Exeter Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, has the longest unbroken Gothic vault in the world — a continuous stretch of ribbed stone ceiling running the full length of the nave and choir, uninterrupted by a crossing tower. The effect is extraordinary: 91 metres of fan-like vaulting overhead, lit by the great west window and the bishop's throne on the south side.
The building is largely 14th-century Decorated Gothic, rebuilt from the original Norman cathedral over a period of about a hundred years beginning in 1270. The Norman towers of 1130 survived the rebuilding and now form the transepts. Inside, the carved Minstrel's Gallery on the north wall of the nave — a choir loft carried by fourteen angels each playing a different instrument — is one of the finest pieces of medieval woodcarving in England, dating from 1350.
The cathedral astronomical clock on the north transept wall dates from around 1484 and shows the phases of the moon and the position of the sun in the zodiac. The cathedral is open daily; entry is free, though a donation is requested. Guided tours run at set times.