Two-part documentary To The Glory of God: Building Britain's Cathedrals, traces the history of Britain's most outstanding cathedrals

This documentary is the first of new two-parter presented by the very watchable Reverend Pat Allerton.

He’s a relative newcomer to TV presenting (although he did feature on last summer’s very similar Channel 5 doc Building Britain’s Cathedrals), but clearly a forward-thinking member of the Church who became known as ‘The Portable Priest’ during lockdown thanks to his outdoor services for people who were missing attending church.

He’s a natural in front of the camera – churchgoers amongst the viewers might envy his parishioners – and he clearly knows his stuff when it comes to his subject here.

The Revd Pat travels from the south to the north of England to discover the secrets of our country’s greatest architectural gems – its cathedrals – beginning with what is for him a return visit to St Paul’s Cathedral in London, the place where he was first ordained in 2010.

Pat discovers the incredible story of how Sir Christopher Wren brought a new architectural design to England, and in doing so created the one of the most complex structures of the 17th century – the cathedral’s iconic dome.

Then it’s on to Canterbury, the oldest cathedral in England and the site of what was perhaps one of the famous murders in British history – that of the martyred Thomas Becket.

Pat meets with the cathedral’s archive and library expert, who explains why this was such a traumatic moment for the county. He’s also given privileged access to the bell tower at Canterbury Cathedral to view its famous ceiling – often praised as one of the great glories of English architecture.

Such a building must be hard to maintain, and indeed we learn how, and why, it costs a staggering £30,000 every day just to keep the cathedral in working order.

Is it possible to put a price on something that is so important not only in religious terms, but historically, socially and architecturally?

The final stop in this edition is Salisbury Cathedral, a monument that is so impressive it attracts visitors from all over the world (even, apparently, Russia – although it is open for debate whether a certain pair of alleged intelligence agents actually visited the country’s tallest spire).

Pat learns the incredible story of how the cathedral was built on a swamp, and hears about how it has needed constant interventions over the years to stop it collapsing due to its precarious position.

We meet the Cathedral Clerk of Works, who has dedicated his entire working life to maintaining the building. He tells Pat of the emotional moment he saw the scaffolding removed from the exterior of the cathedral for the first time in 40 years following extensive renovation works.

The ecclesiastical view of these magnificent buildings is clear – they are physical representation of the glory of God, as well as a place of worship and the seat of the Bishop.

However, these buildings serve a secular purpose as well: they are our oldest and most impressive buildings, and have been in continuous use since their completion so afford us a direct link to centuries of history. This is worth celebrating.