Ships of Heaven: The Private Life of Britain’s Cathedrals

by Christopher Somerville

When Christopher Somerville, author of the The January Man ('a truly wonderful, uplifting book, bursting with life' - Nicholas Crane), set out to explore Britain’s cathedrals, he found his fixed ideas shaken to the roots.

Starting out, he pictured cathedrals – Britain possesses over one hundred – as great unmoving bastions of tradition. But as he journeys among favourites old and new, he discovers buildings and communities that have been in constant upheaval for a thousand years. Here are stories of the monarchs and bishops who ordered the building of these massive but unstable structures, the masons whose genius brought them into being, the peasant labourers who erected (and died on) the scaffolding. We learn of rogue saints exploited by holy sinners, the pomp and prosperity that followed these ships of stone, the towns that grew up in their shadows, the impact of the Black Death, the Reformation and icon-smashing Puritanism, the revival brought about by the Industrial Revolution, and the hope and disillusion of two world wars.

Meeting believers and non-believers, architects and archaeologists, the cleaner who dusts the monuments and the mason who judges stone by its taste, we delve deep into the private lives and the uncertain future of these ever-voyaging Ships of Heaven.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Architecture, Travel, British Literature, Church

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Christopher Somerville is a travel writer & 'Walking Correspondent' of The Times. His long-running ‘A Good Walk’ series appears every Saturday in the Times Weekend section. He has written some 40 books, many about his travels on foot in various parts of the world

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up
To write this Christopher Somerville spent a year of his life visiting twenty of Britain’s cathedrals (or ships of heaven as he calls them): Wells, Lincoln, Salisbury, Chichester, Canterbury, York, Durham, Ely, Worcester, Gloucester, Hereford, Kirkwall, St David’s, St Paul’s, Westminster, Armagh, Liverpool, Coventry and Inverness. In Armagh and Liverpool he takes in the Catholic and Anglican cathedrals as they are so close together. As a result it is a bit of a dash around with limited time on each. Somerville has an eye for odd stories and unusual bits of architecture. Thankfully he doesn’t populate the book with lots of bishops and clerics (there are a few), but there are plenty of masons, vergers, guides, glaziers, cleaners, background workers and random members of the public who happened to be there when he was.
There is plenty of architecture and descriptions of interiors and Somerville delineates all the times various bits of buildings have burned down, collapsed, fallen down and blown over. This makes the reader realise that these structures have their frailties and weaknesses. Somerville has an eye for detail as well, picking out some of the idiosyncrasies of the medieval masons. Characters that might be straight from a Breughel painting and Green Men abound. The descriptions of the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral after the War are moving and the destruction of the old one with the new one adjacent to the ruins. The stories throughout are fascinating and Somerville is an entertaining narrator and even manages to get in a verse of Robert Wyatt’s Shipbuilding.
Much ground is covered and that is a strength and a weakness. I enjoyed reading about Lincoln Cathedral, something I look at every day. I suspect there may be a limited audience for this but it captures a sense of these buildings by juxtaposing a number of them.

[Anneliese Tirry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wij zijn fervente "religieuze gebouwen"-bezoekers, op reis vindt men ons het meest terug in kerken, abdijen, kloosters en kathedralen. Dit boek over de kathedralen van Groot-Brittannië had een aantal jaren geleden, toen ik een paar dagen in Norwich was om, u raadt het, de kathedraal te bezoeken, mijn aandacht getrokken, pas later gekocht, en nu eindelijk gelezen.
De auteur bezoekt 18 kathedralen op een jaar tijd. Door die bezoeken komen we heel wat meer te weten, niet alleen over de kathedraal in kwestie, maar ook bvb over de geschiedenis, of over de architecturale moeilijkheden die ze over al die eeuwen heen ondervinden. De eeuwige zoektocht naar geld.
Ja, het boek is over het algemeen wel boeiend. Maar te veel is te veel, op den duur was ik echt oververzadigd en naar het einde toe heb ik eigenlijk niet veel meer onthouden van wat ik las.
Mocht ik in de toekomst nog eens in de UK geraken, en een kathedraal plannen te bezoeken, dan zal ik zeker dat stukje herlezen. Het is en blijft een boeiende materie en een aantal van de besproken kathedralen staan nog op mijn "wil ik zien"-lijstje.
(kunt ge geloven dat ik nog zo een boek liggen heb over Franse kerken en kathedralen, het loopt de spuigaten uit.)

[Christeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good introduction to Cathedrals in Britain - the author even provides a list of "not to miss" features at the end which was much appreciated.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hardly an unbiased review. Although I am a committed non-conformist, I have always loved cathedrals and visit them wherever we go. I have read a lot of Christopher Somerville’s travel writing in newspapers and magazines and feared that this might be a regurgitation of some of those, but it is not, he has weaved a tour of a number of British cathedrals into a story, which held me and informed me. He gives us history, but mainly he describes the work needed to build and maintain all the disparate elements of these masterpieces from the grandness of Durham (my personal favourite) and Canterbury to the smaller scale of St David’s and the twin cathedrals Of Armagh (Of which I knew nothing). I really enjoyed this trip though time and space and will keep it on my shelf to jog my mind before any future visits.

[Sophy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I got this out of the library (which I'm glad about).

Admittedly I ended up dipping in and out of this to just look at the cathedrals I was interested in. I love old buildings and architecture, and particularly love old churches and cathedrals despite their holding no theological or spiritual significance for me.

The chapters I did read were very good, detailed, full of interesting facts about locale, people, local history, but there are only so many times you can read about deans, bishops, chancels, gargoyles and crumbling buttresses!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somerville visits various cathedrals in the UK to learn more about the contemporary goings on as well as the history. Each chapter is fairly short and this is more of an introduction to each cathedral than a proper history. It's a good place to start if you want an idea of these places. And it's made me want to travel again when allowed.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine piece of writing. Taking a sample of British cathedrals (mostly but not wholly Anglican) and giving a personal assessment of their history and their current activities, Somerville's book is a refreshing change from guidebooks and potted architectural histories. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of those who work in these buildings (clergy, stonemasons, glaziers, weavers, guides etc.) and the author's personal responses. This culminates in a moving epilogue based in the small cathedral of Inverness but reflecting again on the community of St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney.

The selection of cathedrals is good and varied. With so many from which to choose, it is a good balance.

I would have liked a few more photographs: it is a small selection and I found myself searching the internet for other photos to get some context. But this is not a major flaw and I strongly recommend this book as a worthy tribute to some of our greatest treasures.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, I expected a travel guide/architectural study of Britain’s cathedrals in a more detached and nonfictional way. However, I was surprised at the humanity woven into the story and how the analogy really changes your perception of the idea of a cathedral; some are not glamorous, rich, powerful or even well-liked.

I struggled at times at categorising this book or whether I even liked it. However, through its short and accessible chapters, I was urged to see Salisbury for myself and re-appreciate those I had seen before, and so I suppose it succeeded in its goal!

I think this book is a good whistle-stop tour and introduction into the marvellous world of British cathedrals, and so would recommend it! Maybe I should pick up a guide book and delve more deeply into the ones I was more interested in!

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a great guide book to accompany you when you visit the Cathedrals mentioned in the book. It is a hard book to read if you haven't visited the Cathedrals in question. I found the author only half describing things or using terminology that I wasn't familiar with. I had selected this book due to the title and was hoping for some behind the scenes events such a church cat that sleeps in the chapel after hours, what it takes to set up for a royal wedding, how do they do all the dusting or perhaps the ghosts of saints past. Instead I became very familiar with all of the stone masons around the country and the history of every bishop that went through the cathedrals, not mention what every Cathedral roof looks like. Perhaps a more apt title would have been history of Cathedrals or similar. I found myself skim reading and skipping chunks to get through it

[Mary's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

You look at a cathedral and tell yourself that this building has stood the test of time. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christopher Somerville visits twenty cathedrals, from the very old to 20th century construction, and finds that time, weather, and pollution have taken a toll on these magnificent but fragile buildings.
Somerville doesn't provide the standard tourist guide version of the cathedrals. He makes a point of talking to bishops, guides, stone masons, and others who are involved in conserving and preserving these buildings, all of which are still active places of worship. Flaking stones and damaged wood are just a few of the usual problems. Some of the cathedrals have issues going back hundreds of years to when they were constructed on unstable sites. Now they are literally sliding or falling apart. Money is a constant need, as is a corps of trained craftsmen.
It is not necessary to be a person of faith to appreciate the beauty of the cathedrals. Many have actively reached out to their communities so that they are relevant to the lives of the people.
Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates church architecture.

[Andy Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Christopher gives a lively and interesting description of each cathedral highlighting the separate points of interest in each. For example on some he goes into depth about the work of the masons what type of stone is used and where it comes from, on others he describes some of the individuals behind the building of the cathedral or the controversies both ancient and modern. With both of Liverpool's cathedrals and with Coventry he talks about the wider work of the cathedrals in the community nationally and internationally. I will keep this book for reference for future cathedral visits.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal and varied selection of cathedrals. An intriguing mix of history, architecture, quirky stories and personal reflections. It’s encouraged me to visit a couple of cathedrals I might not have thought of and picked out interesting features to look out for.

If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to either history or architecture or an exhaustive list of British cathedrals this isn’t the book for you, but if you’ve got the sort of magpie mind that likes to gather interesting nuggets of information then you’ll enjoy it.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I had originally expected when I picked this up based on a Guardian review, but still a thoroughly enjoyable book. I had expected something along the lines of history, and instead found myself confronted with a sort of hybrid history-guidebook, but this hybrid had it's own charm. Major take aways:
- All cathedrals are all slowly falling over
- Popular saints are good for the bottom line
- Cathedrals are integral parts of their communities, and at the best of times can transform their communities for the better

[Karen Kienast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely book. The writer has an almost conversational style and is beautifully descriptive of his subject matter. It's a great mix of memoir and medieval history, with some contemporary Anglican politics and gossip thrown in. All that aside, unless the reader is a British cathedral nut (that would include me...), the book will probably become tiresome as it is all about cathedrals. Reading this really made me long for a trip to the UK- Trains! Cathedrals! Tea and Victoria Sponge in the crypt! And the sublime smell of thousand year old stone structures.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library to read the chapter on Ely Cathedral (my local) and ended up dipping in and out of it picking the catherdrals I was interested in...mostly those I'd visited before....I think there were two chapters I just didn't bother with. Salisbury and Armargh...go figure.
It's an engaging tour round some of the countries cathedrals, no too heavy on the religion but full of the people, history and quirks of each building.

[Lin Barrett West · Rating 3 out of 5]

With such an extensive subject to cover, the author perhaps wisely limits himself to a select list of buildings, and chooses a specific theme for each chapter. Of course, the limits to the books length means that what you’re getting are snapshots only, and no topic is covered in any depth. But it’s an enjoyable read about one individual’s quirky journey.

[Derek Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating subject, curiously uninvolving prose. Somerville is not a personable companion. Perhaps better as a guide book to a cathedral that one is actually visiting. Caveat: skimmed a lot of this.

[Dominic McQuade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely overview of Britain's Cathedrals, definitely worth consulting if you are planning a trip

[charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly engrossing… every time I visit a cathedral mentioned in this book I remember something I learnt…

[Roger Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting account of the author's tour of a number of Britain's Cathedrals.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the interviews with masons, and descriptions of each cathedral’s idiosyncrasies. Lots of architectural history packed into a very breezy writing style. Could have used more pictures though!

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ships of Heaven is an enlightening and and entertaining tour of a catholic selection of Britain’s cathedrals full of fascinating facts, quirky historical detail and interesting characters. Christopher Somerville sets out to get under the skin of these great ships of faith, searching for the human stories and the communities that have steered them through the centuries. This is very definitely not a formal theological or architectural handbook (although there’s plenty of both in passing in the stories that he unearths). Reading this has inspired me to visit some of the great cathedral churches that are less familiar to me than this I know very well - Salisbury, Worcester and Westminster Catholic cathedrals are now all on my must-see list.