Science and Technology Group visit Gloucester Cathedral

On Monday 16th September members of the U3A Science and Technology Group visited Gloucester Cathedral and enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the Cathedral in the morning and a guided climb of the tower in the afternoon.

In the Cathedral we heard how William the Conqueror had instructed a Norman monk called Serlo to knock down and replace the existing monastery building with an entirely new church. The massive pillars in the nave date from this time and give an idea of the enormous scale and ambition of the project at that time. As we moved around the cathedral our guide explained how the building had evolved since Serlo first began building it in 1089. We all marvelled at the vaulted ceiling in the nave and the elaborate fan vaulted cloisters which were constructed back in the thirteenth century without the aid of modern tools and equipment. As we progressed around the building many other features were pointed out and put into their historical context. We saw a huge number of fascinating things as we went round and although many had visited the cathedral before they had not appreciated the story behind them as told by our guide. A couple of features were of particular interest - the great East Window which when it was installed in 1350 was the largest in Europe and the high altar which although looking as if it was made of stone is actually carved from wood!

After lunch in the Cathedral Cafe some members visited the crypt before we climbed the 269 steps of the medieval spiral stairs to the top of the Cathedral tower. Fortunately, there were a couple of stops on our way up when we got to the floor which houses the twelve bells then another to see the ringing chamber. Built in 1450 the tower is 225 feet high and on a clear day it is possible to see over 40 miles in each direction from the roof. We were extremely lucky to have a glorious sunny day and were greeted by a clear blue sky when we emerged onto the roof. The views were certainly worth the climb! Our thanks go to Jenny Walters who arranged the visit, an excellent choice for a September day.

Photographs and visit report by Sue Webb