St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Exploring St. Paul's
Plan of St. Paul's Cathedral, from an architectural encyclopedia.
Layout
Like most Christian churches, St. Paul's Cathedral is laid out in the shape of a cross. The longer end of the main arm of the cross is called the nave; the two ends of the shorter arm are called the transepts. At the "top" of the cross is the choir and the altar, where the sacrament of communion takes place. Where the cross' two arms intersect is a great dome, marked by a great circle on the floor beneath it. The crypt is in a basement underneath the cathedral.
The West Front and Towers
The West Porch, approached from Ludgate Hill, is the main entrance to St. Paul's. This is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana emerged as husband and wife in 1981. A large stairway leads up to six sets of double columns and the Great West Door.
The towers that have become distinguishing marks of the London skyline were not part of architect Christopher Wren's original plan. He added them in 1707, when he was 75 years old. Both were designed to have clocks, but now only the tower on the south (right) side has one.
The Nave
As you enter the cathedral, you are in the nave - the main part of the cathedral that stretches out in front of you under the high, domed ceiling. The large, open space is intended to hold large congregations for services. The floor of the cathedral is tiled in a black and white checkerboard pattern. The narrower hallways between the pillars and the walls on either side of the nave are the north and south aisles of the sanctuary. The small domes above the aisles imitate the larger ones of the nave. Up ahead is the Great Circle under the dome and, beyond that, the Choir (Quire in English spelling) and High Altar.
Monuments and Memorials
Within the cathedral are plaques, carvings, monuments and statues dedicated to a wide range of people. The bulk are related to the British military with several lists of servicemen who died in action - the most recent being the Gulf War. There are special monuments to Admiral Nelson and to the Duke of Wellington (on horseback, unveiled in 1912) in the south transept and north aisle, respectively.
Also remembered are poets, painters, clergy and residents of the local parish. On the left (north) is a monument to Lord Leighton and on the right (south) is a memorial to an 18th-century naval hero. On the south aisle, in the central transept, is a monument to Thomas Middleton, the first Anglican bishop in India. There are also lists of the Bishops and cathedral Deans for the last thousand years.
The Chapels
The nave has three small chapels in the two adjoining aisles. To the left (north aisle) is St. Dunstan's Chapel, which was one of the earliest parts of the cathedral to come into use. It was originally known as the Morning Chapel, as it was designed to be the place where the clergy and a small congregation would say the morning office (set of prayers). In 1905 it was dedicated to St. Dunstan, who was Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury over 1,000 years ago. It originally had no altar, as it was not intended for the celebration of communion, but was richly decorated in purple and red silk curtains and cushions.
All Souls Chapel is further down on the left side (north aisle) All Souls contains a beautiful pieta of Mary and Jesus and is dedicated primarily to soldiers of World War I.
The Chapel of the Order of St. Michael and St. George is across from St. Dunstan's on the right side (south aisle). This was originally the consistory court - the place where the bishop sat in judgment over the clergy, or priests. It was used as a studio for the construction of Wellington's monument between 1858 and 1878.
The Crypt
Entrances to the downstairs crypt are in both transepts, on either side of the dome. St. Paul's substantial cathedral crypt contains over 200 memorials as well as another chapel and the treasury. Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of the cathedral, was fittingly the first person to be buried here, in 1723. The inscription on his burial slab states, "Reader, if you seek his memorial, look all around you." Look for Wren's tomb all the way to the east end of the crypt, under the altar.
Members of the royal family are buried in Westminster Abbey, but many other notable figures are buried in St. Paul's Cathedral crypt, such as Florence Nightengale and Lord Nelson.
The treasury has very few treasures. Many were lost over the years and in 1810 a major robbery took almost all of the remaining precious artifacts.
The Dome and Galleries
The main space of the cathedral is centred under the dome, which rises 108.4 meters from the cathedral floor. At 360 feet (110 meters), it is the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The inside of the dome is decorated with frescos by Sir James Thornhill, the most important painter of Wren's time.
The dome contains three circular galleries - the internal Whispering Gallery, the external Stone Gallery and the external Golden Gallery. The Whispering Gallery derives its name from its unusual acoustics, which cause whispers to echo around the dome.
The entrance to the galleries is at the right side (south aisle), just before the dome. Climb the 259 steps to try out the Whispering Gallery and enjoy the view from the Stone Gallery. The Golden Gallery is at the highest point of the dome, under the lantern.
The Choir
The choir extends to the east end of the dome. This is where the choir and the priests normally sit during services. It also holds the cathedral's great organ, which was ommissioned in 1694. The current instrument is the third biggest in Britain with 7,189 pipes and 138 stops; it is enclosed in an impressive case built by Grinling Gibbons. The wrought ironwork screens in the choir aisles were created by Jean Tijou, a Huguenot refugee.
The bishop's throne (cathedra), from which a cathedral derives its name, is on the south side of the choir.
The High Altar
Originally, the cathedral had a simple table for an altar. The present high altar dates from 1958 and is made of marble and carved and gilded oak. The magnificent canopy It replaces a large Victorian marble altar and screen, which were damaged by the bombing during World War II. It is based on a sketch by Christopher Wren.
The Apse and American Memorial Chapel
The Apse is the semi-circular east end of the Cathedral, which in St. Paul's is behind the High Altar. It was destroyed in the second World War by a bomb. After it was rebuilt, this space was consecrated as the American Memorial Chapel in November 1958.
