what the tourists don't see

had a long overdue day off yesterday, and did something I don't do too often - only if there is an out-of-town friend to show around - clambered up to the roof of King's College Chapel. A few years back I was the Chaplain there, so I know the building well.

The fantastic carved, fan vaulted ceiling is a famous sight, but clambering about in the ceiling/roof cavity  you can get a picture of how the stones were fitted together in the late 15th/early 16th century.

Right up on top of the roof, though, (and I say this despite struggling somewhat with vertigo) not only do you get a great view of Cambridge and the surrounding countryside, you also get a magical sense of being removed from the stresses of everyday life.

In a county of flat fenland with no hills this is about as close as you get to being "on top of the world".

Yesterday we watched the sun set on one side of the Chapel as the moon rose on the other. Pure magic.

Comments

[Paul Fromont]

I look forward to having the tour one-day...

[Tony B]

Awesome - didn't David Dimbleby go up there in his recent "How we built Britain" series?

[Hugh A]

Tony, you are right David Dimbleby did go up there and told us how thin the stone was in the middle under his feet. I got vertigo watching it on TV.