Walking around London in the summer of 2024 is an experience in itself. A city bursting with impressions – people moving in every direction. Some stride past with purposeful eyes, others pause to study a building or snap a selfie in front of a famous landmark. Sometimes I like to sit down at a pavement café and simply watch. To observe the people passing by. Each one carrying their own small story.
After a full day of urban noise and impressions, the rest of the family wanted to check out a nearby shopping centre before we made our way toward Buckingham Palace. I, on the other hand, felt like taking a small detour to find some geocaches in the area. Several interesting ones were nearby – easy to log, but with lovely locations.
In the end, one remained: an Earthcache at Westminster Cathedral. To log it, I had to go inside. I felt a certain sense of reverence – this was no ordinary building. Could I walk in without disturbing anything? Without becoming that disruptive tourist in what is still a sacred space?
Westminster Cathedral – not to be confused with the more famous Westminster Abbey – is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Completed in 1903 and built in Byzantine Revival style, it features red brick with distinctive white stone bands. It is one of the largest Catholic churches in Britain and remains in active use, with several masses held daily.
Going inside turned out to be an excellent decision. Perhaps the finest moment of the entire trip. In the middle of the city, in the humming heart of London, I found a stillness I hadn’t felt in a long time. A quiet oasis, with soaring ceilings and a low, reverent hush. I sat for a while. Sat with my own thoughts and simply let the calm settle in. It felt as though time had paused for a moment.
But then there was the task at hand. To log the cache, I needed to find out – among other things – the height of the altar. I could hardly run around with a tape measure inside an active cathedral. Fortunately, I had a measuring app on my phone. With a discreet glance around and a slow, casual turn of my body, I got the measurement done – more or less.
A small moment of stillness and technology in perfect harmony. And with that, I could log the find and move on. But the calm from the cathedral followed me back out into London’s busy streets – like a quiet echo I carried with me for the rest of the day.
The memory has stayed with me. It has changed something in me. I think I’ll seek out more church buildings going forward. Who knows – perhaps stepping away from the noise and simply sitting there, in silence and quiet reflection, might be a key to easing everyday stress. A breathing space that asks nothing more than that you sit down and be present.
Tags: London, Earthcache, Westminster Cathedral, geocaching, UK, travel
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