When I first started visiting England about six years ago, like any tourist, I was amazed by the architecture around me. Especially the churches and I wanted to know more. Now that I’m living here I am able to visit many places nearby that enthrall me on a regular basis as I go about my normal everyday life. I’m always amazed to find out how long many of these beautiful structures have been standing. It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around just how long seven hundred or nine hundred years really is. I currently live in Wiltshire, which has its share of beautiful places and the churches and cathedrals are plentiful. I’d like to share some of my favorite spots across the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset, with a couple of stops in London as well.
St. James Church, in the Wiltshire village of Avebury, is situated down a peaceful path at the edge of the village. This is one of the first places that I visited when I came to England. The village is home to the famous stone circle, which is a World Heritage Site. The church dates back to 950-1000 AD. There have been several periods of construction work done to the structure from the 12th to 20th centuries. One of the surviving Anglo-Saxon bits of work is a corner stone at the nave, in between the tower and the west wall of the north aisle. The Norman influence is seen in the south doorway with its gracefully carved arch and the aisles that were added in the 12th century. During the following centuries, many other changes were made such as the aisles being widened and the tower being added in the 15th century. Over the later centuries different renovations were done to keep this lovely old church in good shape.
Bath Abbey is located in the city of Bath and is a beautiful focal point for the whole city. The city itself is situated perfectly in the hills of the Somerset countryside. This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its Georgian architecture. Three other churches preceded the building at present. There was an Anglo-Saxon church dated from 757; a Norman cathedral dated from 1090; and then the present structure was founded in 1499. Bath Abbey is of the Perpendicular Gothic period (1375-1530), with its strong vertical lines, flying buttresses, and very elaborate tower. Also characteristic of this style are the huge windows and spider web-like, lacy patterns of the stone.
St. Michael’s Church, also in Bath, is yet another great addition to this gorgeous city. George Phillips Manners designed the present building. The structure features a crazy W tower design and is tall and very narrow with an octagonal open lantern with spire. It is interesting to walk the streets of Bath and suddenly catch a glimpse of the church down one of the narrow walkways. Seeing this view of the church for the first time was like looking back into the past. One beautiful thing about Bath is that you always feel like you are walking amongst history when you visit.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is an icon of the London skyline and its dome is unmistakable. The current cathedral, the fourth to occupy the site, was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren and was built between 1675 and 1710. The preceding structure was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Here is a photo of the very recognizable dome.
The walls of the cathedral are very thick, which cuts down on the need for huge flying buttresses. Instead small flying buttresses are used to reinforce the walls. The large dome has three layers, which work together to support the heavy stone. The middle layer of the three is much more cone-shaped than the others. The dome is restrained by a wrought iron chain, which prevents the spreading of the dome. It is true genius. When inside, it is fun to climb the 259 steps from the ground level to the Whispering Gallery inside the dome. If you whisper against the wall your whisper carries along to anyone with their ear to the wall around the huge gallery. I’ve tried it and it works. Here’s the thing though… if you speak in a normal voice it doesn’t carry. It’s truly amazing.
Another great feature of St. Paul’s is the Great West Door, with its double tier of columns framed by two ever-growing towers makes for quite a grand entrance to this cathedral.
One of the other great architecturally beautiful churches in London is Westminster Abbey. It is one of the most important examples of Gothic architecture in the country and is a World Heritage Site. It is a Royal Peculiar, which is a place of worship that is under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than a diocese. It is the traditional site for coronations and has been this way since 1066. Many famous people in the country’s history are either buried or commemorated inside Westminster Abbey.
The abbey’s two western towers, built between 1722 and 1745, are constructed from Portland stone and are an example of Gothic Revival design. Here are two photos of the towers seen from the diagonal and from the front of Westminster Abbey.
The last stop on this trip is the glorious Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire. The cathedral was built in just 38 years (1220-1258 AD), which is a very short period for a cathedral of the time. Since the cathedral was built in a mere 38 years, it conforms to one architectural style, which is the Early English Gothic style.
This grand cathedral boasts Britain’s tallest spire at 404 feet tall. The spire construction was completed during the years 1310-1333AD and now leans 27.5 inches to the south and 17.5 inches to the west due probably to weight and time passing.
Salisbury Cathedral houses Europe’s oldest working clock (1386 AD) and also has the best-preserved copy of the Magna Carta (1215 AD) on display in its Chapter House. It is believed that the cathedral has 365 windows and that there are 67 statues on the West Front. Here are some photos of the many statues.
One of the other interesting architectural flourishes on the cathedral are the various gargoyles/faces nestled in here and there. They are usually in the form of a grotesquely carved face or other strange creature and project from the roof. Thus, this is one of the practical reasons for gargoyles that I have come across. They are a great way to help the rainwater run off the roof, which is why they have their mouths open. I’ve also read that they may be there to ward off evil. Either way, they certainly do make for a fun game of spot-the-gargoyle when you’re looking up there.
There are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful churches to see in England, from the small country churches to the grandest cathedrals of the land. All are worth taking a closer look at. Along with being houses of worship they are also simply amazing to see up close from an architectural standpoint. Whenever I visit one I think of all the work that went into building them during a time when we didn’t have the tools we have today. I also see them as monuments to beauty and determination. Whenever I come away from visiting one of them, I leave truly inspired.
Photos taken by Dori Thomas Peaple
