Rochester Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rochester Cathedral |
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| Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary |
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Rochester Cathedral
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| OS grid reference | TQ 74273 68521 |
| Location | Rochester, Medway, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | rochestercathedral.org |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Priory of St Andrew (604–1542) |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 604 |
| Founder(s) | St Justus |
| Consecrated | 604 |
| Past bishop(s) | John Fisher Nicholas Ridley |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Gundulf of Rochester |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Years built | 1079–1238 |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 10 (full circle) |
| Tenor bell weight | 30 long cwt 14 lb (3,374 lb or 1,530 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Rochester (since 604) |
| Province | Canterbury |
Rochester Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a historic church in Rochester, Kent, England. It is the main church for the Anglican Diocese of Rochester. This makes it the home (or cathedra) of the Bishop of Rochester. This bishopric is the second oldest in England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury. The cathedral was built in the Norman style. It is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very important historical site.
Contents
History of Rochester Cathedral
Early Beginnings: Anglo-Saxon Times
The Rochester church area was started by Justus. He was one of the missionaries who came with Augustine of Canterbury. They arrived in the early 600s to teach Christianity in southern England. Justus became the first Bishop of Rochester. King Æthelberht of Kent allowed him to build a church. This church was dedicated to Andrew the Apostle. It was built where the cathedral stands today. This church became the center of the bishop's area.
A school was needed to train priests. A choir school was also set up for music. These schools were the start of what is now King's School, Rochester. The famous historian Bede praised the choir training.
The first cathedral was about 42 feet (13 m) high and 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. You can still see its outline today. The king, Æthelberht, is given credit for building it.
In 644, Ithamar became the first English-born bishop here. He later helped make Deusdedit the first Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury.
The cathedral was badly damaged in 676 by King Æthelred of Mercia. It was so poor that the next bishop, Cwichelm, left.
After the Norman invasion in 1066, William the Conqueror gave the cathedral and its lands to his half-brother, Odo of Bayeux. Odo took many resources. The cathedral became very poor and run-down.
Medieval Priory: Building and Changes
Gundulf's Church
Gundulf became the first Norman bishop of Rochester in 1077. The cathedral and its lands were given back to him.
Gundulf started building a new cathedral around 1080. He was a skilled architect. The new church replaced Justus's old one. Gundulf also replaced the secular priests with Benedictine monks. He got land from the king and helped his city a lot.
In 1078, Gundulf started St Bartholomew's Hospital. The church helped the hospital with food and offerings.
During the time of bishops Ernulf (1115–1124) and John I (1125–1137), the cathedral was finished. The main part of the church (the nave) was partly rebuilt. The whole building was dedicated in 1130. However, a big fire soon damaged the new cathedral and the city. More fires in 1137 and 1179 caused more damage.
Medieval Remodeling
Around 1190, Gilbert de Glanville began rebuilding the east end. The north part of the choir was probably ready for the burial of St William of Perth in 1201. But in 1215, King John's soldiers looted the church during a siege of Rochester Castle. They took everything valuable. By 1227, the choir was in use again. The cathedral was rededicated in 1240.
The shrines of Ss Paulinus and William of Perth brought many pilgrims. Their offerings helped pay for the building work.
Unlike abbeys, monastic cathedrals like Rochester were run by a prior. The bishop also helped. Rochester was unusual because many monks became bishops here.
The next building phase began around 1255. The two eastern parts of the nave were rebuilt. Four large pillars were added to support the tower. The north transept was also built. The plan was to rebuild the whole nave, but money ran out.
In 1264, soldiers of Simon de Montfort damaged the cathedral. This happened during sieges of the city and castle. Knights rode into the church and stole things. Some church buildings were even used as stables.
In 1300, King Edward I visited the cathedral. He gave money at the shrines of St William, St Paulinus, and St Ithamar.
Around 1320, the south transept was changed. It was made to hold the altar of the Virgin Mary.
A screen was built between the two western pillars. The altar of St Nicholas, used by the city's people, was placed here. People wanted access to their altar day and night. This caused problems. In 1327, a riot broke out. After this, strong stone screens and doors were built. These walls separated the eastern part of the church from the nave.
The central tower was finally raised by Hamo de Hythe in 1343. This mostly completed the cathedral. Bells were put in the tower. The Black Death hit England in 1347–49. After this, there were fewer monks in the priory.
Later Medieval History
The choir walls today have paintings based on medieval art. These paintings show lions and fleurs-de-lis. They represent Edward III's victories over the French. In 1360, John II of France, who was a prisoner, visited Rochester. He gave money to the church.
The separate church for Rochester citizens, St Nicholas' Church, was built next to the cathedral. A doorway was made in the north aisle of the cathedral. This allowed processions to pass through.
In the mid-1400s, new windows were added to the nave aisles. In 1470, the great west window was finished. Around 1490, what is now the Lady Chapel was built. Rochester Cathedral, though small, shows many styles of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
In 1504, John Fisher became Bishop of Rochester. He stayed bishop for life, even though Rochester was poor. He was a teacher to young Prince Henry (who became Henry VIII). Fisher supported Henry until the king wanted a divorce. Fisher stayed loyal to the Pope. He was made a cardinal in 1535. Henry VIII was angry and had Cardinal Fisher executed on June 22, 1535.
Henry VIII visited Rochester on January 1, 1540. He met Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, for the first time. He was "greatly disappointed." Later that year, the old Priory of St Andrew was closed by the king. This was part of the Dissolution of the monasteries.
Modern Times
After the Monasteries Closed
After the monasteries closed, the church was reorganized. It now had a dean, six prebendaries, and other staff. This included minor canons, a deacon, and a choir. A grammar school was also part of the new setup.
Nicholas Ridley became Bishop of Rochester in 1547. He ordered altars to be removed from churches. He helped Thomas Cranmer write the Book of Common Prayer. In 1550, he moved to London. Later, he was involved in a plot against Queen Mary. The plot failed, and Ridley was executed in 1555.
The cathedral became very run-down after the monasteries closed. Its lands were taken by the Crown. Samuel Pepys, a famous diarist, called it a "shabby place." But Rochester was on Watling Street, a main road. So, important visitors still came. Queen Elizabeth I stayed in Rochester for four days in 1573. She attended a service in the cathedral. In 1606, King James I and Christian IV of Denmark visited. They attended a Sunday service.
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, visited in 1633. He complained that the cathedral needed repairs, especially new glass in the windows. By 1634, most repairs were done. Money had been spent on "making of the organs."
In 1635, the cathedral was described as "small and plaine, yet it is very lightsome and pleasant." Its choir was "neatly adorn'd." But many monuments were "defaced and abused." This was before the English Civil War.
English Civil War
In 1641, John Evelyn visited the cathedral. During the English Civil War, Parliamentarian soldiers damaged the cathedral. They removed the altar table and broke it. They took down the rails and left them for the poor. They also took down the organs. Thomas Fairfax's troops even stabled their horses in the choir. No major structural damage happened, but saw pits were dug in the nave floor.
After the war, in 1660, Samuel Pepys visited again. He noted the cathedral was "now fitting for use, and the organ then a-tuning." Repairs cost a lot of money. Peter Stowell, a church official, spent his own money to recover books and fittings. He also paid to floor the church.
The cathedral needed constant care. In 1664, the south aisle was repaired. In 1670, part of the north aisle was rebuilt. In 1679, the spire was dangerous. Work on the roof started in 1705. In 1730, the old ringers' loft was removed. Between 1765 and 1772, the west front towers were rebuilt.
In 1798, Edward Hasted wrote that the cathedral was very old. He thought it might fall down soon. A new organ was installed in 1791.
19th Century and Beyond
From 1825 to 1830, Lewis Nockalls Cottingham worked on the cathedral. The choir and south transept roofs were repaired. The tower was taken down and rebuilt without a spire. The east end was changed. The tomb of John de Sheppey was found during this work.
From 1840, the pulpit and bishop's throne were rebuilt. Removing the old pulpit showed the medieval Wheel of Life painting. This is said to be the oldest such painting in England. A new ceiling was added to the crossing. The crypt was also renovated.
From 1871 to 1877, George Gilbert Scott led the restoration. The nave's upper walls were repaired. The south transept was strengthened. The north transept got new windows and a door. The gables and roofs were restored to their original high shape. The organ screen was restored. The east end was refloored. The choir stalls were renovated. This work uncovered the original lion and fleur-de-lis artwork.
In memory of Robert Scott, the choir screen was decorated with statues. These were made by J. Loughborough Pearson. Pearson also oversaw the 1888 restoration of the west front. The towers were restored to their original height. Old foundations of the first church were found and marked out.
In 1904, the current spire was built on the Scott Tower. This created the skyline we see today. In 1998, more Saxon foundations were found outside the west door. Colored stones now show their outline.
For the cathedral's 1400th anniversary in 2004, a new fresco was painted. It was done by Russian icon-painter Sergei Fyodorov in the north transept.
Architecture of Rochester Cathedral
Outside the Cathedral
The west front has a large Perpendicular window. Below it is the Great West Door. This door is Norman. It has carved arches. The semicircular carving above the door, called a tympanum, shows Christ. Saints Justus and Ethelbert are on either side. Angels and symbols of the Four Evangelists are also there. On the lintel below are the Twelve Apostles. King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba are on the supporting shafts. A glass porch inside keeps the doors open.
Towers rise on either side of the west front. They have blind arches and pyramidal spires. The ends of the aisles are Norman.
The outside of the nave and aisles is simple. The walled-up north-west door used to connect to St Nicholas' Church. The north transept is reached from the High Street by Black Boy Alley. This was a medieval pilgrimage path.
East of the north transept is the Sextry Gate. It dates from Edward III's time. Beyond it is the entrance to Gundulf's Tower.
The north choir transept and east end are in Early English style. The lower windows light the crypt. The east end's shape is mostly due to Scott's work in the 19th century.
On the south side, the nave meets the main transept. The aisle between the transepts supports the older wall behind it. The south wall of the presbytery is hidden by the chapter room.
Cloisters and Other Buildings
The cloister was the center of the monastery. You can still see its outline. The eastern part had Bishop Ernulf's Chapter House and dormitory. Only the western wall remains. The south part of the cloister was the refectory. This was built around 1215. Its lower wall is very strong. The old cloister was next to the Roman city wall. A doorway was made through the wall to use it as the refectory's north wall.
Gundulf Tower
North of the cathedral is the 11th-century Gundulf Tower. This is the oldest part of the cathedral still standing. It was once as tall as the church, about 65 feet (20 m). In the 19th century, it fell into ruin. The lower part was repaired in 1925. Most of the cost was paid by freemasons. The tower's three floors are now used by the music department and vergers.
The western part of the nave is mostly as Gundulf designed it. The main arches have a triforium above them. The clerestory (upper windows) is in a perpendicular style.
The easternmost part of the nave is from the 14th century. It leads to the tower piers. The north pier might contain the Oratory Chapel.
The aisles are simple. The eastern two parts have arches for vaulting. It's not known if the vault was ever built. The current wooden roof covers the whole length of the aisles.
The crossing is separated from the east by the choir screen. The organ is above it. This screen is from the 19th century. Above the crossing is the central tower with bells. The ceiling has four Green Men carvings. A trapdoor allows bells to be moved.
Mini-Golf Course
In July 2019, the Nave had a temporary nine-hole mini-golf course. Each hole had a model of a different bridge. The cathedral hoped visitors would think about "bridges that need to be built in their own lives." The course was open from August 1 to September 1.
North Transept
The north transept was built around 1235 in Early English style. A large baptistery fresco dominates this area. The fresco was painted by Sergei Fyodorov. It is in an arched space. This space might have been where the altar of St Nicholas was. The vaulting is unusual. The Pilgrim Door is now the main entrance for visitors.
South Transept and Lady Chapel
The original Lady Chapel was in the south transept. The altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary was here. Around 1490, this chapel was made larger. A screen now separates it from the main church.
The south transept is in an early Decorated style. The east wall has a wide arch. The south wall has a notable monument to Richard Watts. A brass plaque for Charles Dickens used to be here. The west wall has a large arch leading to the Lady Chapel.
The Lady Chapel today is in a light and airy Decorated style. It has three windows on the south wall and two on the west. The altar is against the south wall. The stained glass windows are modern. They show stories from the gospel.
The first window shows the Annunciation and the Nativity. The next shows St Elizabeth and the Adoration of the Magi. The third has St Mary Magdalene and the Presentation in the Temple. The west wall has St. Margaret of Scotland and the Crucifixion. The last window shows King Arthur and the Ascension.
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The Annunciation and
The Nativity -
St Elizabeth and
The Adoration of the Magi -
St Mary Magdelene and The Presentation at the Temple
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St Margaret of Scotland and The Crucifixion
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King Arthur and
The Ascension
The windows have dedications. The fifth window remembers "Old Roffensians" who died in the Great War (1914–1918). A stone tablet below lists their names. Another tablet remembers those from 1939–45.
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WW I memorial tablet
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WW II memorial tablet
Quire, Aisles, and Transepts
The eastern part of the church was the old monastic area. It is separated from the public parts by the organ screen and walls. This separation happened partly after the riots in 1327.
The north aisle is a simple path. Steps here are part of the pilgrimage route to St William's shrine. They are so worn that wooden treads were added.
The south aisle was widened. The "Kent Steps" lead up from this aisle into the choir transept. The old entrance now goes to the crypt below.
Archaeologists found an earlier Norman structure under the "Kent Steps" in 2014. Foundations of the existing wall are Norman. A doorway from the crypt led to stairs with a window looking into the cloisters.
Before Victorian changes, the choir had steep stalls. Removing them showed the medieval Rota Fortunae ("Wheel of Life") painting. The current wall pattern is a modern copy of the original. The upper part of the choir has blind arches and vaulting.
The choir transepts are now open. This allows for a larger congregation. The south transept has two openings that don't lead anywhere now. One used to go to the crypt. The other went to the Indulgence Chamber.
The north transept was the site of St. William's shrine. It was a pilgrimage center in the Middle Ages. Little remains of the shrine. The transept was known as St William's Chapel. The railed-off area is now called the Warner Chapel. A cross of nails is in a corner. In the center of the north wall is the resting place of Walter de Merton. He was a bishop and founder of Merton College. Two wooden doors are visible. One leads to the cathedral treasury. This is said to be one of the oldest doors still in use in England.
The north quire transept and presbytery look like one style. The east end was largely rebuilt by Scott. The arches contain tombs of past bishops. The tomb of de Sheppey is very well preserved. It was walled up and forgotten, so it escaped damage during the English Commonwealth.
Chapter Room Doorway
The doorway to the chapter room is called "magnificent" and "one of the finest examples of English Decorated architecture." Two figures by the door represent the New and Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is a blindfolded woman with a broken staff. The New Covenant is a woman holding a cross and church.
Above these are four great Doctors of the Church: Ss Augustine, Gregory, Jerome, and Ambrose. They are shown reading. Above them are angels. The top figure is a small figure. This symbolizes a pure soul rising from Purgatory to Heaven. This doorway may have been commissioned by Hamo de Hythe.
East End
Most of the east end you see today was built by Gilbert Scott. It is based closely on the older structure.
Crypt
The oldest part of the crypt is under the eastern end of the choir. It is from the original 1080s building. It has Romanesque groin vaulting. The rest of the crypt is from a century later. It uses rib vaulting. You can still see parts of medieval paintwork on the vaulting.
The eastern part of the crypt is now a chapel dedicated to St Ithamar. It is used for the Sunday Club and for quiet prayer.
You can reach the crypt by stairs from the south choir aisle. A wheelchair lift was added in 2017 for disabled access.
Archaeologists have explored under the crypt floor. They found a Roman house and foundations of the original east end.
Music at Rochester Cathedral
Organ
Rochester Cathedral's pipe organ was built in 1905. It was rebuilt in 1989 by Mander Organs.
Organists
Organists at Rochester have included famous composers and performers. Some names are Bertram Luard-Selby, Harold Aubie Bennett, Percy Whitlock, and William Whitehead.
Choirs
The cathedral choir started when the church was founded in AD 604. The Venerable Bede praised the training of the choristers.
Main Choir
The main choir has boy choristers, girl choristers, and professional adult singers (lay clerks). King's School was founded to provide boy choristers. Boys from its prep school still sing the high parts. They sing several services each week. A girls' choir was started in 1995. Girls now sing on alternate weekends. There are currently 18 boy choristers and 17 girl choristers. The lay clerks sing the lower voices. All three parts of the choir sometimes sing together for big services.
Voluntary Choir
A voluntary choir was formed in 2008. This choir sings about 10 weekends a year. They usually sing when the child choristers are on holiday.
Bells
Rochester Cathedral has 10 bells for change ringing. All were cast in 1921. Some are memorials to men lost in the First World War. The heaviest bell weighs over 30 hundredweight (1.5 tonnes).
The original Saxon cathedral probably had bells. The 11th-century Gundulf Tower was built to hold bells. In 1154, Prior Reginald made two new bells. In 1343, four bells were hung in the central tower. They were named Dunstan, Paulinus, Itamar, and Lanfranc.
Over the centuries, some bells were recast (melted and remade). In 1904, two more bells were added. In 1921, all the bells were recast and increased to 10. The old metal is reused when bells are recast. So, the current bells likely contain metal from the very first ones. In 1960, the bells were rehung on a new steel frame.
The new bells were dedicated on May 16, 1921. They were rung for one minute. Many people came to ring them. Because they were memorial bells, they were rung half-muffled.
For many years, the inscription "U.S.S. Pittsburgh in Memory of 1920" on the number 3 bell was a mystery. A letter from James W. Todd, an officer from the USS Pittsburgh, explained it. He thanked the Dean for events during their ship's stay in Chatham. He sent money to pay for recasting the bell.
Notable People
Charles Dickens, the famous author, wanted to be buried in Rochester Cathedral's churchyard. But his body was buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey instead.
Notable Burials
- Paulinus of York, first Bishop of York, third Bishop of Rochester and saint
- Ithamar, first English bishop of Saxon-birth, fourth Bishop of Rochester and saint
- Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester and founder of Merton College, Oxford
- John Sheppey, Lord High Treasurer and Bishop of Rochester
Library
The first Anglo-Saxon church likely had a library. When Gundulf started the priory in 1082, it was a Benedictine house. Monks read daily, so a library would have existed. By 1108, there were over 60 monks, meaning a large library.
A list of books from 1130, called the Textus Roffensis, shows what was in the library. It included the famous Gundulf Bible. There were also commentaries, historical works, and books on monastic life. Most books were in Latin. In 1202, another list recorded 280 books.
The medieval library was in different parts of the cathedral. The precentor was in charge. Monasteries had their own writing style. Rochester had an identifiable "Rochester Script" in the 12th century.
Some manuscripts were lost when King John besieged the castle in 1215. More were lost in 1264 when Simon de Montfort occupied the city.
The dissolution of the monasteries was very bad for the library. John Leland, the Royal Librarian, complained that scholars were cutting pages from books. Leland saved some manuscripts. 99 books from Rochester are now in the British Museum. 37 others have been found elsewhere.
After the monasteries closed, the Old Vestry became the Chapter Room and library. It is still sometimes used by clergy. The library grew from the 1700s, partly from donations. In 1907-9, the library was rebuilt with new bookcases.
Notable Contents
The Textus Roffensis is now on display. The Custumale Roffense (around 1300) has information about the priory's income. It also mentions bell ringing. There is a copy of St Augustine's De Consensu Evangelistarum from the 12th century. It is in its medieval binding. Rochester also has Peter Lombard's Book of Sentences from the late 1200s.
The library has a Complutensian Polyglot Bible (Greek, Latin, and Hebrew) printed in 1514–17. It also has a Sarum Missal from 1534. Rochester has copies of Coverdale's Bible (1535), a Great Bible (1539), and a Bishop's Bible (1568). The Bishop's Bible has a note at Psalm xlv.9 about Ophir being the "Ilande in the west coast, of late found by Christopher Colombo."
Access for Visitors
Disabled access is through the north door into the nave transept. In the south choir aisle, there is a wheelchair lift. This lift goes to the choir and presbytery level. There is also a disabled toilet nearby.
King's Engineers and the Cathedral
Gundulf, a monk from Normandy, came to England in 1070. He was a chaplain to Archbishop Lanfranc. William I noticed his talent for architecture. Gundulf was made bishop of Rochester in 1077. The king then asked him to supervise building the White Tower (part of the Tower of London) in 1078. He also worked on Rochester Castle for William Rufus. Gundulf served three kings and was known as the first "King's Engineer." He died in 1108. His statue is on the west door of the cathedral.
Because of his skills in military engineering, Gundulf is seen as the "father of the Corps of Royal Engineers." The Corps believes its line of engineers goes back to Gundulf. The Royal School of Military Engineering is close to the cathedral. This means the Corps of Royal Engineers and Rochester Cathedral have strong ties today.
There are over 25 memorials in the cathedral to officers and soldiers of the Corps of Royal Engineers. These include a memorial to Lieut John Chard VC. He was the officer who defended Rorke's Drift against the Zulu attack. Many memorials, including stained glass windows, remember Corps members who died serving their country. One plaque from 1881 remembers Major Samuel Anderson. He surveyed a large part of the 49th parallel Canada–United States border in the 1860s and 1870s.
A memorial tablet was put up in 1902. It remembers three officers who died in Africa. They were graduates of the Royal Military College of Canada.
The newest memorial to the Corps of Royal Engineers was dedicated on September 19, 2010. It remembers ten Royal Engineers killed in Afghanistan since September 2009.
Images for kids
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The Annunciation and
The Nativity -
St Elizabeth and
The Adoration of the Magi -
St Mary Magdelene and The Presentation at the Temple
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St Margaret of Scotland and The Crucifixion
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King Arthur and
The Ascension -
WW I memorial tablet
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WW II memorial tablet
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Rochester para niños
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- List of Gothic cathedrals in Europe
- List of bishops of Rochester
- Dean of Rochester
- Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
- English Gothic architecture
- Romanesque architecture
- List of ecclesiastical restorations and alterations by J. L. Pearson
