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Impressive cathedrals and churches

I love cathedrals. UK ones I'm most familiar with are Wells, Salisbury, and Canterbury. I remember many years ago entering Canterbury cathedral early one morning, when the only people in the place were a small choir practising. Hugely atmospheric. Strasburg is pretty special, loved La Sagrada Familia(my brother was there recently & tells me you now have to book to get in the place), but the one that really took my breath away was St Paul's Basilica in Rome.
 
Brilliant thread. Try to do guided walks around - the volunteer quides have been superb, eg at Gloucester, Salisbury and Winchester. We try to stay for choral evensong when we can, when these magnificent buildings seem to be at their best.

A friend made a flying visit from the USA and we had to choose one of the great gothic cathedrals - we decided on Salisbury for its beauty and size. Missed out on the spire tour though - next time!

Ian
 
kendo said:
Le Mont-Saint-Michel

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That is an amazing place indeed. The church itself is not huge, but the engineering of the foundations is very impressive.
 
The interior of Basilica San Marco in Venice. And it's just a pic, makes me want to return there.

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Salisbury and Winchester. Haven't been to Winchester for far too long... do they still have the flooded crypt where the water flows through the heart of the statue?
 
Speaking of Atmospheric, Michelmas service at Kings College Cambridge. All lit just by candles with the etheral sound of the choir
 
snowman_al said:
Yes excellent topic.
For atmosphere it has to be St Davids, then Wells and Liverpool Catholic cathedral.

For their memories has to be Ely, Truro, Litchfield and Hereford.

Not cathedrals, but humble churchs you have to see St. Teilo's 12/13th century church in St. Fagans Museum https://museum.wales/stfagans/buildings/st_teilos_church/
and All Saints Brockhampton, Herefordshire 20th century Arts and Crafts http://www.allsaintsbrockhampton.org/
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Ely's a good one, all the more striking given its location in The Fens.

In a similar vein, Southwell Minster is a dominant presence in what's little more than a large village:

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If you visit make sure you see the stone carvings known as The Leaves of Southwell.
 
Of course Mosques can be included. I have no religious beliefs, it was simply about the beauty and grace found in the buildings.
 
After hearing an Australian traveller remark, this trip will not be another abc holiday (another bloody church)

Exactly my sentiments, they are all monsters, except maybe that one in Barcelona.

Bloss
 
richgilb said:
Why are mosques not included, please.
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Good point, although most that I know are either converted private houses or churches, and/or small. Apart from the architecture, which can be impressive but largely uncomplicated, adornment is very much frowned upon in much of modern Islaam, so you are really looking at very long-established mosques for adornments.

Cathedrals - Lincoln is nice but you'll need to stump-up some cash to see quite a bit of it. The area around the cathedral is also very nice (a lot of Lincoln is not).
Ely is very hard to beat - it is visible from many miles away in all directions as it sits on top of the Isle of Ely, in the middle of fen - it always brings a lump to my throat when I first get a sight of it, and I am far from religious and not Christian. When you think of its common name, it makes you feel the more impressed - The Ship of The Fens - carrying everyone's souls to a better life.
Ely itself (not least Peacocks) is also very nice and seems to be stuck in some kind of enviable time-warp.
 
Is Beverley church a cathedral? Really ought to be. The roof tour is highly recommended

Also Wells has an amazing scissor arch
 
I attended a monthly service in Salisbury cathedral whilst at school and retain a fondness for the building and, especially the prisoner of conscience window, which is a breathtaking work of modern ecclesiastical art. I also have a fondness for St Paul's at Deptford by Thomas Archer.

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richgilb said:
Obscure choice. You from East Yorkshire?
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No, Manchester. My wife is from North Yorkshire, but I used to drive to, and through, Beverley regularly in a previous job. It always struck me as an impressive building for what is a pretty small market town.
 
Pete MB&D said:
Sailsbury spire tour is something everybody should do.

Pete
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Surely, everybody should aspire to doing it?

I see the new mosque thread, so may post there; I have little experience of mosques, but I think the Mezquita at Cordoba is one of the most amazing buildings I've ever visited.
 
My vote has really to be for Lincoln Cathedral, I lived 4 miles from it for the first 18 years of my life and travelled up Newark Road and High Street to go to school - all the time in sight of the Cathedral. The school used to have a yearly service in the Cathedral, I played the viola and timpani (not at the same time, both badly) in the school orchestra during the services as well.

I now live almost midway between Chichester and Winchester Cathedrals, each have their special points, the statue of the diver who worked on replacing the wooden foundations in the early 1900s in Winchester, and in Chichester the tale of the spire collapsing and rebuilding of it.

When we were kids we would go up to the top of the Lincoln Cathedral Tower and lean out of the balustrades only 360 odd feet to the ground. That and the Castle were great playgrounds when we were kids.
 
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