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St. Wulfram's Church

Portfolio Entry 4

In the small town of Grantham which sits at about 45,000 people in all, there is St. Wulfram’s Church. St. Wulfram’s Church is an Anglican parish church that can hold up to 700 people in seating. St Wulfram’s was built in the early 1300s. The church was built with the riches from wool merchants in the community, and in the 1860s, the church was restored but the original furniture that had been in the building had been sold and removed for reasons unknown. The church holds many events other than just mass, including: a beer festival and a Christmas tree festival which includes a synthetic ice rink inside for people to skate on. The building follows the Medieval style of architecture because of the spire, the arched columns, and stained glass windows, and although the church doesn’t have flying buttresses, it has a similar technique called pinnacles. The stained glass in the church is Victorian. There was a big restoration of the church, which was accomplished by George Gilbert Scott, who was known for being an English Gothic Revival architect who was buried in Westminster Abbey. Following the major fire outbreak on the church, George Gilbert Scott helped restore the church by removing box pews and galleries, the roofs were replaced, and choir stalls were constructed. The spire on the church is very tall, reaching about 274 feet; the church with the spire is the sixth tallest in the country of England and the third tallest of any parish church. 

Although the town is known for being the birthplace of both Margaret Thatcher and Isaac Newton, the church has no significant burials. There is a churchyard for burials there, but there isn’t much information on anything to do with burials at the church. Anglican is a largely popular denomination in the Church of England, housing about 85 million members. Two main beliefs of an Anglican church include the belief that one God exists within three entities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as the fact that Jesus Christ is God and human. 

The church itself is small but beautiful. Coming from America where most churches are weird, modernized, block buildings, it is always fascinating seeing beautiful churches in England. I’ve mostly experienced cathedrals, which are always going to be grand buildings with tons of intricate parts to the architecture but St. Wulfram’s church isn't a cathedral but continues to be very breathtaking. By exploring the church, it is easy to find out that there is more to it than what it seems. Following up a narrow spiral staircase, there is a library which happens to be the first public library in England. The library holds a giant version of the Bible, along with over 80 volumes attached to the shelves by chains to keep the library historical and untouched by thieves. 

The area around the church is pretty urban, although not as urban as previous places I have explored and written about. The area seems kind of secluded and quiet, as opposed to Westminster Abbey. The reserved sacrament is kept in the crypt, which is located downstairs near the middle of the church. The crypt also holds a shrine for St Wulfram. St. Wulfram was a French priest and had one other church in England in his name called St. Wulfran’s church (for some reason the church is spelled with an “n” rather than an “m”) based in Ovingdean in Brighton and Hove. Other than the two churches dedicated to him in England, he has two in France as well; Collegiate Church of Saint-Vulfran in Abbeville and Church in Butot are the two French churches in his name, where he converted Frisians to Christianity. 

The church has an organ that fills the entire building with sound because of the secondary ventilation system that makes the sound travel from not only by the instrument itself, but also out further into the church. In a photo seen above, you can see the organ which has the words “Landair rum in chords ef Organo” which in English translates to “Landair rum in the chords of the organ”. Most Anglican churches have pipe organs in them, including St. Wulfram’s Church. Organs are used in churches to be able to aid the public in singing their songs and hymns to express their love and emotions to God and to seek and give support to their peers in worship music. 

Overall, the church is small and doesn’t have as many huge architectural breakthroughs like La Sagrada Familia, but it is beautiful in a small, quaint, and sacred way. The church doesn’t have to be a cathedral to be sacred, but it has to celebrate religion in a respectful way and has a way of making people believe that it is a holy and worthy place of their worship. The interior and exterior both contribute to the overall sacred feeling of the building by not only using the key features of a medieval structure, but also the atmosphere itself aids in the safety that people feel to worship a higher power. 

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família

Portfolio Entry 3

Basílica de la Sagrada Família is a cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. La Sagrada Família directly translates as The Holy Family in English. The cathedral started its construction in March of 1882 and is still undergoing construction as of November of 2024. Although still under construction, the La Sagrada Família has been open to the public to see and tour since November 7th, 2010. La Sagrada Família is a popular tourist attraction due to its beauty and cultural impact that it has gone through throughout the years. The cathedral is a catholic church and is the largest unfinished catholic cathedral in the world. The designer of the church, Antoni Gaudi, was a huge part of the project and when he died, the construction had a brief stop. Although under construction for about 140 years, the cathedral is expected to finish construction completely by 2026. 

The cathedral is comprised of many distinguishable features that are unlike other cathedrals across the globe including the spires, walls, and roof. The spires aren’t all for aesthetic purposes, but also for the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and of course, Jesus Christ. Because La Sagrada Família is a Gothic building, it is very common to have spires. The walls are very important to the cathedral because they are built to hold the weight of the vaults. The beautiful stained glass on the walls is also different from other churches because there is less of a biblical story being told on them, and more just different colored glass to make for a different aesthetic. The roof is extremely tall and has lots of details on it. The crypt that is situated by the altar, holds Antoni Gaudi, among others.

As mentioned previously, the crypt is what holds Antoni Gaudi. Although there aren’t a lot of significant burials, Antoni Gaudi and Josep Maria Bocabella are the two significant burials to note; Antoni Gaudi being the designer of the cathedral, and Josep Maria Bocabella who came up with the idea to build La Sagrada Família. 

The cathedral is built in an urban area and stands out against the rest of the landscape. Most cathedrals, because of their beautiful architecture, stand out against what is around them, but La Sagrada Família is so big and has more of a unique look to it than other cathedrals, that it stands out even more than other cathedrals. Even though it is Gothic, comparing it to other gothic cathedrals like Westminster Abbey and the Peterborough Cathedral is not the same because of how different the aesthetics are on the outside. The cathedrals all share common architectural features like vaulted ceilings and burial grounds, but on La Sagrada Família, they were built and showcased in a different way than Westminster Abbey and the Peterborough Cathedral; La Sagrada Família is Spanish rather than English, so it makes sense that the English cathedrals are more similar and the Spanish one stands out. Since the cathedral is so unique, many have pointed out things in the cathedral that in particular stand out to them, an example of this is talked about in a book about architecture, being described as very full with light and looking like a forest because of the columns throughout the cathedral that look like branches attaching to the ceiling (Peter Louis Bonfitto 297-298). The columns in the cathedral are one of the main things that catch my eye as a viewer. 

La Sagrada Família, although under construction, still holds masses and acts as a normal church. There are masses held on Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday mass at the cathedral starts at 9 am but it is extremely important that people arrive early by 45 minutes to an hour to make sure they get a good seat, or a seat at all. Since it is a catholic church, there are holy days of obligation that are also held at the cathedral and Saturday mass can be attended at 8 pm for free. Masses in the crypt are conducted in both Catalan and Spanish, separated by different times; the cathedral holds international services that can be performed in English, French, and Italian.

Weddings and funerals are offered at La Sagrada Família. The process of getting married in the church requires more than a regular church would, or obviously a courthouse. The requirements to get married at the cathedral include: baptism certificates from both parties if both are catholic, a valid ID or Passport is needed from both parties, and proof that both people getting married are not already legally married to someone else. The requirements seem very warranted, and I don’t know the requirements to get married in other cathedrals, but the baptism certificates was something that came as a shock to me. The marriages take place in the crypt. The funeral service for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI took place in 2023. His significance to the cathedral was that he consecrated the church in 2010, meaning he got to be recognized by thousands of people for his funeral for his contribution to the cathedral. 

The cathedral is an iconic and beautiful cathedral that many come to see and experience the beauty of the architecture. In my personal experience, going to the cathedral was one of the highlights of my time in Barcelona, Spain. The cathedral should be on everyone’s list of things to visit when going to Barcelona because of its rich history and culture.

Word Count: 903

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WESTMINSTER ABBEY

~ PORTFOLIO ENTRY TWO ~

Westminster Abbey, located in London, England, is a church that is a widely populated tourist attraction. This may come as a shock, but it is included in the Church of England (A real shocker I know) and takes part in Anglican Communion, so it is catholic and reformed. It has been around since the 1040s. Although it was built that long ago, not all of it that we see today was built then; the first building was built then, but later the building was reconstructed. Although Westminster Abbey was originally built in Romanesque style, when it was rebuilt in the 13th century, it was changed to be built in the Gothic style. Westminster Abbey is a very big part of British history and has many uses including shrines, tombs, memorials, coronations, and royal weddings. Keeping coronations in mind, the church has been the place for every coronation since 1066, making the church a very important and traditional spot. This building is widely known to be an architectural marvel with remarkable religious and historical lessons, along with music performances. 

The visual impact of the church has changed throughout the years due to the building getting rebuilt. With it starting out with a Romanesque style, it had rounded archways. However, with the Gothic style that the church was remodeled with, the archways are the traditional Gothic pointed archways. As vaulted ceilings are a key feature of Gothic architecture, Westminster Abbey has them. Not only does Westminster have vaulted ceilings, but it has fan vaulted ceilings and ribbed vaulted ceilings that are the highest gothic vault in England. Vaulted ceilings aren’t the only key feature the church has, but it also has multiple cloisters and two tiers of flying buttresses. Flying buttresses are what give buildings extra support, especially if there is a heavy roof, and they also give buildings that extra aesthetic look that they need. The Westminster Abbey is significant because it started as a monastery and has always been mixed with royalty, along with the burials there as well. Not only does it have significant burials such as James Hamilton (6th Earl of Abercorn), Robert Adam, Joseph Addison, Elizabeth Monck (Duchess of Albemarle), George Monck (1st Duke of Albemarle), Edmund Allenby (1st Viscount Allenby), Princess Amelia of Great Britain, Anne Stanley (Countess of Ancram), but there is a Westminster portrait of Richard II that has been there since 1400.

There are more significant burials than the ones previously mentioned. There are 3,300 burials in total on the site, and a very popular and notable one is the Unknown Warrior. The Unknown Warrior is a sign of loss, hope, and bravery so it is very popular amongst the public. People go to visit the soldier when they’re mourning because the tomb itself is an image of all the lost soldiers in war. 

The first recorded coronation held in the building was for William the Conqueror, and the last coronation was held after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2024 and was for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. In fact, every monarch has been crowned in Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror, excluding Edward V and Edward VIII because they were never actually crowned. Edward V is known to have been killed in the Tower of London before he ever got the chance to be crowned at a coronation ceremony. As for Edward VIII, he failed to be able to succeed his duties after his father’s passing, making him having to renounce his title before getting crowned at his coronation ceremony. There are other uses for the church today other than royal events, including regular church services. They have communion and choir performances, including several different times throughout the day to attend service because of the popularity of the church in the big capital city. A big part of coronations is the coronation chair that faces the high altar; the chair is important because it is used in every single coronation and is still in the church today. Although Westminster Abbey is free to the public to attend church service, there is a fee to get a full tour of the place to see all that the building has to offer, including some rich pieces of history. 

Not only are there coronations, church services, and burials, but there have been lots of funerals that have taken place there as well. The most recent funeral was for Queen Elizabeth II who died in 2022. Other funerals that have been held in the building were: Princess Diana of Wales and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Although their funerals were all held at the church, all three royals were buried elsewhere due to their own personal requests, but both Queen Elizabeth II and her mother specifically requested to have their funeral services at Westminster Abbey.

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Peterborough Cathedral

~Portfolio Entry One~

The Peterborough Cathedral is a Norman Cathedral based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. With their work going from East to West, the cathedral started its construction in 1118 and the style that was chosen was maintained for 80 years during the building process. The cathedral is a very traditional looking church. By “Traditional”, I mean that the Peterborough Cathedral is something I could envision if someone says the word “cathedral”. The church holds a lot of history because one of Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine of Aragon, is buried on the grounds. Mary Queen of Scots was buried there as well. Two women in history that are well known by the public either from history or even on-screen adaptations. Within the many years that this cathedral has been standing, accidents have happened, including fires which the cathedral has overcome and still stands as strong as ever today.

The Peterborough Cathedral has much significance to it, as do most cathedrals. As mentioned previously, Catherine of Aragon is buried there, which speaks for itself about how that contributes to the significance of it all. Cathedrals are a place of worship, love, and trust. The act of having a Christian church service is a good use of the building and how to keep the cathedral alive for so long. There are many uses for this church, including symphony performances that are still going on with lots of people attending. The visual aspects of the church are incredible and have extreme detail. Cathedrals are almost always breathtaking with their engravings, structures, etc. The cathedral has a few different styles of architecture that blend together very nicely. Gothic, Norman, Romanesque, and English Gothic architecture. It is easy to say that the cathedral is both Gothic and Romanesque because Gothic architecture came from and evolved from the Romanesque architecture. The similarities between the two architectural styles make it easy to say that the cathedral is presenting both. Norman architecture also falls under Romanesque, but it makes sense that these different types of architectural styles are so similar because the builders wanted the building to stay consistent throughout the time it took them to build it. Since cathedrals take so long to build because of the equipment used at the time and the extreme detail that goes into creating a sacred building, mixing drastically different types of architecture could make the look of the church less appealing in different ways. Although the use of the word Gothic makes it seem depressing and dark, Gothic architecture tends to be bright and filled with delight to warm up the public and the people attending church. A church is supposed to bring faith and joy among the people, but being in a dreary building has a way of either hindering or making it not as enjoyable as it could be. With the use of the Gothic and similar styles, as I said earlier, it brought brightness into buildings and made the church experience something that is for lack of better words, iconic. Religion is beautiful in many ways, and the style of architecture that the Peterborough Cathedral is built in is an example of one of the many iconic buildings in the country of England and the world.

Having been to the cathedral myself, I walked around and noticed the many graves around the building. Many are buried on the grounds, whether they are common people or historical figures such as Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine of Aragon. Although Mary Queen of Scots is no longer at the Peterborough Cathedral, it is important to note that she was once there.

Located in the center of the city, the Peterborough Cathedral is right in the middle of the city, making it urban. The cathedral being in the center of the city doesn’t make it any less breathtaking or beautiful. At least I often associate rural places with being more sacred because of other sites such as Stonehenge. The city doesn’t take away the essentials of a sacred place, in fact, I think it enriches the experience. Being able to walk in a city and all of a sudden stumbling upon a building that is centuries old with such significance is incredible, and the fact that the UK has so many places like this is very impressive. Coming from the United States, things like century old buildings are less easy to come by and it’s very shocking no matter how long I’ve been here in the UK and how many places I’ve seen. It is extremely important to take care of these buildings and to share with others about the historical aspects and importance of these buildings. Being well versed in the architecture, religion, and sanctuary that the Peterborough Cathedral provides is a good start and can only excite others to look at more sacred architecture in the UK and other places across Europe.