Wells Cathedral has been declared the most beautiful building in Britain by Time Out magazine.
The magazine produced its “definitive ranking of the UK’s most beautiful places right now” and while the town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire secured the top spot, the highest ranked individual building was Wells Cathedral, at number five.
Time Out’s writers praised in particular the cathedral’s 14th century scissor arch.
“It was primarily created to support the weight of the central tower and prevent collapse, but it also happens to be a thing of beauty," it said.
"The X-shaped arch rises elegantly from the floor to the cathedral’s stone-vaulted ceiling and, despite being created 600 years ago looks strikingly modern (almost art deco) against the more traditional medieval aesthetic of the rest of the building.”
The “intricate swirling red and blue murals” of the cathedral ceiling were also singled out for particular praise, as was the 14th century astronomical clock and the stained glass windows, “widely thought to be one of the greatest surviving examples in all of Europe”.
The praise lavished on Wells Cathedral comes at a time of rising interest in Britain’s historic cathedrals.
Earlier this year the Church of England said that attendance at its cathedrals had increased for the fifth year in a row, with a noticeable rise in attendance at Sunday services. On an average week 32,600 people attended cathedral services, including Evensong, Morning and Evening Prayer and Sunday Eucharist.
As well as spiritual centres, cathedrals often serve as major centres of tourism and culture.
Last month Winchester Cathedral saw 11,000 people attend its Wild! Flower festival. Christmas and Easter events and services also tend to see significantly higher than usual attendance.
