England Day 9 - Salisbury Cathedral

It may be the most stunning, and is certainly the most massive that I have yet seen. This stunningness literally towers over every other building in the town, and is never without its crowd. I spotted it as the train drew nearer to Salisbury today, and my fellow passengers suddenly leaped toward the windows to catch a glimpse (the most demonstrative were the Americans. Of course!).

"Mummy. What is THAT?" said one British tyke, whose mother was gazing at a fashion magazine.

"Oh, that is called a Cathedral, darling. It's like a huge, enormous church, only they call it a cathedral because...well I think it's because a Bishop lives there.."

The tyke watched it go by with her nose pressed against the glass. "May we go inside of it?" she queried. But her mother had gone back to her magazine, and the massive building drifted out of our view.

A cathedral is always a magnet. It has certainly drawn me here from thousands of miles distant, and from the look of the crowds I am not alone.

 The Cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom

But just at the moment I am sitting in the lounge room of a small hotel nearby, where I had hoped for some peace. Instead I am at the mercy of the television channel someone else has chosen. There is an almost deafening report about the horrific things that are happening in the Middle East, and what the reporters think everybody should be doing about it. It isn't very easy to think of cathedrals with that blasting away at my head. But this is where the Wifi is!

In the meantime, may I interest you in some beautiful fan-arching?!

Salisbury Cathedral peeking out from behind a tree in the Cloister

Salisbury Cathedral has the largest Cloister in Britain

Awe-inspiring design crafted beginning in 1220 AD

The best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carta is housed at Salisbury Cathedral. 

(It's in that little tent, above)

And even with all of this enchantment, I have not yet gone inside of it! That will happen tomorrow, after a visit to Stonehenge. So tomorrow is a big day. A true embarrassment of riches!


See you along the way!
the SconeLady