The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, known more commonly as the National Cathedral, is situated on a hill overlooking Washington DC.
We first saw it on a sightseeing tour in 2013, when it was closed due to damage during the 2011 earthquake. There is still scaffolding on the turrets of one of the towers.
Today was my first real visit (I would like to claim that I took this photo but it is not possible to take this view from close by and so this is a postcard). The Women's Club had organized a cathedral tour followed by afternoon tea in the tower, on the theme of Cherry Blossom.
The Cathedral is built in the Gothic style, with echoes of many great English and French cathedrals - not least in the rose windows.
The sunlight flooding through the side windows of the nave
Gave quite a glow to the limestone pillars - all, we were told, built in the traditional manner (no steel reinforcements here!!).
The idea for the Cathedral began in the 1880's but building did not start until 1903 and 87 years later, in 1990, it was complete. It operated as a place of worship from 1905.
Whilst there are many echoes of ancient buildings there are also some real differences - the main doors of the Cathedral are wrought iron and glass.
Many of the stained glass windows were commissioned in the 1960's and 1970's and so are very modern in style..
This window includes the Apollo 11 spacecraft and an actual piece of moon rock set into the glass.
It was a very good tour - more photos to follow, but here is the tea..
Served on the seventh floor of the tower.. (accessed by a lift!)
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