List of former cathedrals in Great Britain
This is a list of former or once proposed cathedrals in Great Britain.
The term former cathedral in this list includes any Christian church in Great Britain which has been the seat of a bishop, but is not so any longer. The status of a cathedral, for the purpose of this list, does not depend on whether the church concerned is known to have had a formal "throne" nor whether a formal territory or diocese was attached to the church. Before the development of dioceses, which began earlier in England than in Scotland and Wales, "uch bishops as there were either lived in monasteries or were 'wandering bishops'". This list therefore includes early "bishop's churches".
A former cathedral may be the building that lost its cathedral status or its site, whether now vacant or not. The loss of status may be because that bishopric is extinct, or was relocated. Sometimes a new cathedral was built near an older one, with the older building then used for other purposes, or demolished. Such a building or site counts as a former cathedral. Where a cathedral is modified or rebuilt on substantially the same site in a series of developments over time, the earlier versions are not counted here as former cathedrals.
A former pro-cathedral is a church or former church which was once a temporary cathedral officially performing that role until its expected replacement by an intended permanent cathedral took place, usually by completion of a new cathedral built for that purpose.
A once proposed cathedral is a church which, on some past occasion, was proposed as a future cathedral, but for some reason that particular proposal failed. In some cases a later proposal succeeded and the church then became the seat of a bishop, but the church concerned will still be listed here for record purposes because of the earlier proposal.
England
References are to the English church's current use or its use prior to deconsecration.Cathedrals founded before 1066
survivors becoming Church of England at the Reformation| Location | Image | Name | Dates | Notes | Coordinates |
| Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex | Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall | 654 -664 | After a mission to the East Saxons from London by St Mellitus failed in c. 616, St Cedd was sent from Northumbria in 653. His chosen site was the former Roman fort of Othona, near Bradwell. A stone cathedral was built, of Roman materials, but Cedd died in 664. A third mission in c. 675, by St Erkenwald from London succeeded. After centuries as a chapel-of-ease, then used as a barn, during which time it lost its original west porch and eastern apse, it was restored and reconsecrated in 1920. It has been the chapel of the Othona Community since 1946. Built on the edge of the Roman foundations, across a wall rather than centrally, it has been suggested that it may not have been the only church built here, nor the main one. | ||
| Canterbury, Kent | St Martin's Church | 597-602 | This church has been used for the longest continuous time of any in Great Britain. Dedicated to St Martin by Queen Bertha of Kent, it dates from the Roman occupation of Britain. Described as "old" when St Augustine landed in 596, it was his pro-cathedral until a predecessor of the present Canterbury Cathedral was consecrated. St Martin's has been a parish church ever since. | ||
| Chester-le-Street, County Durham | Collegiate Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert | c. 883 - c. 995 | For a description and history of this church, on the site of a former cathedral, refer to St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street. | ||
| Crediton, Devon | Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him Who Hung Thereon | 909 -1050 | A purported charter of 739 by King AEthelheard of Wessex granted land here to Bishop Forthhere of Sherborne for a monastery. A new see, for Devon and Cornwall, was created in the early 10th century out of the diocese of Sherborne, possibly first at Tawton, but certainly by 909 at Crediton. The monastic cathedral of St Mary was replaced, after the see had been moved to Exeter in 1050, by a new collegiate church on the same site, with a new dedication from the 1230s. The college was dissolved in 1545, and the church was bought in 1547 by parishioners as their parish church. | ||
| Dinuurrin,, Cornwall | Chapel of the Holy Rood | 9th C | Dinuurrin is a "lost" placename known only to us as the seat of a medieval Cornish bishop named Kenstec. Sometime between the years 833 and 870 Kenstec declared his obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury at a "monasterium" at Dinuurrin. There are good reasons to believe that Dinuurrin was located om high ground at the northern edge of Bodmin. The Guild Chapel of the Holy Rood was built in such a place in the early 16th century, but fell into ruin soon after following the reformation - only the roofless shell of its tower, now known as "Berry Tower", remains. However, the site is ancient and was of high status, and it is thought likely that Bishop Kenstec's seat was here. Cemeteries surround the tower, with access from Cross Lane. | ||
| Dommoc, Suffolk | dedication unknown | c. 630 - c. 850 | Possibly translated from Soham, several locations have been suggested for the Anglo-Saxon see of East Anglia, founded by St Felix: notably Dunwich, an important medieval town and port now under the sea, or the old Roman fort of Walton now off the coast at Felixstowe. The latter may be the more likely, its placename being derived from Felix stowe. Two sets of co-ordinates are given: the first, very approximate, for Dunwich; the second for the offshore masonry remains of Walton. The diocese was split c. 673, with the creation of an additional see at North Elmham, Norfolk. The list of Bishops of Dommoc continued until the Danish invasions of c. 850. | ||
| Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire | Abbey Church of St Peter & St Paul | 635 - c. 660 and c. 675 - 685/737 and c. 875 - 1072 | The first West Saxon see was founded here c. 635, translated to Winchester c. 660. It later became a Mercian bishopric for two periods: firstly, in c. 675 until merged into the Leicester diocese in c. 685, ; secondly, in c. 875 when the sees of Leicester and Lindsey were transferred here for safety from Viking incursions. That see was translated to Lincoln in 1072. The secular canons of 635-1140 were replaced by the Augustinian canons of Dorchester Abbey. After the dissolution in 1536 the chancel of the abbey church was bought in 1542 for £140 by Richard Beauforest, and on his death in 1555 it was left in his Will to the parish; the whole then became the parish church. There are 11th-century traces, a shrine of St Birinus, and a fine 14th-century Jesse window. | ||
| Durham, County Durham | The White Church | c. 998 - c. 1104 | Towards the end of the 10th century the community of St Cuthbert, which had been settled at Chester-Le-Street for almost a century, became fearful of renewed Viking attacks. Carrying St Cuthbert's body they once again sought safety, and journeyed south to arrive in 995 at Durham, which provided a secure site. After using one or two temporary wooden structures, in 998 the community began building a stone church into which Cuthbert's relics were transferred the next year. This cruciform stone Anglo-Saxon cathedral, with a central and a western tower. was completed c. 1020. In 1083 the second Norman bishop, William de St-Calais, suppressed the community of Cuthbert, replacing them with Benedictine monks from Evesham, who had lately restored Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey. Durham thus became a cathedral priory, and in 1093 Bishop William began construction of the Norman cathedral that underlies today's cathedral. By 1104 building had progressed sufficiently to allow the transfer of Cuthbert's relics from The White Church to the new cathedral, allowing the demolition of The White Church. There is good evidence that the foundations of The White Church lie beneath the cloister garth in the monastic buildings just south of the present cathedral, to which the co-ordinates relate. | ||
| Exeter, Devon | The Minster of Saint Mary and Saint Peter | 1050 - c.1133 | From a 7th-century monastery, the minster became the seat of Bishop Leofric when the see of Crediton was translated to Exeter in 1050. The dual dedication implies that the minster comprised a pair of churches: the more easterly later becoming the cathedral church while the other served the local people. The Norman cathedral was begun in 1114 just east of St Mary's, and was completed c. 1200. By 1222 St Mary's had become the parish church of St Mary Major. By the mid-19th century it was thought to be too close to the cathedral's west front, so the ancient church was demolished in 1865 and a new one built a little further west. Co-ordinates given are for the finial from the 1865 church which is sited on the enlarged Cathedral Green to show where the steeple of that church stood. | ||
| Hexham, Northumberland | Priory and Parish Church of St. Andrew | 678 - c. 821 | A monastery founded c. 674 by Wilfrid became the site of a cathedral in 678, but the monastery was destroyed in 9th-century Viking raids. An Augustinian priory founded in 1113 on the earlier site was dissolved in 1537. The priory's chancel was saved as the parish church, and a new nave was added later, being finally completed in 1907-08. The present interesting structure includes some Anglo-Saxon material, notably Wilfrid's original crypt. | ||
| Hoxne, Suffolk | Church of Saint Peter and St Paul | c. 950 - c. 1040 | In the early 10th century, after Danish attacks, Bishop Theodred of London had an extra see at Hoxne, with a cathedral dedicated to St Ethelbehrt; by 1040 the see was joined with N Elmham. In 1101 the former cathedral was given by Hoxne Priory to Norwich Cathedral, and is thought to have become the parish church. Hoxne Priory was 0.7 miles / 1.1 km south of the church. | ||
| Leicester, Leicestershire | dedication uncertain | 679-874 | The location of the 7th-century cathedral here is not known with certainty, but was very likely St Nicholas' church with clear early Anglo-Saxon origins and incorporating Roman materials. It lies between the sites of the Roman baths and the Roman forum. Overrun by Danes c.875 the see was suppressed and merged with Dorchester on Thames. St Nicholas' is now a parish church. The modern Diocese of Leicester was founded in 1927. | ||
| Lindisfarne, Northumberland | original dedication unclear | 635-875 | A monastery was founded in 635 by King Oswald for St Aidan as the site for a cathedral for the northern part of the kingdom of Northumbria. Viking raids from 793 led to its destruction in 875. The community fled, with the relics of Saint Cuthbert, later settling at Chester-Le-Street in 883, then Durham in 995. The see was translated to Durham, which founded a sub-priory here in 1083 with a church dedicated to St Peter. Extensive priory remains are held by English Heritage. The exact location of Aidan's wooden cathedral is not known for certain, but it is confidently claimed that Anglo-Saxon features in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, adjacent to the priory ruins, are from the rebuilt-in-stone cathedral; so the co-ordinates given here are for the parish church. | ||
| City of London, London | "Old St Paul's" Cathedral | 604-1666 | This former cathedral was begun by the Normans in 1087, in succession to a series of three, all probably wooden, Anglo-Saxon cathedrals dedicated to St Paul, built in 604, c.675, and c.962. All were destroyed by fire, in c.616, 962, and 1087. This stone-built cathedral was also destroyed by fire in 1666, and replaced by the extant St Paul's Cathedral, built 1675-1710 on a slightly different alignment and in a very different architectural style. For a detailed history of medieval "Old St Paul's" refer to Old St Paul's Cathedral. A 1561 illustration is shown, together with a plan of the structure. | ||
| North Elmham, Norfolk | dedication unknown | 673-1070 | The see of Elmham was created c. 673 when the East Anglian diocese, with its see at Dommoc, was split. The succession of Elmham bishops was interrupted between c. 850 and c. 950, when the region was subject to Viking raids. The restored see was translated to Thetford in 1070. Church remains, in the hands of English Heritage, are held to date from c. 1100, the earlier cathedral having probably been wooden. | ||
| Padstow, Cornwall | St Petroc's Church, Padstow | 518-564? | By tradition Saint Petroc landed in 518 at Trebetherick, near what became Padstow after his death. He succeeded the hermit-bishop Wethinoc, who had founded a monastery. Petroc named it Lanwethinoc and its church became Petroc's cathedral for Cornwall. He died there c.564. A Viking attack razed the monastery in 981, so the monks moved to Bodmin, with Petroc's relics. The parish church is mostly 15th-century or later, but is believed to occupy the original monastic site. | ||
| Ramsbury, Wiltshire | dedication unknown | 909-1058 | This short-lived diocese was created for Wiltshire in 909 out of the Diocese of Sherborne, but they were reunited in 1058. The cathedral site is now occupied by the parish church of the Holy Cross with fabric of the 13th century and later. | ||
| Repton, Derbyshire | dedication unknown | c. 655 - 669 | An early- to mid-7th-century double monastery of Celtic origin here provided the supposed original see for Mercia. Four bishops of Mercia are named, before St Chad moved the see to Lichfield when he became bishop in 669, though they may have been peripatetic. The Repton monastery was destroyed when a Danish army overwintered there in 873/4, though the c. 720 crypt of the abbey church, survived and was used for Mercian royal burials. An Augustinian priory, founded c. 1158 and dedicated to St Wystan, used the same site. Traces of priory buildings exist in Repton School, adjacent to St Wystan's church, now the parish church. | ||
| St Germans, Cornwall | Priory Church of St Germanus | early 10th century - c. 1027 | King Athelstan appointed Conan as Bishop of Cornwall in c.936, with his see at St Germans. Some earlier bishops of Cornwall were probably also based at St Germans. Lyfing, Bishop of Crediton, became additionally Bishop of Cornwall in c.1027, uniting the two sees at Crediton. The former cathedral at St Germans became collegiate c.1050, then an Augustinian priory c.1184; this was dissolved 1539, leaving a parish church with some Norman fabric. | ||
| Selsey, Sussex | Selsey Abbey | c. 681 – c.1075 | With the help of King Ethelwealh of Sussex, St Wilfrid founded a monastery and bishopric here in 681. He returned to the north c. 686, but the see was revived c. 709. It was translated to Chichester immediately following the Council of London in 1075. Centuries of coastal erosion seem to lie behind a tradition that the site of the cathedral is now under the sea. Nevertheless, the leading contender for the cathedral's site is the 13th-century St Wilfrid's Chapel, Church Norton, which is the chancel left when the rest of the parish church there was dismantled and moved to Selsey village to become the new parish church. The chapel was dedicated to St Wilfrid only in 1917. | ||
| Sherborne, Dorset | Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin | 705-1075 | In 705 the see was created for western Wessex, from part of the diocese of Winchester. In 909 new dioceses were created for Devon and Cornwall, Wiltshire, and Somerset, leaving the Sherborne see with Dorset only. Ramsbury rejoined Sherborne in 1058, and the see was translated to Old Sarum in 1075. Sherborne became a Benedictine priory in c. 993, and an abbey in 1122. Its church was bought by townspeople to be the parish church. Sherborne School incorporates some abbey buildings. | ||
| Soham, Cambridgeshire | dedication unknown | c. 630? and c. 900 - c. 950 | A monastery of c. 630 here, supposedly founded by St Felix, may have had an early cathedral for East Anglia. It was destroyed by Danes c. 870, but when rebuilt c. 900 may have served as a cathedral then, when the sees of Dommoc and North Elmham had both ceased to function. Traces remain in St Andrew's parish church at co-ordinates stated. | ||
| Stow, Lincolnshire | Minster Church of St Mary | c. 680 - c. 875 | The Mercian diocese established by Chad at Lichfield was divided in 678 with a see created in Lindsey for the Bishop of Lindsey. But its location is unknown, and the view that the cathedral was at Stow is now largely discounted in favour of a site in Lincoln itself. The see of Lindsey suffered from Danish invasion, and so was translated to Dorchester on Thames in the mid-9th century. In its present form Stow Minster dates from the mid-10th century when, it is claimed, it effectively became a second cathedral for the north east of the Dorchester diocese, with several diocesan officers and clergy based there until the see of Dorchester was translated to Lincoln in 1067. It is now a parish church. | ||
| Tawton,, Devon | St Peter | c. 905 – c.909 | Several 16th/17th-century sources record that the see for the first bishop for Devon was at Tawton. The sources claim that Werstan held the office from its creation in 905 to his death in 906; his successor, Putta, was killed in 909 on his way to Crediton. His successor immediately moved the see to Crediton. Any link between a 10th-century bishop's church here and the extant parish church of St John the Baptist is conjectural. The case for a brief bishopric at Tawton is not certain, but there are remains of a modest "bishop's palace" at Court Farm, next to the church, used for centuries by the diocesan bishops, and the parish was a bishop's peculiar. The co-ordinates given are for the 14th-century parish church, restored in the 19th century. | ||
| Wells, Somerset | Minster of St Andrew | 909 - 1175 | In c. 909 the Diocese of Sherborne, covering South-West England, was divided creating several new dioceses. Wells was chosen as the see for Somerset, and the town's minster, founded c. 705, became its cathedral. In 1090 a new bishop moved the see to Bath Abbey and built a new cathedral there. Despite Wells' loss of status, in 1176 a much larger building was begun, further north and on a different alignment, forming the basis of the present Wells Cathedral. The only accessible material from the Anglo-Saxon former cathedral is the supposed font, dated c.700. The co-ordinates given are of the cloister garth where excavations of 1978-80 located foundations of the former cathedral, though they have been left almost undisturbed. | ||
| Welsh Bicknor, Herefordshire | Constantine | 6th century - 8th? century | Welsh Bicknor is in the area of Archenfield. The British bishop-saint Dubricius founded several monasteries in the area and has been called the first bishop of Ergyng. According to a charter in the Book of Llandaff his episcopal place was at "Lann Custenhinn Garth Benni", which has been identified as Welsh Bicknor. With very few local residents; its church, St Margaret's, was closed by the Diocese of Hereford in 2010 and is now privately owned. Entirely new-built in 1858-59, it replaced a much older church on the same ancient site.. |
Cathedrals founded (or proposed) between 1066 and 1539
survivors becoming Church of England at the Reformation| Location | Image | Name | Dates | Notes | Coordinates |
| Bath, Somerset | Priory Church of St Peter & St Paul | 1090-1539 | Founded c. 676 for nuns, the abbey was later destroyed by Danes. Refounded c. 963, it was destroyed in 1087 and rebuilt. The see for Somerset was translated from Wells to Bath in 1090 and it became a cathedral priory. Bath was joint cathedral with Glastonbury 1195-1218, then co-cathedral with Wells from 1245. Wells was favoured by later bishops. Bath priory was dissolved 1539, the site sold, the buildings partially demolished. The church was given as a parish church in 1572. | ||
| Chester, Cheshire | Collegiate Church of St John the Baptist | 1075-1102 | By tradition, this was a minster founded by King AEthelred of Mercia in 689 on the site of an earlier church. Repaired and refounded c. 1057 by Leofric as a college, dedicated to The Holy Rood and St John the Baptist, it became the cathedral for the Mercian diocese when the see was translated to Chester from Lichfield following a decree of the Council of London in 1075. The see was again translated by 1102 to Coventry, but some bishops of Coventry and Lichfield used the title of Bishop of Chester up to the Reformation. The Norman core of St John's remains in use as a parish church. The ruins to the east were left when the college was dissolved c. 1547. The west end has the base of the twice-collapsed tower. The church was much restored 1859-66. | ||
| Coventry,, West Midlands | Cathedral Priory of St Mary, St Peter and St Osburga | 1102-1539 | A Benedictine abbey was founded 1043 on the site of a Saxon nunnery founded by St Osburga. The see of Lichfield, which was translated to Chester in 1075, moved to Coventry by 1102. Money could not be found to save the priory church, so it was sold for demolition in 1545. Significant remains have been located and preserved. | ||
| Glastonbury, Somerset | Glastonbury Abbey | 1195-1218 | Legend claims a 1st-century origin for the monastic site, and evidence exists from the 6th century: it was Benedictine from 940. In 1195 the Bishop of Bath was also made Abbot of Glastonbury, styling himself Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury. This title persisted, though opposed by the monks, until 1218 when the pope found for them and the title reverted. The Abbey was dissolved in 1539, and the site sold: it was bought in 1907 on behalf of the Church of England. The extensive remains can be visited. | ||
| Old Sarum, Wiltshire | Old Sarum Cathedral | 1075-1219 | The Normans built a castle and a cathedral on this Iron Age hillfort, and moved the see here from Sherborne in 1075. The cathedral was demolished and the see translated to Salisbury, 2 miles south, in 1219. The site of Old Sarum is in the hands of English Heritage, with extensive remains including the former cathedral's foundations. | ||
| Thetford, Norfolk | Minster of St Mary the Greater | 1072-c. 1094 | This minster was briefly the see for East Anglia, moved from North Elmham in 1072, then to Norwich c. 1094. The building then housed a Cluniac priory in the early 12th century; the site was occupied by a Dominican friary from 1335 to dissolution in 1538. The exact location of the former cathedral is uncertain, but is believed to be near Thetford Grammar School which incorporates some remains of the friary. | ||
| Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire | Collegiate Church of The Holy Trinity | proposed | A minster was founded in c. 795, and re-founded as a Benedictine priory by Bishop Oswald of Worcester c. 962. The monks left to start Ramsey Abbey c. 974. A monastery was re-founded by St Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester c. 1093, but the church became collegiate c. 1194. From 1286 Bp. Giffard of Worcester intended Westbury as a second cathedral, but he died 1302. A similar plan by Bp. Carpenter in 1455 led to enlargement of the college, a change of dedication from "St Mary" to "Holy Trinity", and his use of the title "Bishop of Worcester and Westbury", but this last ceased on his death 1476. The college was dissolved 1544, becoming a parish church with no pre-1194 fabric now visible. Some former collegiate buildings survive nearby. |
Cathedrals founded (or proposed) from 1540 to the present
Church of England from their foundation or when proposedThe cathedrals of St Albans and Southwell qualify for inclusion here because the 1540 proposals to raise them to cathedral status failed, as for many others in this section of the list. Later proposals succeeded in elevating them in 1877 and 1884 respectively, so they will be found also in lists of extant cathedrals.
| Location | Image | Name | Dates | Notes | Coordinates |
| Aldfield, North Yorkshire | Abbey Church of St Mary | proposed | Known as Fountains Abbey, a Cistercian house of 1132, dissolved 1539. In 1540 Henry VIII chose the abbey church as cathedral for a new diocese to cover Lancashire plus some parts of Yorkshire and much of Cumberland and Westmorland. The proposal was abandoned and the site sold, in favour of the new diocese of Chester, covering the same ground plus Cheshire. Extensive remains are in the hands of the National Trust. | ||
| Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | Abbey Church of St Mary & St Edmund | proposed | Founded c. 633, the remains of St Edmund, martyred in 870 were brought here in 903. The church became collegiate c. 925., then a Benedictine abbey in 1020, dissolved in 1539. Henry VIII proposed the abbey church as a cathedral in 1540, but the site was sold and robbed of stone. The extensive ruins are in the hands of the National Trust. | ||
| Colchester, Essex | Abbey Church of St John the Baptist | proposed | A Benedictine monastery founded here in 1096 was dissolved in 1539. The abbey church was proposed as a cathedral for Essex in c. 1540. Only the 15th-century abbey gatehouse remains, other buildings were believed destroyed in the English Civil War siege of 1648. The site has been in military use since the mid-1800s. | ||
| Coventry,, West Midlands | St Michael's Cathedral | 1918-1940 | This was a very large medieval parish church, dating from c. 1300. Collegiate from 1908, it became a cathedral in 1918 when the modern Diocese of Coventry was created. It was fire-bombed in 1940. Extensive remains include the 14th-century tower with 15th-century spire. | ||
| Dunstable, Bedfordshire | Priory Church of St Peter | proposed | An Augustinian house of canons founded by 1125. Dissolved in 1540, the priory church was proposed by Henry VIII 1540 as a cathedral for Bedfordshire. Instead, the nave became a parish church. | ||
| Guildford, Surrey | Holy Trinity Church | 1927-1961 | The current parish church, completed 1763, replaced a mediaeval, possibly Norman, church destroyed 1740 by the collapse of its steeple. Only the Weston Chapel remains from the earlier building. Holy Trinity was the pro-cathedral for the new Diocese of Guildford from its creation in 1927 until the dedication of the new cathedral in 1961. | ||
| Guisborough, North Yorkshire | Priory Church of St Mary | proposed | The Augustinian priory, founded 1119, was dissolved in 1540. It was among the c. 1540 proposals for new cathedrals, but instead its buildings were largely demolished. Remains are in the hands of English Heritage.. | ||
| Launceston, Cornwall | Priory Church of St Stephen | proposed | An Augustinian priory, founded in 1127 was dissolved in 1539. The priory church was proposed in 1540 as a cathedral for Cornwall by Henry VIII, but did not proceed. Some remains exist. For more details, see Launceston Priory article.. | ||
| Leicester, Leicestershire | Abbey Church of St Mary de Pratis | proposed | An Augustinian house of 1143, Cardinal Wolsey died here in 1530. Dissolved in 1538, the abbey's church was listed among Henry VIII's 1540 proposals as a cathedral for Leicestershire, but the site had been disposed of by then. Abbey Park contains some remains: the abbey's perimeter walls plus its conjectured foundations | ||
| Liverpool,, Merseyside | Pro-Cathedral of St. Peter | 1880-1919 | St Peter's church was built 1704, as a second parish church for Liverpool, in addition to the much older church of Our Lady & St Nicholas, near the docks. After rapid industrialisation and population growth, the Diocese of Liverpool was created 1880, and St Peter's was designated its pro-cathedral. Building of a new cathedral began 1904. In 1919 it opened for worship and St Peter's closed, to be demolished in 1922 for retail use. Today the only visible sign that the church ever existed is a stone with an inlaid brass cross set in the paving of Church Street, at its junction with Keys Court, leading to Peter's Lane, all now in the 'Liverpool ONE' shopping area. The slab, it is said, marks the position once occupied by St Peter's High Altar. | ||
| Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | Church of St Mary the Virgin | proposed? | The original parish church of Nottingham, probably founded in the 7th century and mentioned in the Domesday Book, St Mary's is located close to the centre of the original Anglo-Saxon settlement. The large building dates from the 14th century and later, with a 15th-century chancel and significant 19th-century work. In the late 19th century the creation of a diocesse for Nottinghamshire was being considered, and St Mary's future elevation was widely assumed. Bodley installed a canopied chair to be the new bishop's cathedra. However, Southwell Minster, 14 miles north of Nottingham, was raised to cathedral status in 1884, rather than St Mary's. | ||
| Osney, Oxfordshire | Abbey Church of St Mary | 1542-1545 | An Augustinian priory founded in 1129, raised to abbey status c. 1154, but dissolved in 1539. Under 1540 proposals of Henry VIII, the abbey church became the cathedral for Oxfordshire in 1542, but was closed in 1545 and the see translated to Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The monastic site probably extended from the Osney Mill on the River Thames in the west to the 19th-century Osney Cemetery and railway line to the east. The cemetery and railway line likely cover the site of the abbey church, the only known visible remains of the abbey complex being a small ancillary building of c. 1410 at Osney Mill. | ||
| St Albans, Hertfordshire | Abbey Church of St Alban | proposed | A Benedictine abbey founded 793, it was dissolved 1539. Henry VIII proposed the abbey church as Hertfordshire's cathedral in 1540, but instead it was sold in 1553 to the townspeople to become the parish church. | ||
| Shrewsbury, Shropshire | Abbey Church of St Peter & St Paul | proposed | A Benedictine abbey was founded in 1083, dissolved in 1539. The abbey church was proposed in 1540 as a cathedral for Shropshire by Henry VIII, but only the nave was retained as a parish church. A new choir and chancel were added during a late 19th-century restoration. A 1922 proposal for cathedral status was rejected by one vote in the House of Lords in 1926. | ||
| Southend-on-Sea, Essex | St Erkenwald's Church | proposed? | This was a very large church built 1905-1910, and soon anecdotally considered by some, including its first incumbent, as a potential cathedral. It fell into disrepair, was declared redundant in 1978, and was demolished in 1995 after a severe fire. | ||
| Southwell, Nottinghamshire | Collegiate Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary | proposed | Unsuccessfully proposed by Henry VIII for cathedral status in 1540, this church was raised to that status in 1884. For a description and history refer to Southwell Minster. | ||
| Waltham Abbey, Essex | Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross & St Lawrence | proposed | A minster on this site was founded c. 610 but abandoned 617, then re-established in the mid-8th century. Enlarged c. 1060, supposedly by King Harold II, who some legends say was buried here after his defeat by William the Conqueror in 1066. It became an Augustinian priory in 1177, an abbey in 1184, but was dissolved in 1540. Proposed the same year as a cathedral by Henry VIII without success, only the nave was saved as a parish church. It was a Royal Peculiar 1184-1865. | ||
| Welbeck, Nottinghamshire | Abbey Church of St James the Great | proposed | A Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1140, it was dissolved in 1538. Proposed in 1540 by Henry VIII as a cathedral for Nottinghamshire, but the site was sold. The mansion later built on the site has traces of the former abbey. | ||
| Westminster, London | The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster | 1540-1550 | An abbey founded in the 7th century, it was destroyed by Danes in the 9th century. Refounded c. 959, the abbey was suppressed in 1540 but its church immediately became one of Henry VIII's new cathedrals, the second for London. Cathedral status was removed in 1550. Re-established as a Benedictine monastery by Mary I in 1556, it was dissolved in 1559, becoming a collegiate church in 1560 but still universally known as Westminster Abbey. It is a Royal Peculiar. |
Post-Reformation Roman Catholic Cathedrals
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is not part of Great Britain politically, but it is ecclesiastically. For the Church of England it forms the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York; for the Roman Catholic church, it is in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The long-standing political status of the Isle of Man is that of a Crown Dependency.| Location | Image | Name | Dates | Notes | Coordinates |
| Kirk Michael | The Chapel of St Nicholas at Bishopscourt | 1895-1979 | Bishopscourt was the residence of the Bishop of Sodor and Man in 1230 and from c. 1700 until it was sold in 1979. In 1895 the chapel was designated as pro-cathedral by Bishop Straton. Bishopscourt is now privately owned, with no public access. | ||
| Peel | St German's Cathedral, Peel Castle | 5th century? then 12th century - 1895 | Tradition tells that Saint Patrick built a cathedral on a small tidal islet off the coast, later called St Patrick's Isle. Stone monastic buildings followed in c. 900. A new cathedral of St German was established there by the 13th century for the island's Diocese of Sodor and Man. In the 14th century the Isle of Man came under English control while Scotland retained the Hebrides, so the diocese then became restricted to the Isle of Man alone. By 1780 the cathedral was an unusable ruin, and later bishops were enthroned at St Mary's, Castletown or at St George's, Douglas until the parish church of St German, built 1879-1884 in the City of Peel, was raised to cathedral status in 1980. Peel Castle, including the monastic and old cathedral ruins, is cared for by Manx National Heritage. |
Scotland
Pre-Reformation Cathedrals (or proposed Cathedrals)
survivors becoming Church of Scotland at the Scottish ReformationFor various reasons, formal dioceses were formed later in Scotland than in the rest of Great Britain. Bishops certainly existed in areas from the earliest Christian times, but the territory over which an early bishop operated was limited and ill-defined. Hence the term "bishop's church" is sometimes used for a seat used by an early bishop rather than the word "cathedral" which some expect to be attached to a formal diocese. Traditionally, the medieval Scottish diocesan system was held to have been largely created by King David I, though this is an oversimplification.
As the Scottish Reformation of 1560 developed, bishops and cathedrals became progressively marginalised and neglected. By Act of the Scottish Parliament 1690 the Church of Scotland finally became wholly Presbyterian, with no dioceses, no bishops, so no functioning cathedrals. At that date all Church of Scotland cathedrals became former cathedrals. Some still use the title, but for honorific purposes only.
The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland maintain their own diocesan structures with their own cathedrals and bishops.
| Location | Image | Name | Dates | Notes | Coordinates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abercorn, West Lothian | dedication unknown | 681-685 | A monastery was founded c. 675 by St Wilfrid near the northern extremity of the newly expanded Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria. In 681 St Trumwine from Lindisfarne was appointed "Bishop of those Picts who were then subject to English rule" i.e. those north of the River Forth paying tribute to Northumbria. In 685 he abandoned his see to the Gododdin people following the defeat of the Northumbrians by the Picts at the Battle of Nechtansmere. The existing kirk is on or very close to the monastic site. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire | Cathedral Church of St Machar | 1131-1690 | Legend tells of a church founded 580 by St Machar in Old Aberdeen. In 1131 a Norman cathedral was built when the see was translated from Mortlach. Since the Reformation it has been the High Kirk of Aberdeen. For more details, see St Machar's Cathedral. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abernethy,, Perth and Kinross | dedication unclear | early 8th century – 11th century? | Once an important centre for the Picts, the history of a supposed bishopric here is obscure. No bishops' names are known for certain, but Fergus may have been one of three during the early 8th century. Any bishopric had moved to Muthill by the 12th century. The original church of St Brigid, said to be 6th century, may have been a bishop's church. A small Augustinian priory of 1272 likely included Culdees, possibly associated with the 11th-12th century round tower, now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. The priory, which was suppressed and replaced by lay canons in the 15th century, may have used the ancient church. It was in ruins by 1802, when the current parish kirk of St Brigid was built nearby, the older site then being used for burials.. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birnie, Elgin, Moray | St Brendan's Church | c. 1140–1184 | The first bishop of the diocese, Gregory c. 1120, may have used this, likely Culdee, church, built c. 1140, as his bishop's church. The bishopric moved to Kinneddar after the death of Bishop Simon in 1184. The building is still in use as the parish kirk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birsay, Orkney | St Magnus' Kirk | mid-11th century – 1137 | It has been said that the original church here, dedicated as Christ's Church or Christchurch, was built by Earl Thorfinn c. 1060, and used by several early bishops. Its exact location is disputed, some claiming it was on the Brough of Birsay, a tidal island just offshore, but the balance of evidence favours a mainland location here, close to the ruined palace of the 16th-century Stewart Earls of Orkney. The much-rebuilt church, likely re-dedicated following the reburial of St Magnus here soon after his murder on Egilsay, is almost certainly where Thorfinn's church stood. There is evidence of a bishop's residence nearby. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brechin, Angus | Cathedral of the Holy Trinity | ante 1150 | The former cathedral building, now Brechin High Kirk, dates from the 13th century. The site was formerly occupied by a Culdee monastery, possibly derived from Abernethy. After the Scottish Reformation the choir was abandoned and the rest of the building suffered from neglect. A much-criticized reconstruction completed 1806 was repaired and improved by more sensitive restoration 1900-1902. Original parts remaining include the western gable and massive square tower, parts of the choir, the nave pillars and clerestorey. Next to the church is a very fine round tower, superior to the Abernethy example, some 26.2m high, 4.9m diameter, dating from c. 1000, and cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dornoch,, Highland | St Mary's Cathedral | 1239-1689? | After earlier "bishop's churches", the only designated cathedral for Caithness was begun by Gilbert, the fourth bishop. The work on, or at least the planning of, the cathedral probably began soon after Bishop Gilbert's elevation c. 1223, following the maiming of the second bishop and the murder of the third. The choir was completed by 1239, when Bishop Adam's remains were removed from Skinnet and re-interred here. The nave appears to have been roofed soon after 1291: it collapsed c. 1428, but was repaired. In 1570 a local feud severely damaged the whole building by fire, though all but the nave was restored by the Earl of Sutherland 1614-22. The nave was drastically rebuilt on a narrower plan 1835-1837 by a later Countess of Sutherland, in part to create a family mausoleum. The building remains in use as a parish kirk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dunblane, Stirling | Cathedral Church of St Blaan and St Laurence | 1155-1689 | Outwith the traditional link with St Blane in c. 600, the site boasts burial cross slabs confirming the presence of a Christian community here by the 9th century. The earliest bishop of Dunblane of whom we are certain was Laurence in 1155. That date also fits both the tower attached to the cathedral's nave and the similar tower at Muthill, suggesting that both sites may once have been used together. A friar named Clement became bishop in 1233; he reversed earlier diocesan decline, and began construction of the present building. The late 15th century and the first half of the 16th brought more building work, including the upper third of the tower. After the Reformation the nave became unused and its roof gradually fell down during the 17th century. The choir was restored 1816-1819, followed by restoration of the nave 1888-1893. The whole site is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dunkeld,, Perth and Kinross | St Columba's Cathedral | 9th century c. 1120 – 1689 | Tradition tells of a monastery founded by the early 7th century after a visit by St Columba, who was based at Iona. By the 9th century the site had a stone-built Culdee monastery possessing relics of St Columba. In c. 869 its abbot was described as the chief bishop of the kingdom, but very soon after St Andrews became the chief bishopric of the Scottish church. The cathedral was re-founded in the 12th century, though most surviving fabric dates from the 15th century. In the Scottish Reformation the nave was unroofed, but the 13th-century choir has been used ever since as the parish kirk. The cathedral ruins are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egilsay, Orkney | St. Magnus' Church | It seems unlikely that this island church ever was a cathedral for the Bishop of Orkney, but "it may have been regarded as a bishop's church". The ruined mid-12th-century church commemorates the killing here of St Magnus by his brother c. 1118, and is usually dated decades later than 1135 when Magnus was sainted. He spent the night before his murder in a church on Egilsay, its site probably reused for this church. His body was buried on Egilsay, reburied at Birsay, and finally moved to Kirkwall. Unused since the early 19th century, the church is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elgin, Moray | Cathedral of the Holy Trinity | 1224-c. 1560 | Building began promptly when Bishop Andrew received papal permission in 1224 to move the see from Spynie to Elgin. A fire in 1270 saw the rebuilt cathedral enlarged and a Chapter House added. More building work followed another fire in June 1390, the result of an attack by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan. Some further development took place during the 15th century, the last being a restructuring of the Chapter House 1482-1501. At the Reformation the cathedral was totally abandoned in favour of the 12th-century parish kirk of St Giles, the building left to decay and collapse. There are impressive ruins in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fortrose,, Highland | Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Boniface of Fortrose | mid-13th century – mid-17th century | The see was moved here in the first half of the 13th century from Rosmarkie to a new red sandstone building consisting of a rectangular nave and choir, with a NW tower and a NE sacristy-cum- chapter house. A SW aisle and chapel were added in the 14th century. Ruins of the last two parts remain. Ecclesiastical use of the building may have continued for a while after the Scottish Reformation of 1560, but between then and c. 1650 it was used as the burgh's town hall and prison. The ruins are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Glasgow | St Mungo's Cathedral | 1114-1689 | Tradition has a church settlement founded here by St Mungo in the 6th century, from which Glasgow developed. The diocese began with the appointment of Bishop John ; suggested earlier bishops were not Glasgow-based. Most of the cathedral fabric is 13th-century, though the central tower and spire are 15th-century, and the Blackadder Aisle dates from c.1500. Exceptionally among pre-Reformation Scottish cathedrals, Glasgow's was never unroofed, which helps to explain its good and complete condition. The tomb of St Mungo is in the crypt. The building, which forms the High Kirk of Glasgow, is owned by the Crown and maintained by Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halkirk,, Highland | dedication uncertain | Tradition tells of a church founded here by St Fergus in the early 8th century, before Caithness fell under Norse control. Claims that the cathedral of the Bishop of Caithness was located here are unresolved. Halkirk was one part of the large parish of Skinnet until the 13th century. Clearly there was a bishop's residence here as the third bishop, Bishop Adam, was murdered in his Halkirk kitchen in 1222. His body was taken to nearby Skinnet for burial. Halkirk and Skinnet became separate parishes in the 13th century, but were reunited by 1538 as the parish of Halkirk. The parish church was replaced in 1753 on the same site by a new kirk, declared redundant in 1934 and called "Halkirk Auld Kirk". No pre-1753 remains are known. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hoddom,, Dumfries and Galloway | dedication unknown | late 6th century | A cathedral was said to have been founded here in the late 6th century by St Mungo. Any cathedral seems not to have survived his death in 612, but a monastery developed. A parish church was built on the site in the 12th century, replaced after the Scottish Reformation by a new kirk of 1609 nearer to Ecclefechan at Hoddom Cross. The co-ordinates given are for the former monastic site. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kingarth, Argyll and Bute | Monastery of St Blane | 6th century | A monastery was reputedly built here by Saint Cathan. He was succeeded as bishop by his nephew Saint Blane. It was a cathedral until St Blane's death c. 590. The monastery was destroyed by Viking raids c. 790. A new church was built on the site in the 12th century, but fell out of use after 1560. Ruins are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kinneddar, Moray | Kirk of Kinneddar | c. 1187 – c. 1208 | Shortly after 1184 the seat of the Bishop of Moray was moved from Birnie to Kinneddar. Kinneddar Castle, adjacent to the new cathedral, became a residence of the bishop from 1187 until the late 14th century: now hardly a trace remains. The seat of the bishop, however, was moved again c. 1208 to Spynie by Bishop Bricus. Following the Scottish Reformation the former cathedral was abandoned in favour of a new kirk at Drainie when parishes were merged c. 1669. A mound in the old churchyard at Kinneddar, used for later burials, was confirmed by surveys as covering the foundations of the former cathedral. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kirkwall, Orkney | St Magnus' Cathedral | 1137-1689 | In 1135 the bones of the newly sainted St Magnus were moved from the cathedral at Birsay to the church of St Olaf near Kirkwall. The building of a cathedral at Kirkwall, dedicated to St Magnus, began in 1137, at the instigation of his nephew, St Ronald of Orkney and of William the Old, Bishop of Orkney. Consecration, with the translation of St Magnus' relics from St Olaf's, probably took place before 1151, when both protagonists left on Crusade. Further building was done during the next four centuries. Restorations during the 19th and 20th centuries led to the discovery of supposed relics of St Ronald and St Magnus in pillars in the choir, the oldest part of the cathedral. The building houses a congregation of the Church of Scotland, but under a 1486 Charter of King James III it is owned by the town of Kirkwall. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lismore, Argyll and Bute | Lismore Kirk | c. 1200 – c. 1650 | By tradition chosen by St Moluag in the 6th century for a monastery, Lismore became the see of a bishop in the 12th century when the Diocese of Argyll was created from the western portion of the Diocese of Dunkeld. The 14th-century cathedral was small and simple, and the new diocese poor, leading to proposals to translate the see to Saddell. The cathedral was abandoned after the Reformation; the whole building roofless by 1679, the tower and nave later razed. The choir was restored to be used as the parish kirk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Madderty,, Perth and Kinross | Inchaffray Abbey Church of the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist | proposed | In c. 1200 Gilbert, Earl of Strathearn, founded an Augustinian priory on a site which already had a church and "a group of ecclesiastics known in contemporary documents as 'brethren'", probably Culdees. The priory became an abbey c. 1220. By c. 1230 Dunblane Cathedral was roofless and had few staff, so in 1237 it was proposed that the see of Dunblane be transferred to Inchaffray Abbey. However, Bishop Clement of Dunblane resolved the situation at Dunblane and the proposal was abandoned. For some time the Abbey remained large and relatively well-off, but by the time of the Scottish Reformation in 1560 it was among the poorest. A few ruins remain on farmland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mortlach,, Moray | St Moluag's Cathedral | 1011 to 1131 | The Chronicle of John of Fordun records the establishment of an episcopal seat in Mortlach aided by Malcolm II of Scotland, c. 1011. The see was translated to Aberdeen in 1131. The placename of Mortlach was superseded in 1817 when a new village of Dufftown was created to the immediate north of the church. The parish kirk, much rebuilt, is on the cathedral's original site, and contains some ancient fabric. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Muthill,, Perth and Kinross | dedication unknown | c. 12th century | Culdees were here in the 12th century when Abernethy's bishopric moved to Muthill. The bishops based here often took the title "Bishop of Strathearn". They had moved to Dunblane by the 13th century, leaving their cathedral here, with its distinctive tower, as a parish church. Enlarged in the 15th century, it was abandoned for a new kirk built 1826-28. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rosemarkie,, Highland | Cathedral Church of St Peter | early 8th century and 1124 until mid-13th century | (Diocese of RossPost-Reformation CathedralsDuring and after the Scottish Reformation cathedrals were increasingly neglected and abandoned, but episcopacy continued to be supported by Stuart Kings. By Act of the Scottish Parliament 1690 the Church of Scotland became wholly Presbyterian, with no dioceses, no bishops, so no cathedrals as such. At that date all Church of Scotland cathedrals became former cathedrals. Some still use the title, but for honorific purposes only.The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland maintain their own diocesan structures with their own cathedrals and bishops, as do the Orthodox churches. Church of Scotland
Scottish Episcopal Church
Post-Reformation Roman Catholic CathedralsWalesThe end of Roman rule in Britain in the early 5th century left a Romano-British church which became increasingly confined to the western parts of the island as Angles, Saxons, and other invaders attacked and settled from the east. This church grew in size and influence in the west during the 6th and 7th centuries with the conversion of ruling families. Among the clergy the title of "bishop" was more frequently used than later, when large dioceses developed. The surviving evidence for most of these early bishoprics is now fragmentary and secondary at best, if not legendary. This list contains some better-evidenced examples.The dioceses of the Welsh church, certainly from Norman times, were, sometimes reluctantly, part of the English church in the Province of Canterbury. This situation continued after the establishment of the Church of England at the Reformation until 1920, when the Church of England was disestablished in Wales, becoming the Church in Wales, a self-governing member of the Anglican Communion.
The Seven Bishop-Houses of the Kingdom of Dyfed Collections of medieval Welsh Law record that the Kingdom of Dyfed had seven so-called "bishop-houses", following a general pattern of one bishop-house in each cantref. Their role is not clear, but they must have been relatively important ecclesiastical sites. Apart from the Bishop of St Davids, their heads were described as abbots, not bishops. Whether the other six were also bishoprics, former bishoprics, burial places of saint-bishops, or staging posts in the travels of the bishop of St Davids is debated. They are included in this List of former cathedrals in Great Britain on the basis that any and all of them may well have been the seat of a bishop at some time. Details of all seven bishop-houses are given below for the sake of completeness, although St Davids has never ceased to be the seat of a bishop. The status of bishop-house, as distinct from the cathedral at St Davids, seems not to have survived the ending of the Kingdom of Dyfed, even less the arrival of the Normans. It should not be assumed that the sites identified below are exactly the original sites of the bishop-houses : some minor relocation over the course of centuries cannot be ruled out.
|