St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's with its world-famous Dome is an iconic feature of the London skyline, but there is much more to Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece than its impressive facade.

A spiritual focus for the nation since its first service in 1697, many important events have taken place within its walls, from the state funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill to the wedding of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer and the Thanksgiving services for Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee and 80th birthday.

The Cathedral is currently in the process of being restored and the results so far are breathtaking.

The West Front, once blackened and damaged, now rises majestically at the top of Ludgate Hill and details previously hidden stand out crisp and proud. The interior has been transformed by state of the art restoration techniques and the light that now floods the space highlights the luminescent Portland stone and brings mosaics, carvings and sculpture to life. In the Dome, exquisite 18th century paintings by Sir James Thornhill showing scenes from the life of St Paul have been returned to their original beauty.

But of course, the pinnacle of any trip to St Paul's has to be the winding journey up the spiral staircase to the Whispering Gallery to sample its unique audio effects before travelling up and out to the Stone and Golden Galleries, which afford a panoramic view of London that is second to none.

St Paul's Cathedral

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