Coventry Cathedral

Another good thing about Durham Cathedral is that it's still free to all, or it was the last time I went in this summer. However, you can donate, or pay for lego bricks for the model, £1 per brick.

On my first (and only) visit to Coventry Cathedral we were met by a greeter who asked if it was our first visit and then almost pushed back out the door to go round to the visitors centre so that we could pay. I was really annoyed and it coloured the rest of our visit. I visit lots of cathedrals and will always leave a heavy donation and don't mind being asked to pay to help with upkeep but I want to feel I have a choice. I didn't on this occasion and I probably won't be going back.

They have reduced their prices, apparently.

I've never been to Coventry Cathedral and I'm not a fan of modern church architecture, but I saw some pictures of it recently and thought it might be nice to see it. I love Durham, especially the Norman chapel. Other favourites are Wells, Lincoln and, of course, York Minster, but top of my 'must see' list is Ely.

Why do people object to paying when visiting a cathedral? They cost many thousands of pounds to maintain and repairs are very expensive. Who should pay for the upkeep if visitors don't? Would you rather pay nothing and then complain if it was in poor condition? Thousands of tourists tramp through St Paul's and Westminster Abbey, obviously causing wear and tear. It would break my heart to see these magnificent buildings neglected.
If I visited a National Trust stately home I would expect to pay a lot more than entry to a cathedral would be. Please read the posts on here where people have been inspired/ moved to tears by the beauty of these glorious buildings, then just remember that it costs £5 for a coffee and a tea cake and nobody thinks twice about that.

If you are in Birmingham, St Philip's cathedral.is.worth a visit. It is Baroque and the third.smallest in England.

It doesn't have a flying buttress or a fan vault but does have huge Edward Burns Jones angels. They adorn the Windows in stain glass and are striking in their beauty.He came from Brum .

We are trying to visit all of the cathedrals in the UK, it gives us something to do when we aren't GC minding and I really think that along with Derby, Coventry is a total waste of space.

Think !! affordable housing would certainly improve these areas

No place of worship is a waste of space

Worship is a state of mind that losers get lost in.

Affordable housing is what is needed now.

My son had his graduation there. It was lovely.

If you are cathedral spotting in the West Midlands don't forget to visit Lichfield Cathedral. It is very beautiful and there are many nice teashops around that are worth a visit, too.

There are many cathedrals which could be considered to be unprepossessing - our city cathedral is one such (there is a parish church here which for sheer beauty knocks it into a cocked hat) and, in my estimation, St David's in Pembrokeshire is another. But they all have something or other that makes them stand out; history, atmosphere, a sense of belonging (even if it's not on your home 'patch'). None of them are a waste of space.

I'm not religious but I do appreciate beautiful architecture.
Most of the sites of our beautiful Cathedrals would be unsuitable for housing anyway

St.Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, not grand , a small Cathedral but the history

Isn't the point of Coventry Cathederal is that it rose from that bombed during WW2? A wee bit different from Durham Cathedral. I am not religious at all, you don't have to be to appreciate their beauty. Have any of you seen Keiser Wilhelm church in Berlin? That was bombed during the war and is left as a reminder.
Several of my ancestors were married, baptised or buried in what was All Saints Church Derby. There's no way that building was a waste of space as far as they were concerned.

Greyduster, we are going to visit Ely Cathedral next weekend. I will take some pictures for you!

our youngest daughter was married in a beautiful church in The south of France earlier in the year. In a previous incarnation it had been a monastery. It was so simple, no windows, just plain stone and the occasional niche. The atmosphere was just incredible. Everyone remarked on it. A very plain altar - we had minimal flowers, just winding round the two pillars at the entrance and jasmine on the altar. Makes me tear up just thinking of it.

Thank you Alima, I'll look forward to seeing them. Enjoy your visit. I would bet that, if there was a move to knock down some "minor league" cathedral (and I don't include Coventry in that) to make way for social housing, there would be a hue and cry not only from seasoned worshippers but from many people who had never set foot in these places but still feel that they belong to them. Even the Bolsheviks balked at knocking down St Basil's, the Hermitage and the Winter Palace to put up more soulless concrete blocks for the comrades and no doubt Russia is now very glad if it. 'Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul'. Lovely photo, Granarchist!

You're right Alima, which is why the new cathedral and the old bombed out cathedral are next to each other, joined by the roof over the walk way between them.

Charred remains of the old cathedral are part of the altar cross in the new cathedral and the Cross of Nails in the new cathedral is made from the roof of the old one. Another Cross of Nails was presented to the cathedral in Berlin, which was also destroyed during the war and has the new cathedral built alongside the old one. The Cross of Nails made from the ruins of Coventry cathedral is now a symbol of peace and reconciliation and similar crosses have been sent to over 150 centres all over the world. Stalingrad and Coventry became the first twinned cities of peace and reconciliation, and Coventry is now twinned with many other cities in this way.

Old churches have do have history, but all churches are places of worship, contemplation and peace. I don't agree with paying to get in though.

Beautiful photo Granarchist.

Alima I've just realised that the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is the church in Berlin the first Cross of Nails was presented to, not the cathedral.

I went there shortly after it opened and was very impressed. I remember the broadcast dedicatory (?) service conducted by the Archbihop of Canterbury (Ramsey) and his sing-song voice, and the Private Eye cover: a photo of the nave and a voice balloon saying "All right, God, you can come in now."

Agreed kitty, the simplicity of Durham is so moving ( and I am not religious at all).

Hard to compare it to Coventry ;) which is very moving for totally different reasons. Always try to visit in the morning, when the sun shines through the amazing long slotted stain glass windows.

I totally agree about charging for people who want to visit Cathedrals outside services. As mrsmopp says, the cost of maintenance and upkeep are enormous- so it is only fair- just like National TRust or English Heritage, etc.

My daughter graduated from Coventry Cathedral. It is beautiful.

I'm all for voluntary donations, but the Catholic Church and the Church of England are very wealthy organisations. They have huge investment funds that make the kind of returns that large corporations have. Yes, congregations are declining and the upkeep of churches is increasing, etc., but they do have the money - it's how they choose to spend it that makes life difficult for parishes. Parishes are almost like franchises these days.

If you're in the Ely Cathedral area can I recommend a visit to Wicken Fen which is nearby? We only spent a short time there as the weather was awful but I'm determined to go back one day. Ely Cathedral had been a 'must visit' ever since I read Tom's Midnight Garden. I, too, went on a school trip to Coventry Cathedral