Cathedral · Wales · Still standing

Chester Cathedral

Eglwys Gadeiriol Caer

Chester Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral in Chester, Cheshire, built of New Red Sandstone and developed between the 11th and early 16th centuries around a medieval Benedictine abbey. The cruciform building combines Norman, Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic work and retains extensive monastic ranges to the north.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1100

Its prime

1537

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1537

What Chester Cathedral looked like in its prime.

A broad cruciform church of warm pink–red New Red Sandstone, with a large lantern central tower rising above a wide crossing, long aisled nave and an unusually large south transept. The south and west façades show tall multi-light Perpendicular windows with flowing tracery, buttresses and crenellated parapets; the southwest porch is a deep Tudor recessed entrance. Stone surfaces show finely carved mouldings and drip-moulds; roofs are steep and low-pitched behind parapets, and the scale feels monastic and horizontal rather than vertical.

Step inside

10 places to explore in 1537.

The record describes 10 distinct spots at Chester Cathedral, including 8 interiors: inside the nave, west end looking east to the choir and crossing, crossing under the central lantern tower, choir with medieval stalls and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Exterior approach from the south-east (south transept and crossing)West front and southwest Tudor porch (principal entrance)Inside the nave, west end looking east to the choir and crossingCrossing under the central lantern towerChoir with medieval stallsLady Chapel and the Shrine of St WerburghSouth transept interior (large aisle and chapel spaces)North transept and entrance to the Early English chapter houseCloister walk and undercroft entrance (monastic range)Monastic refectory and abbot's passage

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