I have arranged and published, through an Internet Publisher, the first copy on a 90 page book entitled “Cathedrals of England” which contains images and some introductory information on all 43 Anglican English cathedrals. The E=Book can be browsed through this link.
What next?
The next step will be to have discussions with various parties including the Church and publishers to see if we can take the project further. Producing one-offs is very expensive. Of course, if there is going to be a commercial aspect to this we will need clearance from each Cathedral to include images of their property.
Watch this space – You may be able to order a copy soon.
I spent Wednesday 16 February in London photographing St Paul’s Cathedral. A selection of images from my visit can be seen on the Season Images gallery – follow this link.
St Paul’s is an amazing and inspiring building with a history tied closely to London and the life of the Anglican Church in the United Kingdom. St Paul’s is not an easy place to photograph. Ordinary visitors are not permitted to take photographs. A special permit needs to be pre-arranged and costs £300 per hour – I was very kindly given a special rate of £120/hr. A member of the Cathedral staff is required to accompany you. Given the hundreds of tourists and dozens of groups of children moving about on most days, this is no doubt a good thing. Many thanks to Hannah Talbot, the Cathedral Press and Communications Officer who was very helpful.
I joined the 12:30 Eucharist service which was great although a little lost in the cavernous vastness of the Cathedral. The West end of the Nave is striking in its simplicity whereas the East end with the High Alter is breathtakingly ornate.
A particular highlight for me was William Holman Hunt’s painting “The Light of the World” of Christ knocking on the door.
I used the period between Christmas and New Year (and the thaw from the recent ice and snow!) to go with Karen (my wife) to the English midlands and photograph a further 5 cathedrals. There are 43 Anglican cathedrals in England and with the recent 5, (Manchester, Liverpool, Wakefield, Blackburn and Sheffield) I have now reached 35.
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
We traveled to Manchester first – construction of the church which was the predecessor of the cathedral began in 1215. The church became a cathedral in 1847. It has been through a long history of restoration and reconstruction, it was bombed in World War II and by the IRA in 1996. It is a somewhat brooding building. See the Manchester Cathedral Images here.
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool is the largest cathedral in England and the largest Anglican cathedral in the world – it is truly amazing. It is a 20th century cathedral – designed by architect Giles Gilbert Scott, who was 22 years old when he won the commission. Begun in 1904, it was completed in 1978, 18 years after Scott died. The bells of Liverpool Cathedral are the highest and heaviest ringing peal in the world and the organ is the largest in England with 10,268 pipes. The whole experience is one of audacious magnificence at scale! See the Liverpool Cathedral Images here.
