Gloucester Cathedral in Gloucestershire is the cathedral I have visited the most, due to it being in my hometown. It is the jewel in the city’s crown and absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Gloucester Cathedral is in the Westgate area of the city, near to the shops, thus easy to find as it dominates the city skyline.
Gloucester Cathedral is great for a mooch around and also to visit one of the many events that take place there. The cathedral has lots on over the Christmas and Easter periods, including some fantastic Christmas decorations. It’s a great subject to take photographs of from many angles, including from all parts of its grounds. The building has been on many films and TV shows, the most significant being Hogwarts School from the Harry Potter Movies.
The Grounds of Gloucester Cathedral is a fantastic place to eat and alfresco lunch on a warm day. There are many places to sit. Lunch in the photo was from the delightful Peppers Cafe, a short walk away. Nearby is also the delightful Angie’s bar who serve some great beer options.
Gloucester Cathedral Architecture
They built Gloucester Cathedral in a combination of Romanesque & Gothic architectural styles. They primarily built the building between 1089 and 1499. The 15th century tower of the building is 69 metres in height, hence it is visible from quite some distance. This tower has 4 pinnacles at the corners of the towers.
The cathedral is 130 metres long and 44 metres wide, surrounded by some nicely maintained gardens. The cloisters in Gloucester Cathedral are one of the most beautiful in any of the world’s cathedrals. They build the cloisters using fan vaulting. This was the first use of this style in the UK.
Best Parts of Gloucester Cathedral to See
First, the grounds outside are absolutely stunning and a great place to look around or enjoy lunch outside. There are some landscaped gardens, medieval walls and gates to see here. As a bonus, you can peruse the exterior at anytime of the day.
Tower
Viewing the tower from all over the city is great, including from up close on the grounds. Brilliant spots to see this are from the docks, the far riverbank, or even in a multi-storey carpark. One of the most splendid views from afar is from St Oswald’s Priory, close to the grounds.
Cloisters
The cloisters, made even more famous by the Harry Potter movies, are a grand example of fan vaulting. They are fantastic to have a wander through and look at the decorative features. The small stained glass windows in the cloisters are interesting to look at and make for some interesting lighting, too.
The Pipe Organ
The Organ is a very grand and sits in the principal part of the building. The pipes and position are fantastic to look at. It is also great to listen too, either at an event or if lucky when someone is practicing.
Secret Garden
The secret garden of Gloucester Cathedral is an enclosed garden that has cloisters on three sides and the principal building on the other side. This is a great place to sit and reflect, well it is for me. Its official name is The Garth, which has one of the best views of the tower. For eagle eyed visitors, you may be lucky enough to spot a peregrine falcon here too.
St Andrew’s Chapel
Another nice thing to see while in the cathedral is St Andrew’s Chapel.St Andrew’s Chapel is fantastically painted in the Italian style. Thomas Gambier Parry completed the paintings in Str Andrews Chapel about the theme of disciples.
He painted them between 1866 and 1868. He was apparently inspired by medieval frescoes he had seen in Italian churches. It certainly differed from other chapels in Gloucester Cathedral and is well worth seeking out.
Processional Cross
There are many interesting artefacts to see inside the cathedral is this processional cross. This one dates from 1923 and is regularly used for processions. Most interestingly, they used it at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
The Masons Bracket
Stonemasons mostly built cathedrals like Gloucester Cathedral and sometimes things didn’t go well. In the cathedral is the masons bracket, which they think is a memorial to an apprentice mason who fell from the vault above during the 1300s. The carving shows the Master Mason looking up in horror as he sees the apprentice falling. In keeping with a stonemason tradition, the monument is an L-shape, like their frequently used tool.
History of Gloucester Cathedral
The cathedral has a fascinating and colourful history over the last 13 centuries. This shaped the cathedral and the city.
Early History of the Site
The historic Gloucester Cathedral has been a place of Christian worship constantly for over 1,300 years. This started in 678AD when Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince, founded a religious house here.
During the Norman conquest in 1066, the abbey was not doing particularly well. Thus, in 1072, King William I appointed a monk called Serlo from the beautiful Mont St Michel in Normandy to become the Abbeys Abbot. This resulted in the growth and wealth of the monastery over the next 23 years, thus enabling to start work on the cathedral we know today.
The then Abbey of St Peter becomes a wealthy and powerful institution with extensive landholdings in Gloucestershire and also South Wales.
Middle Ages
In 1216, they crowned King Henry III here. He has succeeded to the throne at the young age of nine. Also in the 13th century, building work started on the first Lady Chapel, the new tower and refectory.
In 1327, King Edward II died in Berkeley Castle in suspicious and gruesome circumstances typical of medieval times. After his death, they buried him here. They erected a shrine-like monument over the tomb of King Edward II. Royal patronage, and popular devotion led to funds flowing into the abbey. The extra money funded the splendid remodelling of the east end. They did this in the very latest Perpendicular style.
In the 15th century, more building work occurred included the remodelling of the west end and construction of the present tower and more.
The 16th & 17th Centuries of History
Buring the ideological “struggles” of the 16th and 17th centuries, bad things happened in Gloucester. The most notorious was Bishop Hooper being burned at the stake for his religious beliefs. The Catholic Queen Mary ordered Bishop Hooper’s death here in 1555. There is now a monument to Bishop Hooper, a stone’s throw from the grounds next to St Mary de Lode church.
Under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, there was a suggestion to demolish the cathedral building altogether. However, they spared it after the intervention of the mayor and burgesses of the City of Gloucester.
Post Civil War Era
After The Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, the Dean and Chapter resumed the running of the Cathedral. This is also how they managed it today. Renovation and conservation of the building become a priority, rather than growth and expansion. Throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, they have carried out repairs and conservation work rather than rebuilding or remodelling the building.
Harry Potter & Hogwarts School
For film buffs, the cathedral is one venue for two of the Harry Potter movies. They transformed parts of the cloisters into the corridors of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The two movies based on JK Rowling’s first two books,Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Christmas At The Cathedral
Each Christmas, the cathedral becomes a festive attraction for a variety of reasons. The interior has some fantastic decorations in the main nave and throughout the cloisters. This year the trees at the altar were splendid and is beautifully decorated. The cloisters had some rather special lighting and a variety of themed decorations. They also host carol services and other events during December. Most of these are bookable via their website.
Entry & Tours of Gloucester Cathedral
To visit the cathedral, as with most cathedrals throughout Europe, is free however, they encouraged donations towards its upkeep. A suggested donation is £5 for a mooch around, however special tours, including visiting the crypts, are available for a fee.
Visitors are welcome between 10am and 5pm on Monday through to Saturday. Also on Sunday you can visit, but only from midday until 5pm. It is best to consult their website about current times of entry.
You can also book tours with guides through the cathedral or the city.