Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 10, 2014

Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II. After a damaging fire in 1270, a rebuilding programme greatly enlarged the building. It was unaffected by the Wars of Scottish Independence but suffered further fire damage in 1390 and 1402. The cathedral was abandoned at the time of the Scottish Reformation in 1560 and its services transferred to Elgin's parish church. After the removal of the lead that waterproofed the roof in 1567, the cathedral steadily fell into decay. Its deterioration was arrested in the 19th century, by which time the building was in a substantially ruinous condition. Today, the walls are at full height in places and at foundation level in others yet the overall cruciform shape is still discernible. The chapterhouse is mostly intact, as are the two towers of the west front and the gable wall above the double door entrance that links them. Recessed and chest tombs contain effigies of bishops and knights, while large flat slabs in the now grass-covered floor of the cathedral mark the positions of early graves. (Full article...)

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