Guildford Cathedral
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The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford is the Anglican cathedral at Guildford, Surrey, England. It is claimed to be "the only cathedral to be built on a new site in the southern Province of England since the Reformation"[1]. Guildford was made a diocese in its own right in 1927, and work on its new cathedral, designed by Sir Edward Maufe, began nine years later, with the foundation stone being laid by Dr Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1936[2]. Its building was interrupted by the Second World War between 1939 and 1952, and the cathedral wasn't consecrated until 17 May 1961[2].
It stands in a commanding spot on Stag Hill - so named because the Kings of England used to hunt here - and its solid red brick outline is visible for miles around; it immediately overlooks the University of Surrey beneath it. Its bricks are made from clay taken from the hill on which it stands.
The tower is 160 feet high[2], and contains twelve bells, cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry (best known for creating the original Liberty Bell, and Big Ben for the famous clock tower in Westminster, London). At the top of the tower stands a 15 foot gilded angel, which turns in the wind. Inside, the cathedral appears to be filled with light, with pale Somerset sandstone pillars and white Italian marble floors.
Writing in 1932, Sir Edward Maufe said: ‘The ideal has been to produce a design, definitely of our own time, yet in the line of the great English Cathedrals; to build anew on tradition, to rely on proportion, mass, volume and line rather than on elaboration and ornament.'[2] Pevsner described the building as 'sweet-tempered, undramatic Curvilinear Gothic', and that the interior was 'noble and subtle.'
The classic horror film The Omen was filmed there, with the golden wind-vane on top of the cathedral being added specifically for the film. The members of the church liked it so much they requested that it be made a permanent feature.
On Thursday April 13, 2006, Queen Elizabeth II visited Guildford Cathedral as part of the Maundy Thursday celebrations before going for lunch with the Mayor of Guildford in the Guildhall.
[edit] References
- ^ A Factual Guide to Guildford Cathedral by Anita Basset. 1963.
- ^ a b c d Guildford Cathedral by Sir Edward Maufe. Pitkin Pictorals Ltd, 1966.
