Your Favourite Cathedral

I think they all have an appeal - all exude an air of calm.

I grew up in Derby and went to the cathedral often so it has quite a homely feel for me.

Living near to Leicester means that I have been to events at the Cathedral quite often. It really feels like part of the community and we have a king buried there.

Durham Cathedral is very special - not least because I spoke to Bryan Ferry there.

I echo the choice of Reims - beautiful.

GillyMo

Toledo is beautiful.

Our hotel room overlooked the roof of the cathedral!

Ely and Salisbury. Happy memories of both.

There is something very special about St David’s, because it has an air of mystery about it, when you walk down the hill to get there you feel you’ve stumbled into another, ancient world. Location is as important as interior and exterior beauty for a cathedral I think. My other favourite is Southwell Minster.

Four years of walking in crocodile to and from my prep. school to Chelmsford, for Sunday morning service, did rather put me off the place at the time, GrannyGravy13. But attending an ordination service there a few years ago revealed a soft spot for it, in spite of my atheist convictions.

Ely Cathedral and York Minster.

Two very beautiful buildings.

However, how lucky are we t have so man beautiful churches and cathedrals dotted across our lands.

I would struggle to pick just one.

St.Pauls and Westminster Cathedral deserve a mention, I remember them from my school days. Attended a carol concert at Westminster Cathedral, the acoustics are amazing.

I have a soft spot for Chelmsford Cathedral, not as breathtaking as the others mentioned, but it feels homely to me.

Visited York Minster for the first time this year and was blown away. We attended one of the daytime prayer services, I was moved to tears.

Durham Cathedral is absolutely divine with all its differently carved columns.
Carlisle Cathedral, which is local to me has a very beautiful east window which was recently voted Britain's favourite stained glass window, and of course, St. Paul's in London.

Ripon because the Cathedral is so much a part of the City, we often go to evensong.
It is also free!
The crypt dating from 672 is the oldest serving structure of any Cathedral.
We once went to the carol service where the choirmaster had us all sing While Shepherds Watch to the tune of “On Ilkley Moor Bar Tat”.
Great fun

Next is Lincoln, we have an annual membership as we live close by, it was used in the filming of the Da Vinci Code..

Chichester, very much part of the town centre, and one that does not charge admittance.

Ely and Salisbury, Gloucester close second

What an interesting thread to hear people's personal views.

DH is a cathedral chorister and I have attended services across the country. Every cathedral is special in its own way.

I'm going to choose Reims because the blue Chagall stained glass windows took my breath away.

When I wrote my post about Durham this morning, I had a phrase I use about it that I simply couldn’t bring to mind then. It is this: it breathes its history into you as soon as you step through the doors.

Hereford .... mainly because I have some sung there countless times and enjoyed so many beautiful concerts there. It has a sweet little chapel there where I used to take the children ... it has a stained glass window with little creatures in it that they loved finding. It also has the Mappa Mundi which is now housed separately and you need a ticket, but for years it was just on the wall. I commissioned a choral work about it which included children all singing about the fantastical creatures in the map.

I also love St David's... wonderful memories of festival week when we would walk the coast path all day then soak up beautiful music in the cathedral all evening.

Winchester, the local one and my office overlooked it for the last few years I was working.

Obviously Durham. As written by Bill Bryson ‘the best cathedral on Earth’.

I also have a soft spot for St David’s, silverlining.

Hard to say really because we can only judge the ones we've seen. I thought Canterbury was spactacular. We were there last winter, you have to pay to go in now. I also loved Westminster Abbey when I worked in London. Both places steeped in history and very interesting in what they contain.

St David’s in Wales, stunning location

But a very close second for me
comes Wells cathedral

Salisbury cathedral

Without a doubt, Durham. Perched high on a promontory overlooking the River Wear, it is solid, and very true to its origins with the most perfect examples of Norman architecture you will see anywhere in England. It also houses the shrine of St Cuthbert.

Toledo is beautiful.

St Albans.

Having lived in the Canterbury area for 35 years, obviously it’s my favourite. Like sueD, I have been in and out, my children grew up going round and especially enjoying the “pocket watch” - a portable sundial.
Then DD got a scholarship and did her A levels at King’s, so I got to know more of the precincts. By that time, one had to pay to go in, unless you were a regular worshiper in the diocese, when you could get a free pass. Happy days!
I haven’t been to many other cathedral but Winchester and Lincoln are very lovely and interesting.