From the outside there’s something 1950’s power station about Guildford Cathedral. If it looks a tad familiar, it’s known as “The Omen church” for it was outside the front door that Gregory Peck and Lee Remick had a spot of bother with their errant son! More recently the nave was used in Netflix “The Sandman” for Dream’s Throne Room.
Guildford is the newest Anglican Cathedral in the UK. It was started in 1936, delayed through war, consecrated in the presence of the Queen and Prince Philip in 1961 whilst still not quite complete, and finally finished in 1965. Above on the left looking back down the nave, people having tea and cake (read on!), on the right, the architect Sir Edward Maufe.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you will know that I have a long term project on the go, to visit all of the Anglican Cathedrals in the UK (there are 42 of them). I make photo’s on Ilford XP2 film.
This is by far the “plainest” I’ve visited, and for me, I have to say I rather liked it. If the outside is “power station” then the inside is “Scandinavian light and airy”. It’s quite plain yes, but I thought very beautiful. I turned up on Maundy Thursday, during a service for the Dioceses vicars. I’ve never seen so many in one place before. The car park was jammed. The welcome was the opposite of what may have been expected. There were parking attendants to help with the chaos – instead of officialdom, a friendly “hello” and “squeeze in at the end of the row there in the coach bay, that will be fine, we are not expecting any today”! Then there was the “guard” on the door – “Is it possible to enter”? “Ohh of course you are very welcome – the service is in progress but please do feel free”! Inside the service was indeed underway, I got chance to hear the organ in full flow – and I do enjoy organ music! I stood still quietly at the back. Out the corner of my eye I could see a lady approaching me, obviously in some official capacity – here we go I thought. “Are you visiting us”? “Ohh were are having tea and cake after the service do feel free to join us – ask us anything you like”! The welcome it turned out was as warm as the Sandstone was light!
I completed my roll of XP2, having enjoyed my wander around the Cathedral. I usually do on such visits, but Guildford was a bit different. Somehow it felt a little less fussy, lighter, and in being so, a bit more concentrated on the actual point of a cathedral!
Chatter: Pentax ME Super with 50mm f1.4 SMC, Ilford XP2, C41 chemistry, home scanned.
S.H.O.U.T. 