Have you ever seen a cathedral that also worked as a lighthouse? There is one in Newcastle.

If you ask a Newcastle resident what to see in the city, he will send you to the cathedral of St. Nicholas. And it is worth following the advice and visiting the cathedral. At least for seeing how well the building of the XIV century can be preserved!

This is not the first cathedral, of course. The first, built of wood at the end of the 12th century, burned down. It was restored in stone only a few centuries later. And at the end of the 19th century, it became a cathedral. St Nicholas Cathedral today is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle see. It is also one of the tallest buildings in the city.

The cathedral evokes thoughts of the astounding imagination and skill of man. Just look at the openwork tower of St. Nicholas Cathedral! It also looks a bit like an old lantern. And fans of Harry Potter can see in it a similarity to the Pensieve from " the Order of the Phoenix".

Newcastle is a port city. There are a lot of sailors in striped vests, and the pier is full of boats and ships. It is no accident that the main cathedral of the city is named after the patron Saint of sailors and boats - Saint Nicholas. Besides, in the 16th century, the Cathedral tower not only rang the bell but also a ray of light came from it. The tower was a beacon and pointed the way for ships sailing on the river Tyne.

The cathedral has another feature. The exterior walls of the building have been standing for six centuries, but the interior is of modern construction. The fact is that at the end of the 17th century, the building was severely damaged during the occupation of the Scots. They first wanted to completely demolish the cathedral but then began to use it as a mini-prison to keep prisoners of war there.

The beautiful stained glass windows of the cathedral were broken during the Civil war. The real miracle is that the round stained glass window depicting the Madonna and child remained intact. Therefore, the interior was restored only in the last century. The reenactors managed to convey the decoration of the 14th century perfectly.