14 Feb 2026
St Albans Cathedral’s spectacular Rose Window has come third in a public competition to find the nation’s favourite stained glass window.
The Association of English Cathedral’s Divine Light campaign was based on the latest volume by Janet Gough OBE, author, lecturer and advisor on historic churches and cathedrals, which reveals the stories of England’s remarkable cathedral glass collection.
More than 110,000 people voted for their top window on AEC’s social media platforms, with the final 12 determined by the number of likes, shares, and engagements throughout the 45-day campaign.
Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean of St Albans said “We are so grateful to all who voted and supported St Albans Cathedral in this celebration of sacred art. To be placed third among such remarkable windows from across the nation is a true blessing.
“With over 75 per cent of people entering our Cathedral through the Welcome Centre, Alan Younger’s Rose Window, which is the first thing people see as they enter, never ceases to bring joy and amazement.
“For centuries stained glass in cathedrals and churches has drawn hearts and minds towards the divine in their beauty and the wonder of light. We rejoice that these windows continue to speak to people, celebrating human creativity and assuring us of God’s love and presence with us. We are grateful to the Association of English Cathedrals and to everyone who has been involved in this wonderful campaign”.
Lord Grimthorpe’s original heavy, clear-glazed Rose Window was replaced in 1989 by a glorious explosion of colour created by Alan Younger, said the Association when announcing the winning windows.
The great weight of Grimthorpe’s masonry immediately suggested to Younger a rich, fully coloured scheme using tiny pieces of glass to achieve a jewel-like effect. The modern window is formed of 64 openings and contains 18,000 pieces of hand-blown glass (known as antique glass).
Rose windows serve as symbols of creation and of the created universe. Younger chose to explore this theme using basic geometric shapes such as squares, circles and triangles.
Their arrangement was informed by a simple mathematical idea from the Middle Ages: that to multiply three by four is, in a mystical sense, to infuse matter (the window’s four major circles could represent the elements) with the spirit (the window’s large triangle symbolises the Trinity). The resulting number twelve signifies order and the universal Church.
Younger’s hope was that the window would make an immediate impact upon anyone entering the building, while also rewarding the kind of extended observation that reveals the window’s intricate rhythms and mathematical groupings.
The colour, emphasis and mood of the Rose are constantly shifting as a result of changes in the light, both over the course of a single day and as one season transitions into another.
The dark glazing and wire protection grill visible from the outside have led to the Rose being called the ‘Magic Window’ as the kaleidoscope of colour high in the north transept only becomes apparent when you enter the Cathedral.
The window was dedicated by Diana, Princess of Wales.
First place in the competition went to Carlisle Cathedral’s East Window, with the runner-up the Great East Window at York Minster.
Photo: Kate Ashmore
