Now it's time to actually visit the cathedrals. No one really cares about old bureaucratic historical borders, do they? It's all about the actual buildings! I visited most of the cathedrals with my friend Lamy, and to be fair most of the trip was spent wandering around central, but that's what life's supposed to be like, I guess.
Southwark
- Built: 1106
- Became a cathedral: 1905
- Denomination: Church of England
- Diocese: Southwark
In theory, Southwark has been a centre of worship since the 7th century, when a community of nuns was established in the area. The historical accuracy of that is debated, but what's certain is there was a minster standing here in 1086. The cathedral itself opened in 1106, albeit as a church for the nearby Southwark Priory, and it only became a cathedral in 1905. It also explains why it doesn't look that cathedral-like, even if it's still a gorgeous building.
I don't have any photos from inside the cathedral. That's because King's College London were hosting a graduation ceremony in the cathedral on the same day. Bemoaning my poor luck, that meant all we could do was walk around its four walls, whilst students decked out in black gowns and purple ribbons waited outside.
Lamy's opinion: He liked the brick exterior. From memory, I think he was also a fan of the patio by the main entrance, the one with the coffee shop.
St Paul's
- Built: 1675-1710
- Became a cathedral: 604 (I'll explain)
- Denomination: Church of England
- Diocese: London
This was the real prize - one of the most famous landmarks in London, it would be easy to assume I only visited all four to see specifically St Paul's. Its dome and spire loom from a distance, and make for a pretty contrast with the more sterile glass skyscrapers all around it.
However, St Paul's is actually a relatively new building in London-speak. The original cathedral was built here in 604, and the Diocese of London dates further back than that. We've since had four additional St Paul's; it's often been the victim of battles and fires, most notably in the 1666 Great Fire of London. The current cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and it's hard to imagine any other cathedral in its place.
I also entered St Paul's for the first time, managing to get in for a private prayer, and whilst I don't have any photos, it appeared more pale than I thought it would. I'm assuming part of that is down to most Protestant churches being rather modestly decorated, and of course St Paul's was built when the country was Protestant. I'm sure it would look even more fantastic if I went sightseeing, but tickets cost about £25 per person, so I wasn't up for it.
You'll find Festival Gardens if you approach the cathedral heading from the east. People were milling about on the grass with a fountain behind them, with loads of flowers on all sides. I took the opportunity to take various photos, as well as wondering how I'd somehow never seen the gardens before. On the other side lies St Paul's Cross, with a statue of St Paul waving to the crowd, but my photos weren't particularly clear.
On the whole, probably the best of the lot.
St George's
- Built: 1848
- Became a cathedral: 1852
- Denomination: Catholic
- Diocese: Southwark
St George's is another cathedral which doesn't feel like one. That's because it wasn't initially built to be one, but it became one soon after anyways. In fact, I wasn't looking forward to visiting it all that much because of that - I've passed by it before and didn't think much of it, I was mainly going because I wanted to visit all four.
Despite this, I found myself pleasantly surprised when I passed by this time. It's the only cathedral I've got any photos of inside, so I hope you like them. Whilst it is very functional, there are still lots of intricate carvings to admire, as well as the altar with its splendid stained-glass window. There's even a small exhibit discussing the damage the cathedral received in World War II, which was interesting to read. Otherwise, though, there's not much else to see. Then again, it is a cathedral, what were you expecting?
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At this point, we decided to go our own separate ways, having decided that three cathedrals were enough for the day. It was exceptionally hot, and we'd been walking for nearly two hours at this point around London. It seemed like a no-brainer to stop.
That said, I have been outside Westminster Cathedral, yes I've been planning this post for a while now:
Westminster
- Built: 1895-1903
- Became a cathedral: 1903
- Denomination: Catholic
- Diocese: Westminster
The newest London cathedral, it's still over 120 years old. Westminster's got a pretty quirky design, with its tower dwarfing the rest of the cathedral in size, and I think it's terrific. The inside's pretty good, too, though the last time I went, I believe there was a mass going on, so I didn't take any photos. Maybe I'll come back in the future and upload some here. For now, I hope you agree it looks wonderful.
That's also all I have to say about Westminster. Its age means I can't dwell on its history for long, I don't even have any witty comments from Lamy to share. However, it did notably hold a Catholic royal funeral last year for the Duchess of Kent, who had converted to Catholicism in 1994. That was the first such funeral in modern British history.
And with that, those are the four major London cathedrals. As I said in the last post, there are technically eight other cathedrals you can find dotted around the city, but for now, that's where I'll leave things. Hope you enjoyed the photos, I took a proper camera with me for most of them!
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