Cathedral · England · Restored

Southwark Cathedral

Southwark Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, London. The present Gothic building retains the basic cruciform layout built between c.1220 and c.1420, with an aisled nave, crossing tower, transepts, a five-bay choir and an east retrochoir (Lady chapel).

Recreate Cathedral to Explore →

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1150

Its prime

1420

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1420

What Southwark Cathedral looked like in its prime.

A compact Gothic parish church of warm ashlar stone with a square crossing tower rising above a long aisled nave and pitched roofs; the east end is a low retrochoir made of a group of gabled chapels. Buttressed aisle walls are pierced by tall narrow lancet windows; the tower is crenellated and finished with slender pinnacles. The building sits close to the riverbank and a small churchyard and tight city streets.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1420.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Southwark Cathedral — including 4 interiors: nave interior looking east, choir interior (five-bay) looking east, north transept interior (site of later harvard chapel) and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Southwest exterior approach (street level)Crossing tower exteriorNave interior looking eastChoir interior (five-bay) looking eastRetrochoir / Lady chapel group (east exterior)South transept and Mary Magdalen (parochial) chapel angleNorth transept interior (site of later Harvard Chapel)View from the tower top over Bankside and the Thames

Create History