe and was initially built in 1363 for the vicars. Contributed by Suzanne from Winding Wild.
Westminster Catholic Cathedral, London
The Westminster Catholic Cathedral is an astounding Catholic church in the heart of London. In fact, it’s the biggest Catholic church in the UK, the 38th biggest in the world, and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. If you’re touring around London, you can effortlessly walk south to Westminster Cathedral from Buckingham Royal Residence or Westminster Nunnery, both of which are exceptionally near the cathedral. A few transport routes let off across the street from the cathedral, or you can take a train from anywhere in the UK. In spite of its greatness, the Westminster Cathedral is settled in between curious cafes and charming shops.
But you’ll know you’re in the right place after you see an impressive brick bell tower peering over the encompassing buildings. The outside is not at all like anything in the city, with striking brick stripes of terracotta and white. Swing by at night to see the dramatic lighting enlightening the architectural features. Interior: be sure to take a minute to appreciate the Neo-Byzantine mosaics beautifying the ceiling—some are still in progress to this day! The cathedral is free to enter and is open each day, but keep in mind that it is a working church.
Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire
Located in Hampshire in southern England, Winchester Cathedral has a history stretching back over 900 years. Norman and early Gothic in fashion, Winchester Cathedral isn’t only one of the largest cathedrals in the UK, but it also has the longest nave in Europe. Another much-loved character from the cathedral’s history is William Walker, whose statue stands at the back of the cathedral. Walker was a jumper who spent much time making a difference in repairing the waterlogged establishments of the cathedral in the early 1900s.
