# Cathedrals, Churches, Abbey's and monastic ruins of England



## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Wapper said:


> Did you visit Tintern Abbey? I know it's in Wales, but it is not far from the English border and it's really worth the detour.


I did a few years ago and it was well worth going to look at the ruins as well as the stunning picturesque location. I nearly posted my pics of it in this thread before I remembered it was in Wales


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Next up is Cantebury Cathedral which is one of the larger and more famous of English cathedrals. It is the mother church of the Church of England and also a UNESCO world heritage site. 

The exterior displays a whole host of gothic features from the double towered west front with large central stained glass window, pinicle'd flying buttresses and a massive central crossing tower. This end is the newer bit (but still old)

Canterbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
The interior of the newer bit is a soaring masterpiece of English Perpendicular Gothic Architecture

Canterbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
Which is in contrast to the earlier French Gothic styled chior and east end which is often mentioned as being the first building in England to adopt the gothic over the romanesque. This is also the shrine to one of Englands most famous Saints, Thomas Becket

Canterbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Just to form a nice contrast with the massiveness of Canterbury here is a picture of a tiny private chapel on the estate of Baddesley Clinton manor in the midlands

The entire building could easily fit inside a cathedral

Baddesley Clinton by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I have to say my favourite English cathedral - of the ones I've visited, is Gloucester. Have you been there yet?


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> I have to say my favourite English cathedral - of the ones I've visited, is Gloucester. Have you been there yet?


I certainly have and funnily enough I uploaded my pics onto flickr a few minutes ago. While Exeter is my favorite, Gloucester is very high up my list although it's difficult to pick as there are so many but I really love Perpendicular gothic and Gloucester has some of the best examples of that

Perpendicular gothic architecture is the grand finale of English gothic and is recognised by a latice like almost webbed architecture with thin light stone and plenty of glass such as the east end of Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
Glosucester also has my favorite cloisters, these perfect perpendicular cloisters with their fan vault were used in one of the Harry Potter films

Gloucester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
The exterior is interesting but not as astounding as the inside

Gloucester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
The older nave is in stark contrast to the flowery perpendicular east end with its massive brooding romanesque piers. Like many English Cathedrals it really is a building of two halves!!!

Gloucester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

What I like about Gloucester is the sheer variety and magnificence of the arts and crafts displayed within. It is just sublime.

I lover the cloisters. Wasn't Henry VIII married/crowned here?


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> What I like about Gloucester is the sheer variety and magnificence of the arts and crafts displayed within. It is just sublime.
> 
> I lover the cloisters. Wasn't Henry VIII married/crowned here?


The cloisters are probably the finest in the world I think, they're magical probably why they used them ina Harry Potter film. Not sure about Henry VIII although he got married many times so its possible he did here even though he also disolved it from being a monastery


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Chichester Cathedral, in Sussex southern England is one of England's lesser known cathedral's but is very typical of English cathedrals due to its mix of styles from romaneques to gothic.

The mostly romanesque nave, again large heavy piers supporting a later gothic vaulted cieling

Chichester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
A typically English looking gothic ensemble, it reminds me of a smaller version of Salisbury due to its central spire and multitude of lancet windows. On the right you can see the edge of a free standing bell tower which is unusual for English medieval cathedral

Chichester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Crediton Church in Devon in the south west of England. The site of this church is very ancient and there was a cathedral here until it was moved to Exeter. 

Another typically long building...

Crediton Church by barnyz, on Flickr
The current perpendicular styled church replaced an even earlier romanesque one

Crediton Church by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Southwell Minster is a cathedral in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. It is another example of an English medieval cathedral built in several medieval architectural styles

The exterior with it's grand romanesque towers, the Decorated chapter house is just visible by the trees on the left

Southwell Minster by barnyz, on Flickr
The nave is also mostly romanesque with an unusual wooden barrel vaulted cieling

Southwell Minster by barnyz, on Flickr
In total contrast to the splendid Early English gothic of the chior. If you compare this to the picture above its hard to believe its the same building

Southwell Minster by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Evesham Abbey, all that remains of a once large monastic complex is the entrance tower which now stands alone

Evesham Abbey by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

St. James' Church, Chipping Campden in the Cotswalds. A very typical looking English church in the perpendicular gothic style

Chipping Campden by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Ripon, one of the first cathedral's I ever visited hence the slightly lower quality pictures as these were taken on an early digital camera

The Early English Gothic west front with its many lancet windows

Ripon Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr
Interior, the gothic nave with its wooden cieling and (unusuallly for England) single tiered triforium

Ripon Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Spot the church?

London, medieval St Andrew Undershaft in the shadow of a "cathedral of commerce"  One of the few churches to survive the great fire of 1666 and the blitz in WW2

London by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Lichfield Cathedral, another of my favorites, despite its small size it is perfectly formed and a stunning example of English Decorated gothic architecture (although of course it has elements of other styles mixed in as well)

View down the stunning nave from the crossing

Lichfield Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The nave, elements perfect in proportion

Lichfield Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The west front, the cathedral has three spires and is sometimes called the 'the Ladies of the Vale'

Lichfield Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## aarhusforever (Jun 15, 2010)

Thank you for the amazing updates :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

aarhusforever said:


> Thank you for the amazing updates :cheers:


thanks for comment, I will update with some more soon.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Durham Cathedral, considered by many to be the finest romanesque cathedral in the world and by some the greatest of all English cathedrals. It truely is a staggering site to behold or at least it would be if the weather had been good when I visited. Sadly it is one of the few cathedrals of England where photography is not normally permitted inside 

The view of the cathedral and castle from the train station. This is one of the finest views in England so I will certainly be returning some day hopefully when the sky is blue!!!

Durham by barnyz, on Flickr

The cathedral crowns a hill in the bend of a river and is imposing from all directions

Durham by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Carlisle Cathedral, the most northerly of English cathedral's, it is only a few miles from the Scottish border. Another trip on a rainy day! Its another smallish and less famous cathedral but well worth a visit

The delightful chior with it's starry painted wooden barrel vault

Carlisle Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The exterior on a rainy day displaying its many Early English Gothic lancet windows

Carlisle Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

No point putting pictures of the next epic cathedral in the lost post of a page so onwards to the next...


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Lincoln Cathedral is one of Englands truely epic buildings. It is situated on top of a hill in a small city and dwarfs everything nearby. It is visible from many miles away and was once the tallest building in the world before the spire on the central tower collapsed in 1549

Due to its epic and monumental exterior this building deserves two posts so this one is for the outside. One of the best views is from Lincoln Castle

Lincoln Cathedral skyline by barnyz, on Flickr

Like many English cathedral's it is very long. Note how the choir roof (right of central tower) is lower than the nave roof to the left. Another sure sign of a building built in parts over many years which is reflected in the interior

Lincoln Cathedral skyline by barnyz, on Flickr

Looking down at the west twin towers from the top of the central tower, this was the skyscraper of its age

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The Lady Chapel on the east end

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Lincoln Cathedral continued. The interior is as impressive and monumental as the exterior. The famous Victorian critic John Ruskin wrote of it "I have always held... that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have." Im not sure I quite agree with that but it is very awe inspiring hence why I have visited it three times so far

Detail of the Early English triforium in the nave

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The "crazy vault" in the chior, a unique and insane looking way to make a cieling 

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The "Bishops Eye" rose window in one of the transepts

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The huge gothic stainded glass window in the Lady Chapel

Lincoln Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Ripon and Lichfield look particularly interesting. And Lincoln is, simply, monumental.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> Ripon and Lichfield look particularly interesting. And Lincoln is, simply, monumental.


Lichfield is small but really perfect in every other way, a real hidden gem just 20-30 minutes outside of Birmingham (the first time i visited I did it as a day trip from Liverpool). Lincoln is slightly harder to get too but is staggering and also very beautiful, it contains many perfect examples of gothic architecture and imo is a must for any architecture nerd


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Buckfast Abbey in Devon in the south west of England. The original medieval monastery was ruined shortly after the desolution of the monasteries. All that remained until recently were the foundations, then in 1882 French monks arrived and rebuilt it over a period of 30 years using primitive construction methods to recreate this medieval master piece

Approaching the west front of the monastery which is still used by monks to this day

Buckfast Abbey by barnyz, on Flickr

The rebuilt interior is an amazing achievement considering the construction methods used, there were never more than 5-6 monks working on it at any one time

Buckfast Abbey by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Liverpool Anglican cathedral. This gothic monster is rather new and also rather massive being one of the ten biggest cathedrals in the world. This is another of the first I visited hence the low quality photo.

The bulk of the building is most impressive

Liverpool Anglican cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Liverpool Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral. Liverpool's second modern cathedral but this one is very different to the one above. Originally this building was going to be a monumentally massive neo-gothic domed cathedral designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens but was then re-designed as this rather more modest modern building. I would have preferred the orginal design but the modernity of this one makes it very interesting and different

Modernist cathedral, the interior is better but my photos from the interior are too bad to look at

Liverpool Catholic Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Wells cathedral, mostly Early English in style this is one of the finest cathedrals in England and is particulary famous for its massive ornate west front

The ornate west front with its 300 or so statues is one of the largest collections of medieval scuplture in the world which is amazing considering these things have been outside for nearly 1000 years

Wells Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

View from the Bishops Palace

Wells Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The magnificent interior with is famous scissor arches supporting the crossing tower (although they always remind me of a sad owl's face)

Wells Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

Another fine example of a gothic cloister

Wells Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The ruins of the Bishops Palace "For the greater good" 

Wells by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Wells, St Cuthbert Church

As well as the cathedral Wells also contains this fine perpendicular church

Wells, St Cuthbert by barnyz, on Flickr


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## the_sage (Nov 27, 2009)

Amazing!


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

the_sage said:


> Amazing!


Cathedrals are always amazing :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Ely cathedral is another of the larger and more famous of Englands cathedral's. It has a unique octagonal lantern where there would normally be a crossing tower. The cathedral in common with many other English cathedrals is very long and also built in many styles over many years

Viewed from a distance it almost looks like a small city all by itself

Ely Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The unique and famous octagonal lantern from the outside. This central space also seperates the Romanesque nave from the gothic choir

Ely Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

Looking up into the octagonal lantern

Ely Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The powerful looking romanesque nave

Ely Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

In contrast to the romanesque nave above the choir is gothic mixing Early English and Decorated gothic styles

Ely Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Fantastic. I really need to visit some more cathedrals and cathedral towns.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> Fantastic. I really need to visit some more cathedrals and cathedral towns.


I would recommend it  

I hope I can visit every single one of them again in the future.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Lacock Abbey. Little remains of this abbey, the church itself was demolished after the dissolution of the monasteries and was replaced by a manor house (which is itself famous for being one of the birthplaces of photography). However the cloisters and many other monastic elements were kept and now form part of the house

The gothic cloisters of Lacock Abbey were used in two Harry Potter films

Lacock Abbey by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Bristol Cathedral, an unusual gothic cathedral by English standards

From the outside it looks like a typically long English gothic cathedral

Bristol Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

But the interior is more like a German "hall church" than an English cathedral. The side aisles are the same height as the nave meaning there are no clerestory windows to directly light the nave.

Bristol Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Bristol, the church of St Mary Redcliffe. Citizens in Bristol are truely spoilt, not only a cathedral but also a cathedral sized gothic church often considered one of the finest non-cathedral medieval buildings of England. 

The spire of St Mary Redcliffe

Bristol St Mary Redcliffe by barnyz, on Flickr

The interior is an amazing Perpendicular gothic space

Bristol St Mary Redcliffe by barnyz, on Flickr

The vault in the nave

Bristol St Mary Redcliffe by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I have visited Lacock Abbey, but I really must visit Bristol again and see both the cathedral and St Mary Redcliffe. Fantastic.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> I have visited Lacock Abbey, but I really must visit Bristol again and see both the cathedral and St Mary Redcliffe. Fantastic.


that is a good idea, maybe combine it with a side trip to Wells or Gloucester or even Bath as they are all nearby


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

yubnub said:


> that is a good idea, maybe combine it with a side trip to Wells or Gloucester or even Bath as they are all nearby


I used to live in Gloucestershire and have been to both Wells & Gloucester Cathedral, although not Bath Cathedral. :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Salisbury Cathedral is one of the most iconic and famous of all English cathedrals. Of particular note is that, unlike the majority of cathedrals featured in this thread, the cathedral in Salisbury was built almost entirely in a single style of gothic in a short peroid of time. 

Salisbury's west front, the three huge lancet windows in the center are typical of Early English gothic architecture

Salisbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The famous spire is the tallest in the UK and is 123m high, not bad for something built 800 years ago

Salisbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The cathedral also contains a wonderful set of cloisters that are big enough to require their own buttresses

Salisbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Salisbury Cathedral is most famous for its iconic spire and exterior appearence but everyone who visits should make sure to go inside as it also has one of the finest interiors of any building in England

The nave is another lengthy example of Early English gothic. Unusally it does not contain an organ in the crossing so its one of the few cathedrals where you can easily see from one end to the other

Salisbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The cathedral is one of the more ornate of Early English cathedrals. As there is no easy access to real marble in England it is instead dressed with Purbeck Marble which is actually a limestone that is highly polished to look a little like marble

Salisbury Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Salisbury, The Parish Church of St Thomas and St Edmunds

Salisbury has a few other gems to visit other than the cathedral such as the church of St Thomas and St Edmunds

Salisbury church by barnyz, on Flickr

It is most known for a large medieval fresco above the crossing arch

Salisbury church by barnyz, on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

^^That is fabulous I don't think I've seen similar frescoes/ceiling painting in any other churches in England.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> ^^That is fabulous I don't think I've seen similar frescoes/ceiling painting in any other churches in England.


they are very rare (the only other one i can think of is in Coventry on the prevoius page). I think they must have been common at one point and then I assume destroyed during the reformation for being "too catholic" or something mad like that. TBH between reformations, dissolutions, wars and fires its a wonder that any medieval buildings survive at all (so glad they do, i can only imagine at what must have been lost over the years)


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

yubnub said:


> they are very rare (the only other one i can think of is in Coventry on the prevoius page). I think they must have been common at one point and then I assume destroyed during the reformation for being "too catholic" or something mad like that. TBH between reformations, dissolutions, wars and fires its a wonder that any medieval buildings survive at all (so glad they do, i can only imagine at what must have been lost over the years)


You would adore the* Capella Palatina *in Palermo ( Palatine Chapel) - my absolute favourite, albeit small, religious building - of those that I've seen. It is just exquisite - and has frescoes, gilding, wood carving, marble, tiling - every craft and art to the highest standard, uniting the best of Norman and Moorish design. :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

openlyJane said:


> You would adore the* Capella Palatina *in Palermo ( Palatine Chapel) - my absolute favourite, albeit small, religious building - of those that I've seen. It is just exquisite - and has frescoes, gilding, wood carving, marble, tiling - every craft and art to the highest standard, uniting the best of Norman and Moorish design. :cheers:


yep no doubt of that, Sicily is very high on my list of places i must go as soon as possible


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Rochester Cathedral, this is one of the lesser known cathedral's but is one of the few next to a castle so worth the trip. Although a bit of a mixed bag it offers good examples of many styles of medieval architecture

Viewed from the castle you can clearly see the Perpendicular great west window sitting in front of a very Norman (Romanesque) nave which is attached to an Early English gothic crossing and transepts. A little of everything

Rochester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

Looking west from the crossing you can clearly see where the older Norman part is linked to the later gothic part

Rochester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

One of the transepts, very typically Early English with its large lancet windows

Rochester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## Mossy22 (Dec 20, 2010)

Excellent Thread I've just been through the whole thing! Pitty you saw Durham on a rainy day, I was at the Cathedral today and the place was stunning in the sunshine. I also managed to get some interior shots when no-one was looking  You should definitely visit again, but I will post the photos of the interior tomorrow on my durham thread below! Amazing shots of Salisbury btw.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Mossy22 said:


> Excellent Thread I've just been through the whole thing! Pitty you saw Durham on a rainy day, I was at the Cathedral today and the place was stunning in the sunshine. I also managed to get some interior shots when no-one was looking  You should definitely visit again, but I will post the photos of the interior tomorrow on my durham thread below! Amazing shots of Salisbury btw.


thanks Mossy22! Yes I definitly must visit Durham again (its one of those places I would want to visit many times). After looking through your wonderful thread I have a certain amount of location envy. Durham is just amazing!!!


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Beverley Minster, probably the largest and finest non-cathedral church in England and in my opinion one of the finest pieces of architecture in the UK. It outshines all but a few of Englands cathedrals. It's not too far from York but is far more beautiful (if a little smaller). Words cant do it justice imo so...

The length of the building is evident viewed from across the fields. Unusually it does not have a central crossing tower but does have double transepts

Beverley Minster by barnyz, on Flickr

The Perpendicular west front with its twin towers

Beverley Minster by barnyz, on Flickr

The soaring nave is near perfect and I know Ive gushed alot so far over this building but honestly the first time I stepped inside it really left me speechless!

Beverley Minster by barnyz, on Flickr

The chior is mostly Early English and dressed in Purbeck Marble. The picture does not do it justice, everyone shoud visit to see for themselves

Beverley Minster by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Beverley, St. Mary's Church. So the small town of Beverly has two of Englands finest churches! St. Mary's Church, although not in the same league as Beverly Minster should not be missed

This mostly Perpendicular exterior has unusually positioned flying buttresses propping up the ends of the transepts

Beverley, St. Mary's Church by barnyz, on Flickr

The simpler interior is deceptively large (just look at the tiny man compared to the massive central crossing arch)

Beverley, St. Mary's Church by barnyz, on Flickr


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## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

yubnub said:


> Salisbury Cathedral is most famous for its iconic spire...


I had always wondered this: had the tower of Fonthill Abbey survived, would it have diminished or enhanced the effect of the cathedral spire? 

It may sound counter-intuitive, but I suspect that it would have been the latter...

Great thread.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

tpe said:


> I had always wondered this: had the tower of Fonthill Abbey survived, would it have diminished or enhanced the effect of the cathedral spire?
> 
> It may sound counter-intuitive, but I suspect that it would have been the latter...
> 
> Great thread.


Possibly too far away although they would have been visible to each other from the tops. If it survived it would certainly have enhanced it I think, in fact its a real shame it didn't survive. There is Beckford Tower on a hill near Bath that has survived that certainly enhances the area it is in


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Westminster Abbey, London's famous royal abbey and one of the largest medieval gothic buildings in the world. You are not allowed to take photos inside sadly and its really expensive to go in but most certainly worth it

The twin towers on the west front are newer having been designed by Hawksmoor and built in the 18th century. Victoria tower from the Palace of Westminster (aka the houses of parliment) is visible in the background. You can just about see the tiny church of St Margaret's on the left side being over shadowed and dwarfed by the abbey

London Westminster Abbey by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

grr I cant find any of my photos from London's Southwark Cathedral which is odd as I lived near it for many years and must have gone in and taken photos on numerous occassions. Hopefully they will turn up somewhere so I will save this post in case I find them


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## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

yubnub said:


> Possibly too far away although they would have been visible to each other from the tops. If it survived it would certainly have enhanced it I think, in fact its a real shame it didn't survive. There is Beckford Tower on a hill near Bath that has survived that certainly enhances the area it is in


Although much smaller in scale, Lansdown Tower is "integral" to Bath, as Beckford certainly envisioned it to be. And it is as much a testament to Beckford's ideas as Fonthill.

Fonthill was built with an eye towards the Cathedral Spire. And yet, in his later years, Beckford would reluctantly agree with Thomas Hope, in that a comparison between the two towers would put Fonthill at a disadvantage, in spite of it being better and more prominently situated.


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## aarhusforever (Jun 15, 2010)

Thank you for the updates, yubnub :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

tpe said:


> Although much smaller in scale, Lansdown Tower is "integral" to Bath, as Beckford certainly envisioned it to be. And it is as much a testament to Beckford's ideas as Fonthill.
> 
> Fonthill was built with an eye towards the Cathedral Spire. And yet, in his later years, Beckford would reluctantly agree with Thomas Hope, in that a comparison between the two towers would put Fonthill at a disadvantage, in spite of it being better and more prominently situated.


Well to be fair Salisbury puts almost every other building in the country to a disadvantage!!!


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

aarhusforever said:


> Thank you for the updates, yubnub :cheers:


thanks aarhusforever, glad you like the thread :cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

the golden vision said:


> I'm really enjoying this thread, great work. What is it you find most interesting about the great cathedrals? I see them more as great feats of medieval engineering than places of beauty,although obviously some are incredibly beautiful, although I'd never describe the huge romanesque piers of some Norman cathedrals as beautiful added to that they grossly over-engineered. The gothic cathedrals however are masterpieces of engineering, though even here , I personally find them overpowering(haven't been to that many) and I suppose that's what they are meant to do isn't it.


Well I think you hit the nail on the head so to speak. I find the great gothic cathedrals to be an almost perfect expression of architecture in contrast to more modern architecture where recently there has been much theory about "form follows function", "the house is a machine for living in", "less is more" etc etc where always the functional aspect is deemed more important. In contrast gothic cathedrals seem to be the perfect synthesis between both form and function where all elements combine in a balanced way to produce something that is both art and struture where one cannot be easily seperated from the other. Norman cathedrals while not being as perfect still have many elements that combine perfectly but they also have a certain solidity about them as well that is awe inspiring considering how old some of them are. 

With English cathedral's in particular I also enjoy the historic transistion of styles that are evident in some cathedrals where you can almost see the heavy romanesque elements gradually evolving over the ages into the lighter and more brittle looking gothic stone cages of later buildings.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Worcester Cathedral is another famous English cathedral that has elements from many different styles of medieval architecture

This is similar to the famous view of the cathedral from the £20 pound note with its perfect perpendicular crossing tower

Worcester Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

Early English Gothic lancet windows

Worcester Cathedral interior by barnyz, on Flickr

The nave is another lengthy English affair

Worcester Cathedral interior by barnyz, on Flickr


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## the golden vision (Feb 26, 2005)

yubnub said:


> Well I think you hit the nail on the head so to speak. I find the great gothic cathedrals to be an almost perfect expression of architecture in contrast to more modern architecture where recently there has been much theory about "form follows function", "the house is a machine for living in", "less is more" etc etc where always the functional aspect is deemed more important. In contrast gothic cathedrals seem to be the perfect synthesis between both form and function where all elements combine in a balanced way to produce something that is both art and struture where one cannot be easily seperated from the other. Norman cathedrals while not being as perfect still have many elements that combine perfectly but they also have a certain solidity about them as well that is awe inspiring considering how old some of them are.
> 
> With English cathedral's in particular I also enjoy the historic transistion of styles that are evident in some cathedrals where you can almost see the heavy romanesque elements gradually evolving over the ages into the lighter and more brittle looking gothic stone cages of later buildings.


Interesting, thanks. What I find fascinating is the replacement of one type of arch by another(pointed for sem-circular) led to a revolution in construction and form that transformed these building's interiors from masses of stone and gloom to space and light. Gothic:cheers:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

The Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick

A large and odd church with its pointed gothic windows surrounded by classical style detials

Warwick Church of St Mary by barnyz, on Flickr

One of the many chapels inside

Warwick Church of St Mary by barnyz, on Flickr


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

London, Southwark Cathedral. London's smaller and lesser known gothic cathedral. The building has undergone many drastic changes including the demolition and rebuilding of the nave in the 19th century. The bulk of the building was constucted in 1220 making it one of the first gothic buildings in London

The building sits in a very cramped site near London Bridge and its hard to get an overall view of the shape and style of the building. It's one of those places that tourists are likely to stumble on by mistake

London, Southwark Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

It's many pinicles are now complemented by the latest pointy thing in London 

London, Southwark Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr

The nave was rebuilt in the 19th century. There always seems to be an organ recital or chior session going on so if you have spare time in London then pop as unlike many other cathedral this one is still very active

London, Southwark Cathedral by barnyz, on Flickr


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## blar (Jan 25, 2007)

Bump.....

Pictures: Birmingham Cathedral restoration experts get stunning views of city centre



> Aug 12, 2014 16:00 By Stacey Barnfield Birmingham Post
> 
> The weather vane is almost 200 feet above ground, giving workers unique views across Birmingham city centre
> 
> ...


http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/new...mingham-cathedral-restoration-experts-7597366


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