Refectory

Today for lunch I went somewhere different, the Refectory at the Cathedral. Originally built in the 13th centuary and then later enlarged. It was the dining hall for the 40 monks who belonged to the community at that time. Why so large for a relatively small number of monks? Well the the Benedictines would have had many guests who would have joined the monks for a simple meal although important guests would have eaten with the Abbot.

They would have taken their meals in silence while one of their number would have read from the stone canopied pulpit. Today I ate not in silence, though the tones were quite hushed. It is a wonderful space, and the food was good too.

The stain glass window you can see in this photo dates from from the 1920's. On the wall behind where I took this photograph from is a large 17th centuary tapestry taken from a cartoon by Raphael and depicts a scene from Acts.

Higher up on the west wall is the Creation window an interpretation of the 6 days of creation which was installed in 2001 to celebrate the Millennium.

I particularly like the high hammer-beam ceiling which was installed in 1939.

After lunch it was out into the hurly burly of the city again.