Gloucester Cathedral

[poliphilo]

This is what I love. Over the past three days I've been in three cathedrals, one stone circle and a ruined abbey and I've climbed Glastonbury Tor in the early morning. 

The weather held up. We were promised rain- which would have made much of what we did unfeasible. Would I have tramped round Avebury on a chilly evening if it had also been throwing it down?  I don't think so. On the morning I climbed the Tor we had clear sunshine for a critical hour or two and the small birds were singing and it was like I was 18 again.

On the way down we stopped at Gloucester for lunch. Neither of us had ever been there before. Gloucester cathedral is airy and delicate- "like an ivory carving" said Ailz. I think it's the loveliest cathedral in England. But it's not all delicate; the pillars in the nave are massy and romanesque and though I love the gothic it's the romanesque that moves me most deeply; I don't know why. The cloisters have glorious15th fifteenth century fan vaulting. They featured in a couple of the Harry Potter films And are going to show up in the next as well. While we were there a small gang of workmen was setting up lights and laying the wooden foundations of something or other in the cloister garth.

 

Comments

[msjann65.livejournal.com]

What a delicious birthday week you are having! How I envy you!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It was great fun. Tiring though.