An informal look at the history of the Christian church from an English perspective.
| Scout & Guide HQ | |
| 4th Tuesday of the month | |
| 2.00 - 4.00 | |
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A new series of talks and visits will start on Tuesday 28 January.
The full programme can be viewed here.
The talks are at Scout & Guide HQ, and the entrance cost is £2.00 including refreshments.
The visits will be by coach as usual, and arrangements and costs will be announced in January.
Prior to starting on our exploration of medieval cathedrals of the South and South-east of England in January 2020, there will be a mid-break meeting at the Scout Hut at the usual time of 14.00 on Tuesday 26th November.
This will give the opportunity for a brief preview of the 2020 programme, including the nationally historically important Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
As a holiday treat we will whisk you abroad to look at eight medieval French cathedrals, although separated by relatively short distance we will be able to see some of the differences between English and French Gothic, as well as show regional differences within the large geographical extent of France itself.
Speakers: Peter Goodrich, Peter Hatfield and Peter Gateley
A series of six indoor meetings, looking at ‘Cathedrals of the south-western parts of England’ + two coach trips (not to SW England!).
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| 22 January – a talk about Winchester Cathedral |
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26 February – a talk about Salisbury Cathedral |
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26 March – a visit to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral |
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23 April – talks about Bath Abbey and Truro Cathedral |
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| 28th May – a visit to Selby Abbey and Sherburn Church, Yorkshire |
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25th June – a talk, about Bristol Cathedral |
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23 July – a talk, about Wells Cathedral |
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27 August – a talk, about Exeter Cathedral |
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Speakers: Peter Goodrich, Peter Gateley and Peter Hatfield
| 23rd January | Norwich Cathedral talk. Norwich Cathedral timeline |
| 27th March | Ely Cathedral talk. Ely Cathedral timeline |
| 24th April | Peterborough Cathedral talk. Peterborough Cathedral Timeline |
| 1st May | Visit to Manchester Cathedral and other historic buildings. Details |
| 22nd May | Gloucester Cathedral talk. Gloucester Cathedral Timeline |
| 26th June | Visit to Furness Abbey and Swarthmoor Hall by coach |
| 24th July | Oxford Christ Church Cathedral talk. Oxford Cathedral timeline |
English medieval cathedrals are widely admired both at home and abroad as both architectural masterpieces and touchstones of English History. Their stylistic diversity is remarkable reflecting their longevity and origins. Some cathedrals are descendants of former abbeys, others purpose built as cathedrals, all have seen major changes over the past millennium, and all continue to serve their primary purpose of providing a regional seat (cathedra is the Latin word for the Bishop’s throne) for the local Bishop or in the case of Canterbury and York, for the Archbishop. The series of talks covered their Anglo-Saxon origins, the impact of Viking raids and occupation, the Norman conquest and the English Reformation.
The introductory talk on 25th October 2016 reviewed all those cathedrals (ten in all) which are included in the monthly talks, briefly covering their differences, special features and their local impact.
Subsequent sessions explained the development of floor plans, internal and external features, the evolution of the Gothic style and the archaic terminology used to describe their key parts, all accompanied by illustrations. We visited the origins of the Christian church from Roman times and the establishment of dioceses in the Saxon period and looked at surviving examples of Saxon church architecture.
The following four meetings showcased the northern cathedrals: Durham Cathedral, York Minster, Carlisle Cathedral, Ripon Cathedral and Chester Cathedral showing their origins, history and examining in detail their magnificent architectural features, stained glass and furnishings. This was also a visit to Chester Cathedral to illustrate many of the points made during the talks.
We concluded the series with the great cathedrals in the midlands: Lincoln, Southwell, Worcester, Lichfield and Hereford, with a second cathedral visit to Lichfield.
Programme of Talks, English Medieval Cathedrals: North and Midlands |
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All talks were held at 2.00-4.00pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month in the Scout and Guide HQ (large room), with breaks for coffee and discussion. 1. Introductory Talk – October 25th 2016 North of England2. Durham Cathedral – November 22nd 2016. View the Durham Cathedral time line. Midlands6. Lincoln Cathedral – April 25th 2017. View the Lincoln Cathedral time line. |
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