St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is a sacred building in the City of London, the second largest church building in the world after the Vatican St Peter’s Basilica. It differs from other cathedrals in the city by its distinctive dome in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, which was pressed for by the architect Christopher Wren instead of a tower.
St. Paul’s Cathedral was completed in 1710. Its construction lasted for 35 years and its present appearance dates back to the 17th century. The cathedral is built from Portland limestone and has a cross ground plan. Its dominant feature is that huge dome covered with lead and supported by eight massive arches decorated with Victorian mosaics. The most decorated part of the cathedral is the altar space with motifs of nature. Its equipment includes also the third largest organ in the UK. One can ascend to the top of the cathedral, where are three observation galleries. At a height of 30 meters above the ground there is the indoor Whispering Gallery with excellent acoustic properties. The words spoken near the wall can be heard on the other side of the gallery, 32 meters away. The other two are outdoor ones – the Stone Gallery and the Golden Gallery. In addition to tours, the St Paul’s Cathedral is used for worship. It has also hosted several events watched worldwide. For example, the funeral of Winston Churchill or worship services for victims of New York terrorist attacks.
Useful information for visitors
Public transport connections
The nearest public transport stop at St. Paul’s Cathedral is:
- underground station St Paul’s (Central Line)
- underground station Mansion House (District and Circle Lines)
- underground station Blackfriars (District and Circle Lines)
- underground station Bank (Central, Northern and Waterloo & City Lines, and DLR)
- train station City Thameslink (3 minutes)
- train station Blackfriars (5 minutes)
- train station Cannon Street (6 minutes)
- bus stop Blackfriars Pier (9 minutes)
- bus stop Bankside Pier (10 minutes)
Opening hours and admission
Up-to-date information about the admission and opening hours to St Paul’s Cathedral is available on the official website. The ticket can be purchased online.
Interesting facts about St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is also the seat of the Archbishop of London. It was built on the site of a Gothic cathedral. However, during the Great Fire in 1666 it was irretrievably destroyed.