Southwark Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southwark Cathedral |
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| Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie | |
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| Location | Southwark London, SE1 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | cathedral.southwark.anglican.org |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Designated | 2 March 1950 |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1106–1897 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Southwark (since 1905) |
| Province | Canterbury |
Southwark Cathedral is a famous church in Southwark, London. It is also known as The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie. You can find it near the south bank of the River Thames, close to London Bridge. This cathedral is the main church for the Diocese of Southwark.
People have worshipped here for over 1,000 years. However, it only became a cathedral in 1905. This happened when the Diocese of Southwark was created. From 1106 to 1538, it was a priory, which is a type of monastery. It was run by Augustinian monks and was called Southwark Priory. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The name "Overie" means "over the river," to show it was across the Thames from the City of London.
After monasteries were closed down in England, it became a parish church. It was then dedicated to the Holy Saviour. The building you see today mostly looks like the Gothic church built between 1220 and 1420. However, the main part of the church, called the nave, was rebuilt in the late 1800s.
Contents
History of Southwark Cathedral
Early Stories and Legends
Stories from the 1500s tell us about the very first beginnings of Southwark Priory. A historian named John Stow heard a tale from Bartholomew Linsted, the last head of the priory. Linsted said it started as a nunnery (a place for nuns) long before the Norman Conquest. It was supposedly founded by a young woman named Mary. She used money from a ferry business she inherited.
Later, a "noble lady" named Swithen turned it into a college of priests. Finally, in 1106, it became an Augustinian priory. This story of Mary, the ferryman's daughter, became very popular. Some historians think "Swithen" might have been Swithun, a male Bishop of Winchester from the 800s.
Even today, an information panel at the cathedral mentions a "convent founded in 606 AD." It also talks about a "monastery established by St Swithun in the 9th century." However, there is no real proof for these very early dates.
Saxon and Norman Times
The first official mention of the site is in the Domesday Book from 1086. This record shows that the "minster" (a large church) in Southwark was controlled by Bishop Odo of Bayeux. He was William the Conqueror's half-brother.
This early English minster was a church with a group of priests. It served the area south of the River Thames. In 1106, during the time of King Henry I, it became an Augustinian priory. The Bishops of Winchester supported it. They built their London home, Winchester Palace, nearby in 1149. You can still see a wall from the palace today.
The Priory was named 'St Mary' after the Virgin Mother. But it was also called "Overie" to tell it apart from other churches named St Mary in the City of London.
Some small pieces of the church from the 1100s still exist. But the church as it looks now was mostly built between 1220 and 1420. This makes it the first Gothic church in London.
Gothic Rebuilding
The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire of 1212. Rebuilding work happened throughout the 1200s. The church was designed in a cross shape, which is typical for cathedrals. It had a main area (nave), a tower where the arms of the cross met (crossing tower), and two side sections (transepts).
There was also a special chapel for local churchgoers. It was dedicated to Mary Magdalen. Another chapel was added later, which became known as the "Bishop's chapel." This was where Bishop Lancelot Andrewes was buried.
In the 1390s, another fire damaged the church. Around 1420, Henry Beaufort, the Bishop of Winchester, helped rebuild parts of it. The nave and north transept (the northern arm of the cross) were given wooden ceilings after the stone one fell in 1469. Some of the carved decorations from that ceiling are still kept in the cathedral.
The famous 14th-century poet John Gower lived nearby. He is buried in the church, and you can see his beautiful memorial. It still has its original bright colors. There is also a very old wooden statue of a knight, possibly from the 1200s.
16th and 17th Century Changes
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Around 1520, Bishop Richard Foxe made improvements to the church. He added a stone altar screen and new windows.
Like all other religious houses in England, the priory was closed down by King Henry VIII in 1540. The church then became a new parish church, called St Saviour. Local people rented the church until 1614, when they bought it for £800.
During the time of Queen Mary, important trials were held in the church. In 1555, six high-ranking churchmen were sentenced to death there.
As the local church for the Bankside area, St Saviour's had strong ties to famous Elizabethan playwrights. William Shakespeare's brother, Edmund, was buried here in 1607. His grave is not marked, but there is a stone in the choir area to remember him. The cathedral even held a festival to celebrate this history.
There is a large stained glass window dedicated to William Shakespeare. It shows scenes from his plays. Below it is a statue of the playwright holding a quill. Two other playwrights, John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, are also buried in the church.
John Harvard, who helped found Harvard University in America, was born in this area. He was baptized in the church in 1607. There is a special Harvard Chapel in the north transept, paid for by Harvard University graduates.
Lancelot Andrewes, a bishop who helped write the King James Bible, was buried here in 1626. His tomb was later moved behind the main altar.
In 1647, the artist Wenceslas Hollar drew his famous Long View of London from Bankside from the church tower. This drawing gives us a great picture of London in the 1600s.
19th Century Renovations
By the early 1800s, the church building was in poor condition. All the old medieval furniture was gone. Between 1818 and 1830, the tower and choir were restored by George Gwilt Jun. He tried to make the church look like it did in the 1200s.
The Bishop's Chapel was removed. In 1831, the roof of the nave (the main part of the church) became unsafe and was taken off. Services were then held in other parts of the church. In 1839, the roofless nave was torn down and rebuilt.
The new nave was built higher than the older parts. It had a plaster ceiling and iron columns. Many people criticized this new design. So, between 1890 and 1897, the nave was rebuilt again by Arthur Blomfield. He tried to make it look as much like the original 13th-century design as possible.
The main railway line connecting London Bridge to other stations passes very close to the cathedral. This was a compromise made in 1852. The other option was to tear down the church completely for the railway.
The churchyard was closed for burials in 1853. In 1910, a garden in the churchyard was renovated by Madeline Agar. This garden was restored again in 2001.
Southwark Cathedral Since 1900
In 1905, the parish church of St Saviour became a cathedral. This happened when the Church of England Diocese of Southwark was created.
The area around the cathedral was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Many bombs fell on Southwark between 1940 and 1941. On February 20, 1941, the cathedral itself was damaged by a bomb. You can still see shrapnel marks on the outside of the building today.
The cathedral has memorials to important people and events. These include Isabella Gilmore and the victims of the Marchioness disaster. There are also monuments to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. In 2001, Nelson Mandela opened a new building called the "northern cloister." It includes a dining hall, shop, and education center. These new buildings won an award in 2002.
The cathedral is used by several universities for their graduation ceremonies. These include London South Bank University and King's College London. This connection comes from the fact that St Thomas' Hospital, which merged with King's College, started as a hospital linked to the old Priory of St Mary.
There are two other cathedrals in Southwark. These are the Roman Catholic St George's Cathedral Southwark and the Greek Orthodox St Mary's.
Resident Cats of Southwark Cathedral
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Southwark Cathedral is famous for having a cat that lives there. The first cat was named Doorkins Magnificat. She was a brown stray cat who started visiting in 2008 looking for food and shelter. She soon made the cathedral her home. Doorkins became a local celebrity. She even met the Mayor of London and Queen Elizabeth II!
Doorkins is the subject of a children's book called Doorkins the Cathedral Cat. In 2018, a stone gargoyle (a carved figure) was made in her honor inside the cathedral. Doorkins retired in 2019 and was adopted by a staff member. She passed away on October 2, 2020. A memorial service was held for her at the cathedral, which was very unusual for a cat.
The cathedral decided to get a new cat in 2020 because they missed Doorkins. They also had some mouse problems! Hodge, a black and white cat, was adopted from a rescue group. He became a celebrity too, with his own social media accounts and souvenirs in the cathedral shop.
Cathedral Choirs
Main Cathedral Choir
The Cathedral Choir gets financial support from the St Olave's & St Saviour's Schools Foundation. This foundation comes from two old parish schools. The boys and girls in the choir come from schools all over London. Girls usually join between ages ten and eleven, and boys between seven and ten. The choir also has adult singers called Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars.
The Cathedral Choir performed the music for the famous television series Mr. Bean.
Some former choristers (choir members) of Southwark Cathedral have become famous. These include David Gedge, who was an organist at another cathedral, and Richard Marlow, who directed a choir at Cambridge University. Chuka Umunna, a former Member of Parliament, was also a chorister here.
Merbecke Choir
In 2004, the Southwark Cathedral Merbecke Choir was started. This choir is for young singers who have left the main cathedral choirs. It helps them keep their singing skills and explore different types of music.
The choir sings a special evening service called Compline once a month. They also perform concerts. In 2006, they sang for the Queen's Christmas Broadcast, which was recorded at the cathedral.
The choir is named after John Merbecke (1510–1585). He was a composer who wrote popular music for church services. In 1543, Merbecke was put on trial for heresy in the retrochoir of Southwark. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. However, his sentence was changed because a bishop decided that Merbecke, as a musician, "knew no better."
Thursday Singers
The Thursday Singers are a choir made up of people from the local community. You don't need to audition to join. They sing for special weekday church services. They also lead the singing at the cathedral's Carol Sing-In before Christmas.
The Cathedral Organ
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The main organ at Southwark Cathedral was built by a company called Lewis & Co. It was finished in 1897. The organ was designed to have a bright and lively sound.
The organ was not changed much until 1952. Then, another company, Henry Willis & Sons, rebuilt it. They made some changes to the sound and moved parts of the organ.
However, later on, people felt that these changes took away from the original sound. So, in 1991, the organ was restored to how Lewis had built it. This included bringing back the original sound settings.
Some famous organists have played at Southwark Cathedral. These include Starling Goodwin and E. T. Cook, who was known for his lunchtime organ broadcasts on the BBC.
Images for kids
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The Harvard Chapel, in the north transept, was rebuilt with donations from Harvard graduates and dedicated in 1907. The stained glass was designed by the American artist John La Farge and was made in America under the supervision of Charles F. McKim, the American architect. The window was given by the US Ambassador, Joseph Choate.
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The upper section of the John Harvard window shows the red shield of Harvard College with its motto Veritas (Truth) and the blue lion on the shield of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. John Harvard gained his BA degree at Emmanuel College in 1632 and MA in 1635.
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A view of the Nave on Christmas Eve, Southwark Cathedral, 2021
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A view of the Nave, Southwark Cathedral during organ practice
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The nave of Southwark Cathedral
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The 15th-century church monument to the poet John Gower. Unusually, the original polychrome painting of it has been kept renewed.
See also
- St Paul's Cathedral – the main Anglican cathedral in London
- St George's Cathedral, Southwark – the Roman Catholic cathedral in Southwark
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