English Cathedrals

Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury, Kent, England, CT1 2EH, Website: www.canterbury-cathedral.org, Email: Enquiries@canterbury-cathedral.org, Tel: 01227 762 862.
Even if Thomas à Becket had chosen somewhere else to earn his martyr's crown, Canterbury would still deserve attention for its role in the spread of Christianity throughout England. It was here that St. Augustine began the conversion of the pagan islanders in 597. Nothing remains of the Saxon church, for after the Norman conquest Archbishops Lanfranc and Anselm rebuilt it on a more lavish scale. Of this first Norman church the crypt, the southeastern tower, and the eastern transept still stand. In 1170 Becket met his death in the north transept of the crossing at the hands of four knights seeking to curry favour with Henry II, who had quarelled with the Archbishop. Immediately afterwards miracles began to be reported at Becket's tomb, and when the church suffered a major fire in 1172 it provided an excuse for rebuilding and making the cathedral a fitting shrine for the recent martyr.

The rebuilding was entrusted to William of Sens, who brought with him a mastery of the new French style, which we now call "Gothic". In 1179 William of Sens fell from scaffolding above the high altar and was so badly injured that he was forced to retire and leave the project in the capable hands of his assistant, a man known to us only as William the Englishman. Becket's shrine was finished in 1220, and for another 300 years it was the most popular place of pilgrimage in England (see Chaucer's Canterbury Tales).

In the 14th century Lanfranc's nave was rebuilt by Henry Yeveley, called the greatest architect of late medieval England. Yeveley pushed the nave to the height of the chancel, creating a vast, upward-reaching hall. In 1496 the "Bell Harry" central tower was added. Henry VIII's men despoiled Becket's tomb during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, carting away 26 wagon loads of valuables and scattering the bones of the saint. South East England attractions map

Carlisle
Carlisle, Cumbria, England, CA3 8TZ, Website: www.carlislecathedral.org.uk, Email: office@carlislecathedral.org.uk, Tel: 01228 548151, Fax: 01228 547049.
Carlisle Cathedral bears the scars of 900 years spent in this most tumultuous of regions. The original nave, built in 1092 as a collegiate church, has only two bays remaining. The transepts and tower date from the 15th century. The glories of Carlisle are the east window, one of the best examples of decorated tracery anywhere, and the delicately carved capitals in the choir, depicting the seasons.Cumbria attractions map

Chester
12 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire, England, CH1 2HU, Website: www.chestercathedral.com, Email: events@chestercathedral.com, Tel: 01244 324756, Fax: 01244 341110.
Here is a church which suffers much from the well-intentioned efforts of Victorian restorers. Chester was originally built by Saxon canons in the name of Saint Werburgh, a lady whose claim to sainthood was not harmed by having three Saxon kings as relatives. The church was raised to cathedral status by Henry VIII. In the interim the church gained magnificent woodcarving in the choirstalls (about 1380). Look closely at the carvings on the misericords and bench ends; aside from the obvious (St. Werburgh), there are details of Arthurian legend, Aesop's fables, and fabulous mythical beasts. At the shrine to St. Werburgh you can see the niches where medieval sufferers rested their heads while spending the night in a prayer for healing. West Midlands attractions map

Chichester
Chichester, West Sussex, England, PO19 1PX, Website: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk, Email: enquiry@chichestercathedral.org.uk, Tel: 01243 782595, Fax: 01243 812499.
In 1075 Chichester came to prominence with the transfer of the bishop's seat from Selsey, on the coast. The Norman work here is largely 12th century. In the 13th century the wooden roof of the nave was replaced with stone vaulting. A unique feature of Chichester is the freestanding bell tower. Take a close look at the spire. It is actually a Victorian restoration, and a very succesful one at that. South Central England attractions map

Durham
Durham, County Durham, England, Website: www.durhamcathedral.co.uk, Email: enquiries@durhamcathedral.co.uk, Tel: 0191 386 4266.
Durham is one of the high points of cathedral architecture in this or any other land. The site helps; the church is perched above a bend of the River Wear and ringed below with trees. The cathedral was founded in 995 as a final resting place for the remains of Saint Cuthbert, which had been carted about for over a century since they were removed from Lindisfarne and the threat of the Danes. Cuthbert's followers built the White Church here, but it was pulled down by the second bishop of Durham when the present building was begun in 1093. The nave is astonishing; the relatively slender composite piers alternate with massive drum columns. In this building the three main innovations of the revolutionary Gothic style come together: pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses (hidden here above the aisle vaults).

In the 12th century the growing cult of the Virgin led to an attempt to build a Lady chapel at the east end of the church, behind the high altar and the shrine to Cuthbert. The foundations slipped and the wall cracked. This was seen as a sign that Cuthbert did not want women that close to him, so the Lady chapel, now known as the Galilee, was moved to the west end. For a final tribute to Saint Cuthbert, see the items discovered in his coffin, on display in the upper library.Yorkshire and the Northeast attractions map