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York Minster, England

Romans. Vikings. English Kings. And Harry Potter. York has it all! I’ve visited the city several times but returned in early August 2025 to spend more time at York Minster, the city’s Gothic Cathedral.

Dominating the York skyline, the Minster is more than just a cathedral, it’s a treasure house of English history, art, and culture. From Roman foundations to royal statues and some of the world’s finest medieval stained glass, every stone tells a story. Join me for a virtual tour through this masterpiece of Gothic architecture.

You can find more Gothic Cathedral articles and photos here.

Founded as a timber-and-earth fortress in AD 71, Eboracum was the northern power-base of Rome in Britain. By the 2nd century the Sixth Legion Victrix had rebuilt its walls in stone.

When Emperor Constantius died here in 306, his son Constantine was hailed Augustus on the spot, commemorated by a bronze statue outside York Minster today.

Gloucester Cathedral, England

Religious

Gloucester Cathedral began life as the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter, founded in 1089 and re-designated a cathedral when the Diocese of Gloucester was created in 1541. The building contains the tomb of King Edward II, buried here in 1327, whose cult of pilgrimage financed much of the 14th‑century expansion. Find out more at GloucesterCathedral.org.uk

I visited in the winter and it was pretty chilly in the cathedral! Well worth the visit.

JFPenn in the crypt of Gloucester Cathedral

Touching History: The Ancient Craft Of Stonemasonry With Andrew Ziminski

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What is it like to work on ancient English churches, cathedrals and stone monuments? How does stone, a symbol of permanence, change over centuries? In this interview, I explore the craft of stonemasonry with church conservator Andrew Ziminski.

Andrew Ziminski is a stonemason and church conservator with decades of experience working on some of the greatest cathedrals and churches in Britain. He’s also the author of The Stonemason: A History of Building Britain and Church Going: A Stone Mason’s Guide to the Churches of the British Isles.

The ancient craft of stonemasonry and how the tools have remained unchanged for millennia
How stone is damaged over time by settlement, weather, and even the metal used to build with
The defining features of Gothic architecture, a movement focused on light and colour, not darkness
Why the “Green Man” carvings in churches are Christian symbols of resurrection, not pagan figures
How ancient churches can feel imbued with the atmosphere of centuries of human experience

You can find Andrew at MinervaConservation.com.

You can find my articles and photos of Gothic Cathedrals here.

Lincoln Cathedral, England

Religious

Lincoln is a cathedral city in the county of Lincolnshire, East Midlands, England, built on a limestone escarpment above the River Witham and home to about 100,000 people. Its historic core occupies the old Roman fortress of Lindum Colonia, later expanded by Viking traders and prosperous medieval wool merchants.

At the summit of the ridge overlooking the town stands Lincoln Cathedral, begun in 1072, shortly after the Norman Conquest and rebuilt after an earthquake in 1185. Its central spire made it the tallest structure in the world for nearly 240 years before its collapse.

The cathedral still dominates the uphill quarter of the city of Bailgate, Castle Square and Steep Hill. And yes, it really is a steep walk up to the cathedral and the old town area — well worth the effort!

We visited on a wet day in July 2023 when there was a science fair in the Nave and much of the cathedral wasn’t accessible. I appreciated having such a modern event inside the medieval nave though, as it showed the central place of the cathedral still remains in the life of the city.

We entered through Exchequer Gate, the 14th‑century triple‑arched gateway that opens from Castle Square into the cathedral close.

Lincoln Cathedral from gate Photo by JFPenn — Lincoln Cathedral from Exchequer Gate Photo by JFPenn

A biblical narrative frieze stretches across the west front. The most heavily weathered originals were replaced with hand‑carved replicas in 2001 and the sculptures moved indoors for protection.

Fearless Roots: Travel, Grief, And Resilience With Becky Doughty

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What does it mean to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time? How can travel shape our sense of self, and how do we find our way home when faced with unexpected grief abroad?

In this episode, I talk with author Becky Doughty about her traveling childhood as a missionary kid, a life-changing trip to Tuscany that resonated with grief, and how traveling alone helped her become more resilient.

Becky writes heartfelt and wholesome, contemporary commercial fiction and Christian fiction, including the Autumn Lake and the Tuscan Romance series.

Growing up as a missionary kid in West Papua
Being adopted, from “nowhere, anywhere, and everywhere.”
How a dream trip to Tuscany turned into a journey of grief after the sudden death of her father.
Turning a traumatic travel memory into a heartfelt romance
Overcoming the fear of traveling and why embracing the moment is more important than worrying about what might go wrong.
Becky’s solo backpacking trip to run the Dublin marathon and how it stripped away everything except her own inner strength.

You can find Becky at BeckyDoughty.com

Lichfield Cathedral, England

Religious

I visited Lichfield Cathedral at the end of June 2025, taking several trains from my home in Bath to get to the small city north of Birmingham. It was a scorching hot day and the shopping centre was busy, but the cathedral was cool and empty, a haven of calm. My kind of happy place!

Lichfield Cathedral is the only medieval cathedral in the United Kingdom to feature three spires, earning it the nickname, ‘the Ladies of the Vale.’ You can easily walk there from the train station.

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