Gloucester Cathedral

Where is the time going? Already we are half way through September and I barely got a chance to enjoy the Summer! Although Autumn is my favourite time of year, it would of been nice going into it with a little bit of a tan.

This week I visited the Gloucester Cathedral with my friend, Lucy. Whilst working on the farm this was another place we would point at on our commute back to Bristol and say, “We’ll go there next time!”. Five months after leaving the farm, I finally made made the trip and it did not disappoint! What was especially great, was Lucy had actually gone to school next to the Cathedral so she knew quite a bit about the history of it. You can have a guided tour around the Cathedral by the people who work there but with Lucy I didn’t need one, she knew so much and she can read Latin, how cool is that?

Before we entered, my crafty eye spotted something so adorable I let out a little squeal. Someone had knitted this beautiful top for the post box! I’m a knitter and crocheter myself, so I can appreciate how much work went into this. To whoever made this, I love it!

Whenever you walk into a Cathedral there’s always a silence that falls as soon as you open the door. Even when service isn’t in place, it just doesn’t feel right to be loud.

The Cathedral itself is magnificent, it makes you feel so small as you try to take it all in. There is so much to look at – it just aches your neck after a while!

Which is why they have these handy mirrors. Just a shame they show your chin at an angle I’d rather be oblivious to.

Here is the monument of Henry Machen and his wife, Christian. Henry was mayor of Gloucester three times and sat in the house of Parliament which earned him this elaborate monument. When the monument was first built, Henry and his wife only had eight children so over time they had to keep adding them on. In the end they had seven sons and six daughters some of which you can see have been made considerably smaller and placed a long the side to fit in.

The most impressive piece of the cathedral has to be the east window. Installed in the 1350s and measuring 22 metres in height and 12 metres in width, it was considered the largest window in the world. Today it is one of the greatest landmarks of British and European strained glass. (I keep forgetting were not considered European anymore, it still feels odd writing us separately).

If you’re a Harry Potter fan and you’re thinking this all looks familiar, you’re right! The Cathedral was was used for many filming locations including:

• When the troll traps Hermione in the girls bathroom (Philosopher’s Stone)
• When the Griffindors walk to their common room for the first time and the door to the common room (Philosopher’s stone)
• When Moaning Myrtle floods the corridor to the girl’s bathroom (Chamber of Secrets)
• When “The Chamber of Sercrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware” is written in blood across the wall and poor Mrs Norris was petrified (Chamber of Secrets)
• When Harry eavesdrops on Snape and Malfoy talking about the unbreakable vow (Half Blood Prince)
• Where Harry and Ron stand whilst students make their way to class (Half Blood Prince)

I’m currently re-reading the Harry Potter books, I’m on the Goblet of Fire at the moment and I can’t put it down. I know people hate it when I say this but… The books are sooo much better than the films. A lot of the filming locations are relatively close to me so expect to see a few more on here soon!

The cathedral is free to look around and there is a retail park near by where you can park for free for 3 hours. So if you’re on a budget or perhaps just hate spending (like me ha ha) this is a perfect place for a day out, even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan!