@hiddenpaerl I want to go there even more than Stonehenge.

@robingoodfellow i want to tatt this tower on me . i wanna have surgery and that angels tatt it in my heart

@robingoodfellow Go soon. It's now managed by the National Trust so I won't be surprised if they try to charge an entrance fee.

@Ferric67 places you could go if you're looking: Highclere Castle where they filmed Downton Abbey if you've watched that? Cheddar Gorge is well worth it too but it's a good hours drive from where you're staying. Xx

@PatientlyWaiting25 thanx 💖

@Ferric67 the Salisbury Cathedral and as @PatientlyWaiting25 suggested, Cheddar Gorge as it is amazing and the town has lots of nice restaurants and shops.

@TheSirfurryanimalWales "but it’s a lot smaller than people imagine." probably heard that before 😁

@Picklebobble2 The 'festival' the other side of the road was far more interesting however ;)

@robingoodfellow Yes. Although I am negative about the experience, it is a major bucket list thing..😷

@whowasthatmaskedman I've not been there. I feel like it's probably crowded with visitors and buses. But to be there I think I'd still walk away with something.

@robingoodfellow I agree. Its a "Been there, done that" moment. I have had a few. But for me, not worth going back..😷

@FreddieUK @ninalanyon

If they charge a fee for attending a service, remind them of Isaiah 55:

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."

@Thinkerbell Charging for attending services is not a problem for me as I never do that. My visits to churches are because I like the architecture, the serenity, the history; I'm an atheist, I don't go to them to pray.

I donate when I visit because I want the building to survive so that I and others can enjoy them in the future.

But it does seem wrong for the church in its role as a religious institution to charge those who attend services. Not merely wrong but also iniquitous because it would affect the poor more than the well off. I vaguely remember someone on SW saying that as Canterbury cathedral was her parish church that she was free to visit it whenever she liked but especially for services, perhaps that would be a workable compromise at the expense of extra bureaucracy.

@Thinkerbell @ninalanyonNo churches charge to attend services (a voluntary offering may be invited) and even the great cathedrals will offer access to a place to be quiet and pray for those who want that. It will normally be away from the main spaces, which are pretty hectic anyway. I imagine regular attendees know how to get in through a designated side entrance for mid-week activities. I agree about making a donation and I always make a reasonable voluntary contribution when not forced. Ripon was my last visit.