Firstly, some of you may have noticed I have not done any running posts for a few days. After completing a full week of running last Friday I managed to hurt my back. It happened when shifting a big sack of flour and I must have twisted in just the wrong way. It has been pretty uncomfortable, and so I am not attempting any running until it is recovered.
I did try a little walk yesterday and that was not great. Despite this the family decided on an afternoon trip to Peterborough, which is an easy train ride from Arlesey. It was quite a cool day and so I was wearing a jacket for the first time in ages. I worked in Peterborough for a while a few years back, but never visited the cathedral.
This impressive frontage was completed nearly eight hundred years ago and still makes an impact. Imagine if you came from a small village in the fens when this would have been the biggest thing you had ever seen. The craftsmen back then knew what they were doing. The building had a bigger tower originally, but it was taken down when it was in danger of falling down.
Churches were designed to inspire awe in visitors. Part of that was through amazingly high ceilings. This one is wooden and is painted. It has been touched up a couple of times, but the design is original.
Behind the altar is a fan-vaulted ceiling that is very intricately carved. I am not a religious person, but I can appreciate the work that went into this, whilst wondering what the people could have achieved if not just working for the church.
There are lots of memorials and graves in the cathedral. The most significant is that of Catherine of Aragon, former wife of Henry VIII. Her symbol was a pomegranate and people still leave some of the fruit there to remember her, but I wonder why they feel so attached to someone who died so long ago. Mary, Queen of Scots was also buried there for a while, but her body was moved to Westminster Abbey.
This clock is though to date back to 1450, with later modifications. It used to chime to let the monks know when it was time to pray, but did not have a clock face. It was still in use 500 years later.
There is a great sense of history in a place like this. There was a list of organists going back hundreds of years and the abbots go back a lot further, before this cathedral was built.
Some impressive wood carving on the stalls in the nave. The eagle lecturn that is used to hold the bible is five hundred years old.
There are lots of information boards around the place with interesting facts. Unfortunately there was not one for this fascinating carving that seems to show an angel of death.
Even as an unbeliever I find churches interesting. They give you a glimpse back in time. We made a voluntary contribution for our visit. I expect it costs a fortune to maintain the building. In 2001 they had a fire that caused a lot of damage.
Whilst we were there we noticed a shifty-looking guy who was wandering around stroking various statues. Unlike most people he was not wearing a mask. I think one of the staff had to have words with him and he may have been asked to leave in the end. I know churches try to be welcoming, but he may have been taking advantage of that and they have to protect their treasures.
We ended our visit to the town with a late pizza lunch and I had a beer. My back did not give me too much trouble even though I clocked up about 9000 steps. I may feel the effects later.
It was raining as we caught the train back and we got a little wet walking home, but it was generally a pleasant outing.
Stay well!
I hope your back feels better soon.
Cheers. I get this problem now and then. Not sure there is much I can do about it.
The churches I visit are generally not so picturesque inside, if you get my meaning!
Well you tend to visit those without a staff to keep them nice. Those have their own interesting points.
That looks a magnificent building and worth a visit one day. I think it's about a 90 minute train ride from Norwich. I like strolling around old buildings and enjoy hearing the stories. I enjoyed a tour of Ely Cathedral last year and that was very good.
I hope your back gets better soon.
We were just looking at getting to Ely as we can do that by train too. Not sure I've been there.
I love old European church architecture and art. When I visit the Netherlands i always visit a couple old churches. Beautiful pictures ❤️
Europe has so much history and we love exploring it. This is a place that is quite near us, but we had not checked out.
I tend to take landmarks like this totally for granted! Haven't been inside our local cathedral since i moved here 2 years ago, and it's only a 5 minute walk away!
Hope your back clears up swiftly!
On the bright side, think of all those little muscular tears that are getting time to heal.
Most old churches have something interesting to see. I like to feel the sense of history.
The back thing is just annoying, but I timed it well with the weather being crap. I've done a lot of walking today too and it has not been too painful, so I must be on the mend.
I love the ceiling behind the altar, it's so beautiful! When I go to churches and cathedrals in UK , (as a tourist and not a worshipper) it always amazes me how people did all those intricate work and they still last till this day.
It seems religion really did inspire them. Could they imagine that people would be enjoying their works centuries later? Mind you, some would not live to see the building completed as it took so long,
It seems sad that with our modern technology we build structures are so bland and they don't even last.
Wow, that is pretty impressive! 800 years old? That is really amazing. It is nice to see that they have taken such good care of it. I sympathize with you on the back thing. I do that quite frequently. I find the twisting can be much worse than the lifting sometimes. That is usually what gets me anyway.
This side of the Atlantic has some seriously old buildings. It made me smile when I was in Washington DC and they made a big deal about a 200 year old house. I've lived in houses older than that.
Now and then my back plays up and it's not really predictable. Just a matter of luck really.
That is pretty funny! My house is about 37 years old!
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Beautiful cathedral and very nice post. Thanks for sharing