Chelmsford Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Chelmsford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd
Chelmsford Cathedral, July 2014
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Location	Chelmsford, Essex
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Architecture
Style	Gothic
Years built	c.1200 – c.1520
Administration
Diocese	Chelmsford (since 1914)
Province	Canterbury

Chelmsford Cathedral is a famous church in the city of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter, and St Cedd. This special building became a cathedral in 1914. This happened when the Church of England created the new Diocese of Chelmsford. A cathedral is the main church for a bishop, and Chelmsford Cathedral is where the Bishop of Chelmsford has their official seat.

History of the Cathedral
- From Parish Church to Cathedral
- Becoming a Cathedral
Music at the Cathedral
- Cathedral Organs
Gallery
See also

History of the Cathedral

From Parish Church to Cathedral

The nave, which is the main part of the church where people sit.

The church building in Chelmsford was likely first built around the year 1200. It was known as the church of St Mary the Virgin. Over time, it was rebuilt and made bigger. This happened mostly in the 1400s and early 1500s. The walls were made from flint (a hard stone), other stones, and brick.

The church has a tall tower with a spire on top. Inside the tower, there are thirteen bells. Twelve of these bells were made by a company called John Warner & Sons in 1913.

In 1800, part of the church, called the nave (the main area where people sit), fell down. It was rebuilt by an architect named John Johnson. He kept the old design but used new materials like Coade stone for pillars and a plaster ceiling. The upper part of the chancel (the area near the altar) was also rebuilt later in 1878.

Becoming a Cathedral

The chancel, where the altar is located.

A big change happened in 1914. The church became the cathedral for the new Diocese of Chelmsford. This meant it was now the most important church in the area.

After World War II, in 1953, the south porch was made larger. This was to celebrate the friendship between Britain and America. Many US airmen were stationed in Essex during the war. In 1954, the cathedral was also dedicated to Saints Peter and Cedd.

In 1983, the inside of the cathedral was updated. They put in a new floor, new seating, a new altar, and a special chair for the bishop. They also added new art. In the mid-1990s, two large pipe organs were installed. One is in the nave and the other in the chancel. All the beautiful stained-glass windows you see today were added in the 1800s and 1900s.

In 2000, a sculpture called Christ in Glory by Peter Eugene Ball was placed above the chancel arch. Later, in 2004, two more important artworks were added: Mark Cazelet's Tree of Life painting and Philip Sanderson's altar frontal (a decorative cloth for the altar).

The cathedral also remembers its connection to Thomas Hooker. He was a preacher in Chelmsford from 1626 to 1629. He had strong religious beliefs, known as Puritan views, which were not popular at the time. So, he moved to the New World (America). There, he helped found the town of Hartford, Connecticut. He was also one of the people who helped create American democracy.

Music at the Cathedral

The Nave organ, one of the two large organs in the cathedral.

Music is a very important part of life at Chelmsford Cathedral. The music department is led by the Organist and Master of the Choristers. They have different choirs that sing during services.

The cathedral choir includes boys and young adults. They sing during daily services and on Sundays.
The Cathedral Girls' Choir also sings regularly. They often perform a special Christmas concert called "A Ceremony of Carols."
There used to be a Voluntary Choir, but it was stopped in 2017.

The cathedral choir even contributed to a song called "I Believe in You" on the album Spirit of Eden by the band Talk Talk in 1988!

Cathedral Organs

Chelmsford Cathedral has two main pipe organs:

The Nave Organ is at the west end of the cathedral. It was built in 1994 and has four keyboards.
The Chancel Organ was built in 1995. It includes some older pipes from the 1800s. This organ is known for its beautiful sound. The Nave Organ can even be played from the Chancel Organ's keyboard!

You can find more details about these organs on the National Pipe Organ Register website.