Views from the Roof

Some splendid views taken by Sarah, Cathedral Facilities Manager, on a recent tour of the Cathedral roof - at a lower level than the viewing gallery of the campanile, but enabling a great deal of detail to be seen.

Looking east, towards the Palace of Westminster, the great bulk of the Victoria Tower of the parliament buildings can be seen on the right. To the left, Westminster Abbey, with its white towers blocking the view of Big Ben. Note, at the extreme left, the Gherkin (officially '30 St Mary Axe').

The view of St Paul's Cathedral used to be unimpeded; now we can only glimpse it through office blocks.

Here, Big Ben hides itself behind the Abbey, while the Gherkin rises further east, in the City of London.

To the south, the vast bulk of Battersea Power Station, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott (also responsible for Liverpool Anglican Cathedral). Every few years, we hear of plans to convert it to some commercial or popular use (cf Bankside Power Station, another Gilbert Scott building which has found a new life as the Tate Modern gallery). Nothing seems to be done, and this empty shell falls into further disrepair.

To the west, a fascinating view towards Kensington. On the right, the italianate campanile of Imperial College. Further left is the dome of the London Oratory at Brompton. Just below, and to the left, the smaller white tower of St Columba's, the principal Church of Scotland building of the capital. In the centre, just left of the crane, rises the open crownwork of the Victoria and Albert museum (London's best!). Alas, the monastic twin towers of the Natural History museum are lost in front of the tower block now rising to the left of the V&A. On the far left, lower down, is the bulk of the Victoria Thistle hotel, rising above Victoria station.