The contrast between yesterday’s tiny church and today’s large cathedral could hardly be greater.  We were given a lift to Peterborough and had a quick look round the cathedral before getting the train back to Edinburgh.  Peterborough Cathedral is one of the finest Norman cathedrals in England, originally founded as a monastic community in 654 AD, then the present building was started in 1118 roughly the same time as yesterday’s simple church.   Architecturally the façade and original wooden ceiling in the nave and the fan vaulted roof are spectacular. As had happened in many places during the English Civil War, the Cathedral was vandalised in 1643 by Parliamentarian troops and most of the stained glass, monuments, altar, choir stalls and reredos were destroyed.  Henry VIII’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon with whom he was married for 24 years was buried there in 1536 and after her execution nearby, Mary Queen of Scots were buried there in 1587, although her body was moved to Westminster Abbey twenty five years later.  In 1646 Mary’s grandson, Charles I was imprisoned in the precincts for two nights. 
(Extra) Among the three sundials the painted one on the western front dates from 1762 and was subsequently restored in 1914, 1968 and 2009.  

This is the 30th of my sundials which can be seen in the tags