What is your favourite UK Cathedral (or Minster/Abbey)?

[Littledidsheknow]

The companion thread to my “favourite castles”thread!
Which is your favourite UK cathedral?
I love side chapels, bell towers, stained glass, cloisters, burial places, flying buttresses, crypts, interesting history… all the classic stuff!

I’ve particularly enjoyed Lincoln, York Minster, Winchester, Wells and Salisbury in recent years.
I used to live in Worcester, and enjoyed popping in there after a bit of shopping, too.

Please recommend your favourites! Thanks!

I fell in love with Liverpool when DD and I went to the university open day. I'm gutted that the slavery museum and the maritime museums are closed for refurbishment and won't re-open until 2028.

I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't fall in love with the city and the people

Everyone always says they want to go back to fully experience everything on offer. And there's soooo much to see and do.

There really is and it's a warmth with the people that you just don't get in the South (Sorry South)

The only negative is the filthy pavements in Liverpool. I have never seen so much evidence of bodily fluids anywhere else. I always disinfect the wheels of my case when I come home from a visit.

Can’t you see the face in the picture? A huge fierce one, with big round eyes.

Made by the shape of the arches.

I'm from Liverpool too. The Anglican Cathedral is my favourite building in the world and I have lived and travelled to many places. I think that's it's beautiful both inside and out as it's so imposing!

I love the echo section of the arches, the mouse on the crypt. The lady chapel and the ethereal stained glass windows. I love that the designer/architect also designed the red telephone boxes too.

I love the fact we have 2 cathedrals in our city, one end catholic and the other Anglican and they sit at either end of Hope Street in the Georgian quarter of the city, alongside the Philharmonic too.

You can see it standing proud above our city and it always gives me goosebumps.

Winchester. I love the atmosphere, it’s small but has the round table there (not the original but I can pretend).

Not sure it will break any records, but Roy was my favorite castle

I’ve got a very soft spot for Chester Cathedral. (And Chester in general).

@scalt I’m obviously lacking in imagination!

Another vote for Durham.

Apart from a superb roof in Carlisle cathedral, and very old stained glass, it also has the 16th century Brougham Triptych. Look closely and you will see this infant and a knife!

Yes I do appreciate the mentions of those cathedrals - especially Liverpool as my DH is from Liverpool and, when I mentioned my favourites to him, he said I had to agree Liverpool is a fantastic example!

There’s another one not far from York - Ripon Cathedral! In the tiny market town of Ripon. Definitely worth a visit. Probs 30/40 mins from York

Agreed. I love how when you turn that corner, all of a sudden 🏰 (I know that’s a castle but you know what I mean!) It’s beautiful, especially at Christmas

Ripon Cathedral

St Davids

Hereford, especially the Chained Library

Both Liverpool Cathedrals

Whitby Abbey

Llandaff Cathedral. Obviously biased due to spending my childhood in and around there.

Gloucester is my local cathedral and I have a huge love for it. My favourite thing is the tomb of Thomas Machen which depicts him, his wife and their 13 children.

Tewkesbury Abbey is stunning and I also love Truro Cathedral which i don't think has been mentioned yet, lovely Gothic Revival style.

Ely. St Davids. Worcester. Canterbury. I used to live round the corner from Canterbury and loved cutting through it with my weekly shop, and sitting for a breather in it.

This thread is making me want to do a tour of Britain's cathedrals. I'm going to start with Liverpool next week.

I was there for an ordination (long, boring, not much for a 5 year old to do) when I was very young, it always looks like a duck with its beak open to me and the eyes either side…

I love York Minster, and Durham Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey.

There’s a fantastic (but long) novel called Cuddy by Benjamin Myers all about Durham cathedral, it really moved me - just in terms of the act of faith it took to build these incredible places. Made me obsessed with cathedrals!

Cuddy has been on my must-read list for ages and this has inspired me to actually tackle it!

Oh, do! I adored it. I found it quite hard to get into, but very much worth the effort.