This week we moored the boat in the centre of Chester, a lovely city, dating back to Roman times. We had a spare day so I went on a bit of an exploration. I had never been in Chester Cathedral before so I joined a guided tour, going up the tower and around some of the high up spaces. At around 4pm the Cathedral was quiet and our small group of visitors finished the tour at the very back of the church, above the altar and looking down the chancel and nave as the sun streamed through the stained glass window at the west end.
I am not a particularly religious person but the moment was magical. My father was a Church of England vicar and so I feel very at home in churches. There is a very particular smell of old stone and wood that brings back very happy memories. I am also fascinated by the history. Chester Cathedral was originally an Abbey, built a thousand years ago for a group of Catholic monks. When Henry 8th destroyed most of the monasteries, he kept this one repurposed as a Cathedral for a new diocese in the North West of England.
When I am doing my family tree research, one new discovery often leads to another. Discovering about this Cathedral was the same because when Henry created this new Cathedral, he chose it over an existing one on the other side of Chester, that I simply had to visit.
St John The Baptist’s Church dates back to medieval times, and may even have been built on the site of the Roman Temple to Mythra. There is good evidence that at one time there were three Archbishops in the UK – at York, Canterbury and here in Chester. It is a fascinating place to visit.
I came back to the boat replete with stories of ancient churches to share with Mandy. Lucky her!
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