Christmas Eve and Boxing Day Changing of the Guards and St Paul’s Cathedral London – Half Day Tour
3rd December 2024
Here at Best Value Tours, we are delighted to recommend great Best Value Tours festive/Christmas/New year tours and today we feature; Changing of the Guards and St Paul’s Cathedral London – Half Day Tour | Best Value Tours
Full details below, but first some brief history of magnificent St Pauls Cathedral
St. Erkenwald Shrine, relics removed 1550, lost as a monument in the Great Fire of London. Post-1087 fire, Normans built Old St. Paul’s, the fourth St. Paul’s. Another fire in 1135 delayed construction, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1240. The pointed arches and wider windows of the upper parts and East End of the structure showed the transformation from Romanesque to Gothic architecture throughout construction. Similar to York Minster, the Gothic ribbed vault was made of wood rather than stone, which altered its fate. Enlargement began in 1256. The “New Work” was consecrated in 1300 but finished in 1314. Later Mediaeval St. Paul’s was only surpassed in length by Cluny Abbey Church and in spire height by Lincoln Cathedral and Stralsund St. Mary’s Church. Francis Penrose excavated it in 1878 and found it 585 feet (178 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide (290 feet (88 m) across the transepts and crossing). The spire was 489 feet (149 m).Citation needed By the 16th century, it was falling apart.
The following items were found: body of St Erkenwald, arms of St Mellitus, knife of Jesus, hair of Mary Magdalene, blood of St Paul, milk of the Virgin Mary, head of St John, skull of St. Thomas Becket, head and jaw of King Ethelbert, wood of the cross, Holy Sepulchre stone, Ascension stone, and bones of the eleven thousand virgins of Cologne. Wenceslaus Hollar’s 1656 sketch of Old St. Paul’s restored west facade
An image of St. Erkenwald, likely from the shrine, was sent to the king’s jeweller in October 1538. Other images may have persisted briefly. The rood and other images were destroyed in November 1547 under Edward VI, according to the Grey Friar’s Chronicle.
At the height of the reformation’s iconoclasm in late 1549, Sir Rowland Hill changed his Lord Mayor’s day procession route and pronounced a de profundis at Erkenwald’s tomb.Later in Hill’s mayoralty (1550), the high altar of St. Paul’s was removed overnight to be destroyed, causing a battle that killed a man. Hill uncharacteristically requested that St. Barnabas’s Day not be a public holiday before these occurrences. Three years later, “Alle the alteres and chappelles in alle Powlles churche” were demolished in October 1553.Queen Mary’s commissioners summoned the dean and chapter in August 1553.
Printers and booksellers bought some St. Paul’s churchyard buildings as shops and rentals. A lightning bolt toppled the spire in 1561, which Roman Catholic writers said was God’s judgement on England’s Protestant rulers. In response, Bishop James Pilkington preached that the lightning strike was a punishment for misuse of the cathedral.[26] Repairs began immediately, with Londoners and clergy contributing money. But renovating the edifice correctly was too expensive for a country and city recovering from a trade depression. The roof was renovated and a timber “roo” was added to the steeple.
Inigo Jones, England’s first classical architect, erected a west front in the 1630s. During the Civil War, Parliamentarian forces defaced and mistreated the building and destroyed old records and charters. Demolished graveyard buildings provided ready-made building material for Somerset House, the Lord Protector’s city palace, during the Commonwealth. The north-east corner of the churchyard, St. Paul’s Cross, attracted crowds for open-air preaching. The Great Fire of London of 1666 destroyed Old St. Paul’s. It could have been rebuilt, but a modern cathedral was built. This plan was proposed before the fire.
Saint Paul Cathedral Dome, London.
Prices/Book Tour – Changing of the Guards and St Paul’s Cathedral London – Half Day Tour | Best Value Tours
Description
Panoramic Tour of London
Become acquainted with London’s most well-loved landmarks during this exciting panoramic guided tour. You will sweep past a host of top attractions, both old and new, so have your camera ready, for this as we drive past Westminster Abbey.
Prices/Book Tour – Changing of the Guards and St Paul’s Cathedral London – Half Day Tour | Best Value Tours
St Paul’s Cathedral
There’s no mistaking the breathtaking St Paul’s Cathedral – its huge dome has dominated the London skyline for 300 years! Enter the Cathedral and explore this historic church – it’s an architectural gem full of colourful mosaics, detailed paintings and shadowy crypts. Work up a bit of sweat and climb the 528 steps to the Golden Gallery – the view will definitely be worth the effort!
Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard
You can’t miss the Queen’s official London residence – it sits grandly in the centre of the city. See this iconic house during our photo stop and count the number of foot guards on duty – if there are four outside the palace, Elizabeth II is home! Experience the delightfully traditional changing of the guard ceremony –it’s a colourful spectacle that draws thousands of visitors each year.
Prices/Book Tour – Changing of the Guards and St Paul’s Cathedral London – Half Day Tour | Best Value Tours
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