List of tallest church buildings in the United Kingdom Facts for Kids

For a long time, Christian church buildings were the tallest structures in the United Kingdom. This was true from the Middle Ages until very tall buildings called skyscrapers started to appear. For example, St Paul's Cathedral in London was the city's tallest building until the BT Tower was built in 1962.

Today, the UK doesn't have as many of the world's tallest churches. But in 1311, Lincoln Cathedral was actually taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza! This made it the tallest building in the world at that time. The tallest church in the UK right now is Salisbury Cathedral. It stands 123 metres (404 feet) tall. It is still one of the tallest medieval churches in the world.

Tallest Churches in the UK Today
- Churches Over 200 Feet Tall
Images for kids
See also

Tallest Churches in the UK Today

This list shows churches that are still standing at their original height. It does not include churches that have become shorter over time. The height includes things like weather vanes and spires. The actual building height might be a little less.

Churches Over 200 Feet Tall

Rank	Name of Church	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Location	Interesting Facts
1	Salisbury Cathedral	123	404	Salisbury, Wiltshire	This is the tallest church in the UK. It is also one of the tallest medieval churches in the world.
2	St Paul's Cathedral	111	366	City of London	This was London's tallest building from 1710 to 1962.
3	Liverpool Anglican Cathedral	101	331	Liverpool	This is the tallest church in the UK without a dome or spire. It is also the largest church in the UK by area.
4	Norwich Cathedral	96	315	Norwich, Norfolk
5	Preston, St Walburge	94	309	Preston, Lancashire	This is the tallest church in the UK that is not a cathedral. It is also the tallest Roman Catholic church in the country.
6	Edinburgh, St Mary's Cathedral	90	295	Edinburgh	This is the tallest church in the UK outside of England. It is one of three cathedrals in the UK with three spires.
7	Louth, St James	89	293	Louth, Lincolnshire	This is the tallest Church of England parish church in the country.
8	(Old) Coventry Cathedral	88	290	Coventry	The main part of this cathedral was destroyed in 1940 during World War II. Only the tower and spire are still standing.
9	Westminster Cathedral	87	284	London	This is the tallest Roman Catholic Cathedral in the UK.
10	Grantham, St Wulfram	87	283	Grantham, Lincolnshire
11	Warrington, St Elphin	86	281	Warrington, Lancashire
12	Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral	85	278	Liverpool
12	Kensington, St Mary Abbots	85	278	Kensington, Greater London	This is the tallest parish church in London.
14	Chichester Cathedral	84	277	Chichester, West Sussex
15	St Mary Redcliffe	84	274	Bristol

There are many more tall churches across the UK. Some other notable ones include:

Lincoln Cathedral (83m / 272ft) in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. It was once the tallest building in the world!
Boston Stump (81m / 271ft) in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Lichfield Cathedral (77m / 252ft) in Lichfield, Staffordshire. This is the only medieval cathedral in the UK with three spires.
York Minster (72m / 235ft) in York. This is the largest medieval cathedral in the UK.
Chesterfield, St Mary and All Saints (70m / 230ft) in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. It is famous for its twisted spire.
Westminster Abbey (69m / 225ft) in London.
Durham Cathedral (66m / 218ft) in Durham. This is the largest Romanesque cathedral still standing in the UK.
Ely Cathedral (66m / 217ft) in Ely, Cambridgeshire. It is known as the 'Ship of the Fens' because it looks so huge above the flat land around it.