This is one of the Great West Doors at St Albans Cathedral, St Albans, England. There are two doors but my other shot was hopelessly blurry, so we’ll have to make do with this one, plus the close-up below showing more of the detail.

The doors were, according to information on site, made in the early 1400s for Abbot John of Wheathampstead, during his tenure at the cathedral. They were for the now-demolished west end of the Cathedral, replaced in the 1800’s during what some would say was an unfortunate restoration program by Lord Grimthorpe.

Made of four layers of wood, each door is held together by wrought iron nails, which also form part of the decoration. They are an excellent example of early English Gothic style, and were featured in a V&A Exhibition entitled Gothic – Art for England – 1400-1547.

Considering the history of the Cathedral, and the age of the doors, it’s interesting to consider who might have passed through them when they were in use. Now they are displayed either side of an archway leading through to the cafe and gift shop, modern necessities for a place that costs £5000 per day simply to keep open.

This is my entry for this week’s Thursday doors challenge, courtesy of Norm 2.0. For more doors, or to add one of your own, visit Norm’s blog and click the link.