Salisbury Cathedral, London

Salisbury Cathedral, London – one of Britain’s most famous Gothic Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral, London is undoubtedly Britain’s most famous 13th century Gothic cathedral. The enormous and lofty spire grabs your attention. Once you reach the Cathedral, viewing the stonework that has gone towards creating such an architecturally evolved church in Salisbury, is in itself a wonderful experience.

The Cathedral is situated in the midst of a cluster of monumental buildings and edifices. It is enclosed by eight acres of busy green lawns and you can’t differentiate much between walking on a carpet or walking on grass.

Of the four surviving Magna Carta, the one at Salisbury Cathedral is the best preserved. Apart from this, the Cathedral’s clock, which dates back to 1386 AD and now located in the magnificent Bell is the oldest working clock. Being a pioneering church in Britain, the Salisbury Cathedral was the first to introduce the Cathedral School. The Salisbury Cathedral was also the first to introduce an exclusive girl’s choir.

The Cathedral maintains records of people who have been married, baptized or buried in the Cathedral and the records are provided to any body from the general public who might want to know more about their ancestors/ family members or friends.

Guided tours of the Cathedral are provided everyday. Each and every aspect of the Cathedral’s rich past and its’ many historical artifacts and relics are highlighted in the most interesting manner. If you are energetic, just climb upstairs, 332 steps in all, to the pinnacle of the tower. The experience from the top is breathtaking.

Nelson’s Column

Nelson’s Column at the Trafalgar Square, London

Nelson’s column happens to be one of London’s most legendary monuments. The monument was built as a befitting tribute to Lord Nelson who was instrumental in Britain’s hard fought victory in the famous Battle of Trafalgar.

The monument was built in the year 1840 and towers to a height of 185 feet and is defended by four hefty lions at its base, which are made of bronze. The monument was designed by W. Railton and is similar to the column of the famous Corinthian temple – Mars Ultor of Rome.

Mr. Railton choose the Corinthian design for building this colossal monument primarily due to the fact that such a lofty and graceful column was never used in Britain. Also, it was felt that a monument of stupendous dimensions alone would be the best way to honor one of England’s legendary war heroes.

It is to be noted that Admiral Nelson had won not one, but four outstanding battles for his country and to achieve victory he had to pay the ultimate prize – death, during the Battle of Trafalgar. For building the monument, the finest varieties of Granite were brought from the coast of Devon. The figure of Admiral Nelson is made out of the rare variety of stone, which was gifted by the Duke of England. The pedestal is raised and the angles are made of massive blocks. From the pinnacle if one looks down, the quintessential hustle and bustle as also the colorful shops and restaurants dotting the Trafalgar Square make for a kaleidoscopic vignette.

Westminster Abbey, London

Westminster Abbey, London at the time of Sunrise

Westminster Abbey is basically a Gothic Church and its profile is more of a Cathedral located in Westminster, towards the west side of the Palace of Westminster. It serves as the venue of coronation as well as burial of the British monarchy.

Westminster Abbey is a stunning architectural marvel, which dots the London city landscape. The Abbey has been the venue for every Coronation that has taken place since 1066 in Britain. Today it still serves as a church and is one of the most preferred places of Christian congregation in London. However, one has to bear in mind that the Abbey is neither a parish church nor a cathedral, but somewhere in between.

A staggering 3,000 people are buried here and one the most revered monuments is the one which has the engraving written as – “The Unknown Warrior”. The Lady Chapel in particular is splendid and has a stunning fan vaulted roof. The superb craftsmanship of renowned Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano is amply evident in the grave of Henry VII.

The year 1540 saw the culmination of the medieval monastery. Of course, during its 900-year-old history, the Abbey has witnessed lot of renovation and even extension, but the core area has remained unchanged.

The transepts which are located to the north and south are a virtual treasure trove. The southern transepts which is popularly called as Statesman’s Aisle has the graves of renowned personalities like William Pitt, Charles Fox, William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli to name just a few.

The south transept, on the other hand, is known for its beautiful rose windows, the glasses of which dates back to 1902. You will marvel at the two exquisite 13th century wall paintings that adorn the door to St. Faith’s Chapel.

One of the most popular facade of the Abbey is the Poet’s Corner. The first poet to be buried at Poet’s Corner was Geoffrey Chaucer. Even the great Edmund Spencer was buried here. William Shakespeare who was originally buried at Stratford-upon-Avon was moved here in 1740, when a monument designed by William Kent in honor of the great poet appeared in Poet’s Corner.

The Chapter House is one of the must-see places at the Abbey. It was from here that the monastery functioned and it also used to be the venue where the parliament met in the 14th century.

No visit to Westminster Abbey is complete without a visit to the library, which has an impressive collection of historical books, manuscripts and archived materials

Cleopatra’s Needle, UK

The Cleopatra’s Needle at London, England

Cleopatra’s Needle in London is a granite obelisk, which is all of 68 feet and weighs 180 tons. This obelisk originally dates back to 1500 B.C. and was built for Tuthmose III. The Hieroglyphics praising Tuthmose and honoring his third Sed festival can be found on the obelisk along with engraved inscriptions by Ramessses II which was added much later to commemorate his hard earned victories.

This mammoth granite obelisk was presented to the people of Great Britain in the year 1819 as an acknowledgement of Nelson’s victory over the marauding French armada, at the infamous battle of Nile in the year 1798. Apart from the obelisk, a portrait of Queen Victoria and other Victorian era artifacts are also found.

However, it took almost 60 long years to actually bring this mammoth obelisk to Britain. No British government was gallant enough to overcome the obstacles of shipment of this obelisk from far away Egypt to Britain. Not only was the shipment of the obelisk a daunting task, it also involved enormous expenses. Had it not been for the generosity of Mr. Erasmus Wilson who dished out a staggering £10,000 to bear the expenses of shipment, this marvelous granite obelisk would have probably remained buried in the sands of Alexandria until the end of time.

During World War I, Cleopatra’s needle suffered a minor damage, courtesy the air raids. A portion of the plinth and one of the sphinxes, which bore the brunt of the attack, is clearly visible.

Today, Cleopatra’s Needle, London is an integral part of London’s tourist landmark.