Your Favourite Cathedral

Funnygran

Being a Northerner I would agree about Durham, York and Lincoln. We’re in Palma for a few days and visited the cathedral yesterday. It’s huge and spectacular. I’m not religious but I found it amazing both for the religious decoration and the stained glass.

I love the cathedral in Palma and the city.
Amazing place.

I should mention that I've always hated Salisbury Cathedral. My mother took me there when I was 4 and, being absolutely certain that the ceiling was going to cave in, I screamed until a kindly priest came and led me outside. Mum was incensed but the priest said, "Don't worry, a lot of children sense the atmosphere of our spire and want to run from it."
I've tried visiting several times over the years but it's like having the breath sucked out of my lungs. Weird.

My home cathedral, Gloucester, where I worked for many years, and Wells. But most of them are pretty amazing.

Re Coventry- just read this:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6zxzvn5k8x4o

When we took the children on the grand tour of Europe we were in Orvieto on a day in which the cathedral, for some reason, was closed. So it’s unfinished business for me but I doubt if I’ll ever get the chance to return to it. I love Cathedrals. All of them. And churches….

On a recent train journey, through the window I glimpsed Ely Cathedral for about a minute. I was enchanted. Against a blue sky it looked huge and magnificent. I gazed in awe. So beautiful. I must go to Ely, see it close up and go inside. That's a little trip planned.
Years ago when I worked in the city centre I used to eat my lunch in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. So peaceful and although a shell, still feels like a special, holy place. Lots of time for reflection there. And linked to it is the huge new Cathedral. Very different but quite wonderful and interesting. There's so much to see and to inspire although it's modern architecture. The windows are beautiful and the vast modern glass screen entrance, hand engraved, is a masterpiece. Another I must go back to visit.

The glass entrance to Coventry Cathedral. It's quite awe- inspiring I think.

I love the way the bombed out crater of the old cathedral is linked with this massive window.

Gracey they call Ely “the ship of the fens”. I think it’s very well named. Lincoln inspires the same awe when you approach the city from a distance and suddenly there it is on the skyline.

Gracey

On a recent train journey, through the window I glimpsed Ely Cathedral for about a minute. I was enchanted. Against a blue sky it looked huge and magnificent. I gazed in awe. So beautiful. I must go to Ely, see it close up and go inside. That's a little trip planned.
Years ago when I worked in the city centre I used to eat my lunch in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. So peaceful and although a shell, still feels like a special, holy place. Lots of time for reflection there. And linked to it is the huge new Cathedral. Very different but quite wonderful and interesting. There's so much to see and to inspire although it's modern architecture. The windows are beautiful and the vast modern glass screen entrance, hand engraved, is a masterpiece. Another I must go back to visit.

I went to see it because it features in one of my favourite books Tom’s Midnight Garden. It didn’t disappoint.

Coventry is definitely on my to-see list. The Frauenkirche in Dresden was rebuilt around the turn of the century after complete wartime destruction, and the cross on the top was presented by Coventry (either the cathedral or the city, I can't remember). I found that very moving.

I have a picture of part of a Cathedral ceiling and the caption calls it "Brizzy Cathedral". The picture is of the vaulting over the Baptistry. Can anyone tell me where that might be, as I can't find any reference to that name anywhere?

Lincoln for me. We live south of the city and to see it towering above everything as we drive in is amazing. What must the locals have felt when it was first built. They must have been in total awe as it was the tallest building in Europe then and even had a spire on top. Long since gone.
I was also impressed with Canterbury, with its large crypt and history. Unfortunately, it had scaffolding around the exterior when we visited. Another one that made a real impression because it is so different is Ely.
We have visited a few with friends. The husband decided on retirement that he would visit all the cathedrals in England. A goal he has now achieved.

As students in the 70s we lived for a year in Priory Hall, the student accommodation for the old Lanchester Polytechnic.
The entrance is directly opposite the entrance to the new cathedral. We went to a Christmas Carol concert there.
Amazing building.
Our first house was a post-war rebuild in Coventry, one of four in the terrace that was also bombed during the war. I heard that the occupants had survived.

Mollygo

Labradora
The older Liverpudlians mostly called it Paddy’s Wigwam. I’ve never heard it referred to as the Mersey funnel.

Yup I've heard Paddy's Wigwam as well.
It does sort of look like a funnel upside down ? Can't remember where I heard that.
My mental hard-drive is probably full and bits drop off from time to time........

Ely

Another vote for Ripon Cathedral. The stained glass windows are a marvel.

Gracie I love to see both the Cathedral and the ‘harbour’ from the train. I actually went to see the Cathedral the other week. Fabulous.
However, Norwich wins for me. I was a bridesmaid at a wedding there back in the day. Fabulous memories.

Ely cathedral

I have loved reading through everyone’s answers. I have a lot of cathedrals to visit l can see.

Gracey

On a recent train journey, through the window I glimpsed Ely Cathedral for about a minute. I was enchanted. Against a blue sky it looked huge and magnificent. I gazed in awe. So beautiful. I must go to Ely, see it close up and go inside. That's a little trip planned.
Years ago when I worked in the city centre I used to eat my lunch in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. So peaceful and although a shell, still feels like a special, holy place. Lots of time for reflection there. And linked to it is the huge new Cathedral. Very different but quite wonderful and interesting. There's so much to see and to inspire although it's modern architecture. The windows are beautiful and the vast modern glass screen entrance, hand engraved, is a masterpiece. Another I must go back to visit.

I was a mature student at Coventry Uni in the 1990s, so I walked past those ruins several times a week.. I know what you mean about it still feeling like a special place.
My graduation was in the new cathedral. For me personally, that building lacked 'feeling', but that probably comes with age.

We lived in Coventry for a while when DS1 was born and decided to take him to the carol service there on his first Christmas. We were ushered to a side room with the door closed 'in case he cried'. Not a fan of Coventry Cathedral.

Ripon Cathedral has to be one of the finest. Visited recently on our way further north and I was blown away. Didn’t expect such magnificence inside. The stained glass windows are something else. Someone was inside polishing the brass and it was gleaming. We were told it costs £6,000 per day to maintain the cathedral.

Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and Paddy’s Wigwam.I sang in both with the school choir.

Susan56

Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and Paddy’s Wigwam.I sang in both with the school choir.

I’ve sung in both, too. Beautiful buildings as they are, they both have awful acoustics!

Absolutely Durham, especially the tomb of the Venerable Bede. Bath Abbey is a very close second though. Does it count as it's an Abbey though? Not sure if there's a difference ...