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 |
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Southwark Cathedral, in Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge.
It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark. It has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years, but a cathedral only since 1905. The present building is mainly Gothic, from 1220 to 1420.
The main railway line from London Bridge station to Cannon Street station passes close to the cathedral, blocking the view from the south side. Borough Market and the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass by the river are close by.
History
Saxon and medieval
The earliest reference to the site was in the Domesday Book survey of 1086. The 'Minster' of Southwark seems to be under the control of Bishop Odo of Bayeux (William the Conqueror's half-brother). Its early history is obscure. A Saxon minster (a teaching church) served a south Thames area. In 1106, Henry I's reign, the latter became an Augustinian Priory: Norman stonework can still be seen, and Thomas Becket preached here before departing to Canterbury, days before his murder in 1170.
Architecture
The church is the oldest Gothic church building in London, built from 1220 to 1420. It is one of the smallest cathedrals, which is because it was not built as a cathedral, but as a Priory chapel.
Choir
The cathedral has three choirs, The main Cathedral Choir is supported financially by the St Olave's & St Saviour's Schools Foundation. They were two parochial schools set up in the 1560s, and still hold their annual services here as their 'foundation' church.
Images for kids
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Detail on the south porch
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The 15th-century church monument to the poet John Gower. Unusually, the polychrome paintings on it have been kept renewed.
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The tower and east end of the cathedral, restored by George Gwilt the Younger in the 19th century
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Southwark Cathedral floodlit, with The Shard behind it.
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Doorkins Magnificat, the previous resident cat of Southwark Cathedral
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Hodge, the current resident cat
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Gargoyle on the exterior of the cathedral
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The cathedral's main organ, known as the Lewis Organ.
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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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See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Southwark para niños
