THE BUILDING OF A CATHEDRAL

            Guildford, in view of its long and distinguished history, is worthy of a cathedral; and when the scheme was first put forward, many of the local inhabitants welcomed the idea and expressed their desire to see the cathedral erected in the town, after the fashion of former days. Later, however, the majority were in favour of having it built on Stag Hill, outside the town.

            Lord Onslow, to whom the site belonged, eventually gave it to the Council, and a huge wooden cross was put up to mark the site where the cathedral would eventually stand.  Local architects were asked to submit plans for the building, and Mr. Edward (now Sir Edward) Maufe eventually designed the prize cathedral, his services eventually costing £250,000.

            With the outbreak of .war in 1939, all work on the project was suspended, and it was not resumed until 1955, when Princess Margaret unveiled the christening stone.

            The site, Stag Hill, was once part of a vast Royal Forest which stretched from Windsor to Guildford, and on this promontory the Cathedral was erected in the shape of a traditional cross, the main stave being formed by the Nave.

            Beyond the High Altar is. the Lady Chapel, and flanking it, the Sacristy and the Canada Chapel. On paper, the cruciform plan is not immediately obvious, but from the model one sees that the subsidiary parts are, all very much lower than the main building, which forms a bold cross, standing up along the length of Stag. Hill.

The architectural style is basically Gothic, built up by means of modern methods, and much simple clarity so that a quiet and serene dignity is the first thing that strikes the eye.

            Inside there is a complete contrast in the glowing beauty of the towering arches leading rhythmically up to the High Altar with its Dossal; the gift of the Royal Air Force Association. High above the Rose Window, in brilliant colours, depicts the Seven Gifts of the Spirit.

            The main material used for the exterior is red brick, in fact they were baked from the clay of Stag Hill itself. The vaulting and roof construction are reinforced concrete, and the roof covering is copper. The exterior stonework for the windows and copings is of Clipsham stone, and the interior Doulting.

            The outstanding architectural features are the long vistas from the West door to the High Altar, and from the West end of the side aisles to the Sacristy and the Canada Chapel.  The total internal length is 365 feet, comparable to that of Exeter Cathedral.

            The Nave is unusually wide, measuring 41 feet across, and the tower, when finished, will be approximately 175 feet high, the mitre on the flagstaff reaching to 200 feet. The Crypt under the Lady Chapel has been used for Divine Services since 1947. The two pairs of bronze doors which, between them, tip the scales' at 2 1/2 tons (given by Miss Courtauld and Mr. Laurence Parnell) should be as good as new after a few hundred years have passed.

            The Rose Window was designed by Moria Forsyth, who has previously designed windows for Eton College and St. Columba's church in London.

            The Cathedral will seat about 1,700 people when it is completed, and the Foundation Stone was laid by Dr.Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1936, and twenty-five years later, on May 17th, 1961, it was consecrated by another Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Fisher, in the presence of H.M. The Queen and H.R.H. Prince Philip.

R.G. Greenall, VI