Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

I love impromptu visits that turn into something very special. And this is just what happened the other day. After finishing our food shop, we stopped by Wholly Bagels in Thorndon for a quick refreshment and a play (great toys and dedicated space for children), and then ventured forth to a place far more holy than Bagel heaven, the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul.

I’d been meaning to take Charlotte to a few of Wellington’s small and great religious establishments. They always fill me with a certain awe and though the historical architecture in New Zealand pales in comparison to the European places of worship, there is still a peaceful resonance to any place where worship regularly takes place.

Sophie reacted with a little fear and apprehension, but Charlotte was peacefully in awe. I’ve never known her to be so calm and collected. She started in wonder at the high ceiling and beautiful stain-glassed windows of the Cathedral. We were almost the only visitors and were kindly offered a tour of the Cathedral. The gentleman had a dozen or so grandchildren of his own so he was very appreciative of the unpredictable nature of children and accommodating of Sophie’s nerves.

One of my highlights of the tour was the Lady Chapel, which was originally the Church of St Paul in Paraparaumu (on the coast north of Wellington) and was moved to the Cathedral on the back of a truck in 1990. Around the room the stain glass windows depicted the birth and death of Jesus. The Lady Chapel had a happy vibe and I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that it is a favourite venue for weddings.

Charlotte’s highlight was, without doubt, the bell tower. We took a lift and walked up a small spiral staircase to see 14 bells (the largest in the southern hemisphere). The largest bell, The People’s Bell, weighs about the same as a 4-wheel drive (1,400kg!) and the smallest about four-times the size of me (I’m not giving away my weight!).

We walked through the roof to the Commemorative Tower Room and the collection of flags. I was particularly in awe to see the flag which Sir Edmund Hillary had carried to the South Pole, as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. From the Tower Room we stepped out onto a balcony overlooking the Houses of Parliament (the architecturally famous ‘Beehive’ – click for a ‘virtual tour’), the Law Courts and the Law School.

Returning back into the main heart of the Cathedral we stood in amazement at the organ, originally a three-manual T.C.Lewis from the 1880s with approximately 3,500 pipes!

On leaving we took a moment to light a candle and say a pray for the girls’ Grandparents, who we are so looking forward to seeing within a week!

No doubt we shall visit a few historical churches whilst in the UK. One very special date will be Sunday 29 July at St. Bartholomew’s Parish Church in Colne, for Sophie Jade’s baptism. Dating back to 1122 and the reign of Henry 1 it is filled with spiritual presence and was the happy venue of Charlotte Ann’s baptism in May 2004 and Dan’s sister’s wedding in 1994.