Chelmsford

Chelmsford Cathedral

Chelmsford Cathedral was established in 1914 and is dedicated to St Mary, St Peter and St Cedd who travelled from Lindisfarne, by boat, and sailed to Bradwell where there is still a functioning church.

Dorothy and I travelled on land for the 08.15 Ash Wednesday Service. Outside high up on the cathedral is a statue of St Peter looking over to Bradwell holding a Yale Key, the sculptor having a sense of humour, perhaps? We were warmly received by the other members of the congregation, all clergy including Dean Jessica who has been in post for only two months. The other warmth I noted, being used to an Anglo Saxon Church was the warmth of the Cathedral which has underfloor heating. Kit and Scout had been left outside in the car as there was no mention of dogs on the website, but Dean Jessica assured us that they were welcome.

We received our ashes as can be seen in this photo.
There are amazing 20th and 21st Century works of art at Chelmsford including a Tree of Life painting on 35 oak panels, so large that the artist, Mark Cazalet, required a” cherry picker” to work on them. The ceiling is an artwork of its own. There are some icons to the Saints in the Chancel made by anonymous Nuns.

In St Peter’s Chapel there is a moving sculpture, “The Bombed Child” made by a refugee, Georg Ehrlich, from the Nazi invasion of Austria as poignant and unfortunately as relevant today. The South Porch has a window to the US forces who were stationed in Essex between 1942 and 1945 as memorial to that friendship. Having recently returned from the USA I do hope that the irony I felt on seeing that will soon pass.

Chelmsford has the Gold A Rocha award, the first Cathedral that we have visited which has achieved this. There is a small shop and toilets.

We gathered the dogs and enjoyed a riverside walk which was tarmacked for the use of cyclists and pedestrians alike.

Thanks, are also offered here to Dorothy’s brother who hosted us and whose culinary talents were greatly appreciated.

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