This is the ornate Screen that separates the Choir and High Altar from the congregation in the Nave. Many Cathedrals in England started out as Monasteries and it was common practice to seperate the Monks from the general congregation. It is worth remembering that seating in the Nave is a relatively recent addition to churches and cathedrals, In early medieval times and before that the congregation stood for the whole service. This is Bristol Cathedral, Avon & Somerset.
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