On Saturday 3rd December, members of the Society explored Christopher Wren’s masterpiece and London icon, St Paul’s Cathedral, on a tour led by Blue Badge Tourist Guide Caroline Piper.
We started by exploring the exterior of the Cathedral and getting photos of that iconic dome, actually a triple dome and ingenious architectural innovation by Wren. We reflected on the importance of the dome to Londoners as a symbol of survival in difficult times, and the strokes of good fortune and great bravery that ensured it survived the Blitz to still dominate London’s skyline today.
Once inside we soaked up the beautiful, simple, elegant architecture and light filled interior. The colourful mosaics of the quire are a more recent addition (added as Queen Victoria thought St Paul’s “dull and dingy!”) but they add an extra layer of depth to the cathedral’s beautiful stone and wood carving. We discussed some of the great occasions that had taken place under this dome and explored some of the monuments and cathedral art collection. No tour would be complete without visiting the crypt, filled with the burials of artists and great military leaders, especially the large and impressive tombs of two great British heroes, Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, who saved Britain from French invasion.
At the end of the tour the energetic half of the group climbed the famous dome, 365 feet into the air, to be rewarded by views of London, whilst Caroline and the less energetic repaired to the Old Bell Tavern on Fleet Street, built by Wren for the stone masons of St Paul’s Cathedral!
Organised by Caroline Piper