Description of the attraction
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, better known as the Round Church, is an old church in the center of Cambridge, UK. Built around 1130, it is one of the oldest buildings in Cambridge. The model for this church was the rotunda in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. In England, there are only four medieval round-shaped churches. The church was built by the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher. No information about this brotherhood has survived, but the name suggests that they were related to the Crusades to the Holy Land, like the Templars or Hospitallers.
In the beginning, it was just a chapel for travelers, which stood on a busy road. By the middle of the 13th century, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher became a parish church. During the 15th century, the church was significantly rebuilt. The Norman windows were replaced by large Gothic ones, and a polygonal belfry was added. By the middle of the 19th century, the church was in a deplorable state, and Anthony Salvin was invited to lead the restoration work. Salvin replaced the bell tower with a roof similar to the original one, since the walls could no longer support the weight of the belfry. Gothic windows of the 15th century were replaced again with Norman ones, the outer gallery and the staircase to it were removed. It is believed that the restoration was carried out very delicately, and the church has largely acquired its original appearance.
Now services are not held in the church - it has become too small and does not accommodate all the parishioners. Services have been moved to the nearby Church of St. Andrew, and the "Influence of Christianity in England" exhibition has been opened in the Round Church, concerts, summer schools and lectures are held.
