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List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
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- See also: List of former cathedrals in the United Kingdom
This article lists the cathedrals, former cathedrals and intended cathedrals in the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and those in the Channel Islands, by country.
A cathedral church is a Christian place of worship which is the chief, or 'mother' church of a diocese and is distinguished as such by being the location for the cathedra or bishop's seat. In the strictest sense, only those Christian denominations with an episcopal hierarchy possess cathedrals. However the label 'cathedral' remains in common parlance for notable churches which were formerly part of an episcopal denomination, such as is the case with many former Scottish cathedrals which are now within the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In addition former cathedrals which now exist as ruins retain their nominal status.
It is a common misconception that the term 'cathedral' may be applied to any particularly large or grand church. Whilst many cathedrals may be such, this is due to their ecclesiastical status. Such a church is grand because it is a cathedral, rather than it being designated a cathedral because of its grandeur. A cathedral may in fact be a relatively small building, particularly where they exist in sparser or poorer communities. Modern cathedrals frequently lack the grandeur of those of the Medieval and Renaissance times, having more focus on the functional aspect of a place of worship. However, many of the grand and ancient cathedrals that remain today were originally built to much smaller plans, and have been successively extended and rebuilt over the centuries
Some cathedrals were purpose-built as such, whilst others were formerly parochial, or parish churches, subsequently promoted in status due to ecclesiastical requirements such as periodic diocesan reorganisation.
The following list comprises, for the United Kingdom and its dependencies, all locations of current cathedral churches, or former cathedral churches, including those locations where no trace remains of the structure, indeed where the precise location is no longer known.
Also included are those structures or sites of intended cathedrals as well as pro-cathedrals which are churches serving as an interim cathedral, (for instance whilst a permanent cathedral is acquired), or as a co-cathedral where the diocesan demographics/geography require the bishop's seat to be shared with a building in an alternate location.
The inclusion of the UK dependencies is strictly for ecclesiastical reasons - the included dependencies are those which share a province with the mainland of Great Britain. On the other hand, Northern Ireland is shown as a link to the List of cathedrals in Ireland page because, although it politically comprises part of the United Kingdom (hence the section), ecclesiastically the island of Ireland comprises a single geographical unit.
Terms not covered in the above preamble include translated, which is the move of a bishop's seat from one location to another, moving cathedral status from the former church and bestowing it on the destination church, such as may occur in a diocesan or provincial re-organisation.
England and Dependencies
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Church of England
Province of Canterbury
| Image |
Name & Dedication |
Diocese |
Established/Website |
 |
Birmingham Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Philip |
Diocese of Birmingham |
1905 |
| former parish church |
52°28′52″N 1°53′56″W / 52.481225, -1.898907[1] |
 |
Bristol Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity |
Diocese of Bristol |
1542-1836, 1897 |
| Augustinian abbey 1140-1539 |
51°27′06″N 2°36′03″W / 51.451654, -2.600799 [2] |
 |
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St James |
Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich |
1914 |
| former parish church |
52°14′38″N 0°43′01″E / 52.244015, 0.716944 [3] |
 |
Canterbury Cathedral
Cathedral and Metropolitcal Church of Christ |
Diocese of Canterbury |
c. 600 |
| Mother church of the Province of Canterbury and of the Anglican Communion worldwide |
51°16′47″N 1°04′59″E / 51.279689, 1.083183 [4] |
 |
Chelmsford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary, St Peter and St Cedd |
Diocese of Chelmsford |
1914 |
| former parish church |
51°44′07″N 0°28′20″E / 51.735172, 0.472219 [5] |
 |
Chichester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity |
Diocese of Chichester |
1080 |
| translated from Selsey |
50°50′11″N 0°46′50″W / 50.836305, -0.780576 [6] |
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Coventry Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Michael |
Diocese of Coventry |
1962 |
| replaced the cathedral (parish church till 1918) lost during World War II |
52°24′31″N 1°30′25″W / 52.408483, -1.506940 [7] |
 |
Derby Cathedral
Cathedral Church of All Saints |
Diocese of Derby |
1927 |
|
52°55′29″N 1°28′39″W / 52.924810, -1.47739[8] |
 |
Ely Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity |
Diocese of Ely |
1109 |
convent (with monastery?) 673-800s
secular canons 800s
Benedictine priory 970-1540
formerly dedicated to St Peter and St Etheldreda |
52°23′55″N 0°15′48″E / 52.398632, 0.263205 [9] |
 |
Exeter Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter |
Diocese of Exeter |
1050 |
| translated from C#BC50A5iton |
50°43′21″N 3°31′47″W / 50.722476, -3.529796 [10] |
 |
Gibraltar Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity |
Diocese in Europe |
1842 |
| church built between 1825 and 1832 |
|
 |
Gloucester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity |
Diocese of Gloucester |
1541 |
joint with Bristol Cathedral 1836-1897
monastery and convent 681
secular canons 823
Benedictine priory 1022-1539
formerly dedicated to St Peter |
51°52′03″N 2°14′48″W / 51.867549, -2.246590 [11] |
 |
Guildford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit |
Diocese of Guildford |
1965 |
|
51°14′28″N 0°35′24″W / 51.241155, -0.590054 [12] |
 |
Hereford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert |
Diocese of Hereford |
676 |
|
52°03′15″N 2°42′58″W / 52.054292, -2.716096 [13] |
 |
Leicester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Martin |
Diocese of Leicester |
1927 |
| former parish church |
52°55′29″N 1°28′38″W / 52.924821, -1.477310 [14] |
 |
Lichfield Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Chad |
Diocese of Lichfield |
669-803, 1048 |
archbishopric 785-803
see moved to Chester 1075
joint with Coventry 1048-1826
The three spires known as The Ladies of the Vale |
52°41′08″N 1°49′49″W / 52.685549, -1.830270 [15] |
 |
Lincoln Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary |
Diocese of Lincoln |
1070 |
joint with Dorchester c.954-1072
translated from Dorchester 1072 |
53°14′04″N 0°32′11″W / 53.234435, -0.536329 [16] |
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London Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Paul |
Diocese of London |
1675 |
| replaced previous cathedral 604-1666 (destroyed in Great Fire of London) |
51°30′50″N 0°59′03″W / 51.513774, -0.98426[17] |
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Norwich Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Holy and Undivided Trinity |
Diocese of Norwich |
1094 |
| translated from Thetford; Benedictine priory 1096-1539 |
52°37′54″N 1°18′02″E / 52.631650, 1.300651 [18] |
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Oxford Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Christ College, University of Oxford) |
Diocese of Oxford |
1542 |
translated from Osney 1546
convent 727
secular canons 1004
Augustinian priory 1122-1524
formerly dedicated to St Frideswide |
51°45′03″N 1°15′16″W / 51.750839, -1.254330 [19] |
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Peterborough Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew |
Diocese of Peterborough |
1539 |
abbey 655
church 1238-1539 |
52°34′20″N 0°14′18″W / 52.572337, -0.238315 [20] |
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Portsmouth Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Thomas |
Diocese of Portsmouth |
1927 |
| former parish church |
50°47′26″N 1°06′15″W / 50.790514, -1.104233 [21] |
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Rochester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Diocese of Rochester |
604 |
secular canons 604-1080
Benedictine priory 1080-1540
formerly dedicated to St Andrew |
51°23′20″N 0°30′12″E / 51.388953, 0.503266 [22] |
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St Alban's Cathedral
Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban |
Diocese of St Albans |
1877 |
| Benedictine abbey 976-1539 |
51°45′02″N 0°20′34″W / 51.750620, -0.342915 [23] |
 |
Salisbury Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Diocese of Salisbury |
1227 |
| translated from Old Sarum |
51°03′53″N 1°47′51″W / 51.064769, -1.797499 [24] |
 |
Southwark Cathedral
Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie |
Diocese of Southwark |
1905 |
| Augustinian priory 1106-1539 |
51°30′22″N 0°05′23″W / 51.506118, -0.089660 [25] |
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Stanley Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ |
Parish of the Falkland Islands |
1892 |
| described as the most southernly cathedral in the world. An archway of whale bones was erected in 1933 to mark the centenary of British rule |
|
 |
Truro Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary |
Diocese of Truro |
1880 |
| former parish church |
50°15′51″N 5°03′04″W / 50.264141, -5.051179 [26] |
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Wells Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Andrew |
Diocese of Bath and Wells |
1239 |
|
51°12′37″N 2°38′38″W / 51.210245, -2.643757 [27] |
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Winchester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, St Peter, St Paul and St Swithun |
Diocese of Winchester |
650 |
secular canons to 964
Benedictine priory 964-1539 |
51°03′36″N 1°18′44″W / 51.060009, -1.312180 [28] |
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Worcester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Diocese of Worcester |
743 |
| Benedictine priory 969-1540 |
52°11′19″N 2°13′15″W / 52.188510, -2.220870 [29] |
Province of York
| Image |
Name & Dedication |
Diocese |
Established/Website |
 |
Blackburn Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary |
Diocese of Blackburn |
1926 |
| former parish church |
53°44′50″N 2°28′53″W / 53.747271, -2.481387 [30] |
 |
Bradford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter |
Diocese of Bradford |
1919 |
| former parish church |
53°47′43″N 1°44′52″W / 53.795391, -1.747824 [31] |
 |
Carlisle Cathedral
Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity |
Diocese of Carlisle |
1113 |
secular canons to 1092
Augustinian priory 1123-1540
|
54°53′41″N 2°56′19″W / 54.894713, -2.938607 [32] |
 |
Chester Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Diocese of Chester |
1541 |
convent? to 875
secular canons from 907
Benedictine abbey 1093-1540
originally dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, then to St Werburgh
|
53°11′31″N 2°53′25″W / 53.191853, -2.890308 [33] |
|
Durham Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Cuthbert |
Diocese of Durham |
997 |
secular canons 997
Benedictine priory 1093-1540
originally dedicated to St Mary and St Cuthbert
|
54°46′23″N 1°34′36″W / 54.773093, -1.576667 [34] |
 |
Liverpool Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Christ |
Diocese of Liverpool |
1904 |
|
53°23′51″N 2°58′24″W / 53.397616, -2.973336 [35] |
 |
Manchester Cathedral
Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George |
Diocese of Manchester |
1847 |
| former collegiate parish church (1421) |
53°29′06″N 2°14′40″W / 53.485103, -2.244365 [36] |
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Newcastle Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Nicholas |
Diocese of Newcastle |
1882 |
|
54°58′12″N 1°36′40″W / 54.970101, -1.611128 [37] |
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Peel Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St German |
Diocese of Sodor and Man |
1980 |
former Parish Church, built between 1879 and 1884, spire removed 1907
became cathedral in 1980 after several attempts to restore the ruined cathedral on St Patrick's Isle came to no avail
|
54°13′31″N 4°42′00″W / 54.225353, -4.699917 [38] |
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Ripon Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid |
Diocese of Ripon and Leeds |
1876 |
monastery pre-660
later collegiate with secular canons (10th century?)
|
54°08′06″N 1°31′13″E / 54.134968, 1.520158[39] |
 |
Sheffield Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul |
Diocese of Sheffield |
1914 |
| former parish church |
53°22′59″N 1°28′09″W / 53.383089, -1.469293 [40] |
 |
Southwell Minster
Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham |
1884 |
| collegiate with secular canons to 1840 |
53°04′36″N 0°57′15″W / 53.076664, -0.954180 [41] |
 |
Wakefield Cathedral
Cathedral Church of All Saints |
Diocese of Wakefield |
1888 |
|
53°40′59″N 0°08′59″W / 53.683083, -0.149702 [42] |
 |
York Minster
Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter |
Diocese of York |
300 |
| Mother church of the Province of York |
53°57′45″N 1°04′55″W / 53.962366, -1.081848 [43] |
Roman Catholic Church
Province of Westminster
Province of Birmingham
Province of Liverpool
Province of Southwark
| Image |
Name & Dedication |
Diocese |
Established/Website |
| |