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!

Gloucester, Ely & Exeter. Also loved Tewkesbury Abbey & Buckfast Abbey.

St Edmundsbury is interesting and has some fabulous glass. (Plus lots of ruins next door.)

Peterborough is my favourite - used to worship there. But another one I love is Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey - Victoria Street, London SW1P 1LT) - it’s arts and crafts on a monumental scale. And Southwark is quite lovely.

Wells, especially the chapter house.

Salisbury also - I don't know if the roof tour is still available but that is amazing.

@moggerhanger There’s a book that was published a few years ago where cathedral deans were asked to nominate their special cathedral treasure. Southwell nominated their amazing carved stone foliage and green men. They were voted the best treasure. I’ve attached a picture. The book is Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales : Deans Choice. For anyone interested in cathedrals it’s worth seeking out.

I have visited quite a few cathedrals but have some left! I really like Gloucester. In particular the cloisters, the fan vaulting and the Denny windows. Hereford has some Denny windows too. Birmingham is very different and I highly recommend the spectacular Burne Jones windows there. I like artistic windows!

St Magnus, Kirkwall

Lincoln. Absolutely beautiful.

If I can broaden this to include a ruined abbey as well, Rievaulx in Yorkshire is absolutely stunning.

Ely: never heard of it ,must put it in the to visit list.

Ripon Cathedral, including the connections with Louis Carrol and the characters in Alice in Wonderland.

Hexham Abbey, great free (donations) museum too. So informative.

For an unexpected spiritual feeling (my paternal GP’s and family are Roman Catholic) Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Ely, I love seeing the Ship of the Fens as you approach from the A142.

Another vote for Liverpool Met.

I like St Albans, I am sure some of the others are just as beautiful, I just haven't visited them.

Not a cathedral, but I like Dorchester Abbey.

Salisbury cathedral always makes me stop and look every time I go into the close. It has been a part of my life since I was little with various school trips and then visits just because it's a beautiful and peaceful place to spend an hour or so

Liverpool Anglican.

For its sheer height from the dropped floor inside.
For its bells (heaviest ring in the world) and the fact that you could fit three double decker buses in between the bells where they hang and the edges of the tower, it is huuuge.

But mostly for its west window stained glass, which I could stand and look at every day of the year and find something new. I love the deer and the rainbow best.

St Peters Rome isn't that bad either. I have been there.

St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

Forgot the picture of the leaves.

I graduated in there. The Anglican cathedral is the 5th largest in the world

AKA Paddy's Wigwam. DD will have her graduation ceremony there.

Have you explored the crypt?

Lincoln
canterbury
york
ely

York, Winchester, St David's and Chester (it's the elephant!)

Canterbury, mainly because DD's graduation ceremony was there. Also love York Minster, Wells, Gloucester, Westminster Abbey. When it comes to ruined abbeys, Rievaulx & Whitby.

Sorry meant to post a photo. 14th century idea of what an elephant looks like! The horse feet!