The medieval cathedrals of England form one of the most interesting group of buildings in the world. In Europe, particularly in France, cathedrals, such as Chartres, were completed to perfection in a single style. WIth the exception of Salisbury, this did not happen in England.  The English cathedral is an architectural amalgam. The charm of these buildings lies in the mis-match of styles and design. 

All English cathedrals are good.  Here are my favourite five.

Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral is my favourite.  It has a wonderful spire and cathedral close.  Unusually for England the cathedral was built relatively quickly in a single style, Early English Gothic.  The foundation stone was placed in 1220. Most of the building was finished within 38 years. The cathedral was built because the Bishop of Old Sarum wanted to relocate to a new site.  The story goes that the Bishop fired an arrow in the direction in which he would build a cathedral.  The arrow hit a deer. Where the deer finally died was chosen as the site for the cathedral.  This was fortuitous. The cathedral is built in water meadows.  Shallow foundations four feet deep support the tower.  In other places the cathedral towers fell down for want of good foundations.  At Salisbury firm foundations were found by chance in a gravel bank.  The splendid spire of Salisbury is the tallest surviving pre-1400 spire in the world.                                           

Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral has a magnificent facade.  The beautiful west front, said to be the finest in Europe Holidays, contains niches for 461 statues. Over 356 statues survive, but not all in situ.  Most of the cathedral dates from the Early English period.  Wells is noted for the solution to an impeding collapse of the central tower. When the tower was raised to the current height in 1315 cracks appeared. In 1340 a pair of inverted arches were introduced into the nave to shore up the tower.  The arches dominate the interior and resemble a giant pair of scissors. The famous Bishop’s Palace and Gardens lies to the south of the cathedral. The palace is surrounded by a moat where mute swans sometimes ring a bell for food.
 
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral is magnificent. The interior surpasses the exterior. Throughout the medieval period this building was an Abbey. A twist of fate brought it great wealth. This ostentation is still on show today. Fortunately the Abbey escaped the desecrations brought about by Henry VIII.  It surrendered to him in January 1540 and was made a cathedral in the following year. Gloucester Cathedral contains the tomb of Edward II. Edward II was brutally murdered in Berkeley Castle in 1327.  Until this date the Abbey was very heavily built in Romanesque (or Norman)m style.  The nave contains some very chunky pillars from this period.  After 1327 the Abbey became a place of pilgrimage and bestowed great wealth. The choir (which is shown in the picture) was rebuilt in the lofty perpendicular style.  A vast stained glass window, the second largest in Britain, said to be the size of two tennis courts completed the East end.  On a summer’s day it feels like being in a giant greenhouse.       Travel Blog

Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in the world. It occupies a commandng position above the River Wear.  Like Gloucester, this cathedral started as an Abbey. It was founded in the 10th century as a monastic foundation to house the remains of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The tomb of St Cuthbert was said to be one of the most sumptuous in all England.  St Cuthbert’s tomb was destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1538. Two years later on 31 December 1540 the Abbey was dissolved and the building became a cathedral.                                                                                                                                                        Travel Chacha

Liverpool
The Anglican cathedral in Liverpool is a new cathedral built in a traditional style.  King Edward VII laid the foundation stone in 1094. Queen Elizabeth completed the consecration ceremony in 1978.  The cathedral was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. The red sandstone building occupies a commanding position on St James’s Mount.  It is the fifth largest cathedral in the world.  It is 193.9 metres (636 feet) long and covers 9687 square metres (104,275 sq feet).  Unlike most churches it is orientated north/south not east/west.