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Gloucester Cathedral
We began our Southwest tour in 30-degree Celsius heat. “Back up” had driven us towing the caravan to a car park minutes' walk from the cathedral. Thankfully, my research on car parks taking transit vans and caravans had come up trumps! We had originally thought that we would get to Gloucester for Evensong but due to the heat we started at the crack of dawn and just missed the morning service by half an hour.
As we walked to the Cathedral Gloucester had some very colourful lions on display, all to raise money for the local hospital. The town seemed to have seen better days.
Arriving at the Cathedral there is a large area in front and the famous perpendicular tower dominates it. Unfortunately, my research had not been that good as dogs are not allowed in the cathedral on a Sunday and never to services. It is closed to the public during services too. We regrouped with Colin over a cuppa and handing the dogs over went to the cathedral on our own.
Inside the cathedral there are colourful lion cubs forming a trail, plenty of volunteer guides but no Chaplain on duty.
At the entrance is a large statue to a medical hero, Edward Jenner who invented vaccination, but is buried elsewhere.
The nave has huge Norman Columns inside which according to my guidebook is a surprise with the perpendicular tower. My knowledge of Cathedral architecture has increased exponentially doing this and poor Dorothy is a willing listener to my readings! There are over 400 monuments and plaques to the great and the good but perhaps the earliest memorial for a Health and Safety incident too. The Mason’s bracket is an L shaped monument, on Gloucester’s Pilgrim Stamp too, put up by the Master Mason in memory of an apprentice who fell to his death from the cathedral roof.
The eldest son of William the Conqueror and Edward II—one of the few monarchs buried outside London—are interred here. Edward II, killed at Berkeley Castle, was honoured by his son Edward III with a pilgrim shrine in the cathedral, which also helped fund the East End’s 1330 remodelling. The ceilings feature intricate vaulting. Henry III was crowned here in 1216, the only monarch to be crowned outside Westminster Abbey since 1066.
Gloucester was saved by Henry VIII due to Edward’s burial place and was turned into a cathedral from an abbey in 1541.
More recent connections to Gloucester are commemorated by a window dedicated to Gerald Finzi, whose clarinet pieces I used to be able to play, in a chantry chapel off the Lady Chapel. There is a plaque on the wall to commemorate John Stafford Smith a former organist at Gloucester whose higher claim to fame is that he composed the tune to of the National Anthem of the USA.
Another chapel had two stained glass windows using Psalms 148 and 149 “Praise him in the Heavens above” The glass windows on first sight look like swirls of colours but sitting quietly I appreciated their beauty. I am surprising myself by preferring this more abstract Biblical interpretation. Is it because other stained glass seems to be more about the benefactor than the subject?
One chapel had a very odd looking object hanging above the altar. This, I learnt, was a Pyx which contained the sacred bread to be distributed to those who could not attend the service.
We walked to the cloisters which are famous for their fan vaulting but now also for their Harry Potter Fans. We came across a group filming themselves, in costume who turned out to be French.
Gloucester is free to enter, has a small shop and toilets. There is a cafe, but it is closed on a Sunday.