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England's Gothic Churches & Cathedrals Galleries

Ely Cathedral : Building on the cathedral began in 1083. The master mason decided to build high and narrow, making Ely Cathedral the longest cathedral in England. It is suspected that the Nave alone took close to 70 years to complete. Most of the current paintings on the ceiling were done in the 19th century. Originally, the cathedral had two tall towers, but the crossing tower collapsed in 1322. It was replaced by an octagonal tower in 1342, which is crowned by the timber lantern. The lantern alone weighs 200 tons.

Ely Cathedral

Building on the cathedral began in 1083. The master mason decided to ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2005 12:50pm PST

Peterborough Cathedral : The current building was started in 1118 and finally consecrated in 1238. It was given its then "modern" gothic style a few centuries later. A porch and additional building was added in the early 16th century. Its wooden ceiling is only one of four that can be found in all of Europe. The church was temporarily closed in 1539. It was closed again for a short time in 1653 when Oliver Cromwell confiscated it and used it as a fort. His soldiers did extensive damage to the inside, busting out the stained glass windows and defacing and beheading many statues and monuments, especially in the Lady Chapel.

Peterborough Cathedral

The current building was started in 1118 and finally consecrated in 12 ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2005 8:11pm PST

York Minster Cathedral : York Minster Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the northern Europe. It is located in the medival city of York and serviced by the Archbishop of York. This album is designed to be viewed as a slidewhow.

York Minster Cathedral

York Minster Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the northern Europe ...

Updated: Jan 16, 2005 4:32pm PST

St Peter and St Paul - Alconbury cum Weston : Originally built in the 12th century, it received major reconstruction in the 14th century. The chancel walls were heightened and reroofed in the 15th century. Another major restoration was done in 1876. The lower tower was rebuilt in 1877.

St Peter and St Paul - Alconbury cum Weston

Originally built in the 12th century, it received major reconstruction ...

Updated: Aug 09, 2005 8:54pm PST

All Saints - Aldwincle : The original chancel, chancel arch and south arcade of the nave were built in the late 13th century, but only two original windows remain. In the 14th century the north aisle vestry, and clearstory were added. The arcade, chapel, tower, and porch were added in the 15th century. The chapel and several new windows were added in 1488. The chancel was restored in 1863 and the rest of the building in 1893. In 1971 the church was deemed redundant, as there were originally two parishes in Aldwincle. The building has been turned over to the Churches' Conservation Trust and turned into an architectural museum. It is occasionally used for funerals.

All Saints - Aldwincle

The original chancel, chancel arch and south arcade of the nave were b ...

Updated: Aug 09, 2005 11:16pm PST

St Marys - Benefield : The only thing I could find online about this church is that it is situated to the east of the Castle mound, has medieval origins and was largely rebuilt in 1847 by John Macduff Derick for the Watts-Russell family.

St Marys - Benefield

The only thing I could find online about this church is that it is sit ...

Updated: Aug 12, 2005 8:50pm PST

All Saints - Brington : This 12th century church originally consisted of a chancel and an aisle-less nave, the former being rebuilt in the 13th century and the latter about 1330. The western tower and spire were added about 1370, and the porch a few years later. The chancel was again rebuilt and the rood-stairs added about the middle of the 15th century; probably at the same time, the nave walls were heightened and a new roof put on. The nave roof was renewed again in 1674, and some repairs were done to the chancel in the following year.

All Saints - Brington

This 12th century church originally consisted of a chancel and an aisl ...

Updated: Aug 13, 2005 6:50pm PST

All Saints - Buckworth : Only a small portion of the 12th century building remains today. The south arcades and south aisles were built in the 13th century. Near the turn of the century (1300) the tower and spires were built, followed by the north arcade and north aisle in 1310. Near the turn of the next century (1400) the clerestory and porch were added, and the south aisle and north wall of the north aisle were rebuilt. Major restoration was done in the 19th century, and the tower was repaird in the early 20th century. The spire was repaired for the second time in 1925 due to a lightning strike.

All Saints - Buckworth

Only a small portion of the 12th century building remains today. The ...

Updated: Aug 14, 2005 9:46pm PST

Holy Cross - Bury : The nave is early 12th century and retains its west doorway (now inside the 13th century. tower) and its chancel arch. The north aisle was also added in the 13th century, but its north wall was rebuilt in the 14th century. The chancel and the south nave wall were rebuilt circa1400, and at some later time the chancel was shortened and the east wall rebuilt. The remains at the west end indicate that a chapel was built here circa 1500. The date of its demolition is unknown. There was a restoration in 1889, and the south porch dates from this campaign. Of the early 12th century work, only the west doorway and the chancel arch remain.

Holy Cross - Bury

The nave is early 12th century and retains its west doorway (now insid ...

Updated: Aug 14, 2005 11:32pm PST

St. Lawrence - Bythorn : There was evidently a stone church on the site in the 12th century, with some of the stones of which are built into the existing walls. The nave was probably rebuilt towards the end of the 13th century when a north aisle was added but, notwithstanding the presence of a 13th century piscina, it is doubtful whether the chancel was rebuilt at this time. Early in the next century, a south aisle was added and, about 1345, the chancel was rebuilt and widened to the south; the tower and porch were added at this time and the north aisle rebuilt. The clearstory was built in the 15th century, and the north chapel was built early in the 16th century.

St. Lawrence - Bythorn

There was evidently a stone church on the site in the 12th century, wi ...

Updated: Aug 15, 2005 6:15pm PST

St. Lukes Anglican - Cambridge : St Lukes may not be a gothic churhc, but most of the building is very old and gothic looking. If the building has medieval beginnings, it has a lot of modern renovations. I couldn't find any history on the building or the church itself, other than it was jointly used by the Anglican and United Reformed Church until September 2003. At that time the two groups joined together to create a single St Lukes Church. St Luke's is one of the three churches in the Anglican Parish of the Ascension.

St. Lukes Anglican - Cambridge

St Lukes may not be a gothic churhc, but most of the building is very ...

Updated: Aug 15, 2005 10:41pm PST

St. Peters - Clapton : St. Peter's is one of the great Cotswold Perpendicular 'wool' churches, built around 1465. It is well known for its decoration of grotesque gargoyles.

St. Peters - Clapton

St. Peter's is one of the great Cotswold Perpendicular 'wool' churches ...

Updated: Aug 16, 2005 9:28pm PST

All Saints - Ellington : Only the chancel arch remains from any portion of a building prior to the 13th century. The walls of the chancel remained, although often altered, until 1863. The south aisle was added or rebuilt early in the 14th century and the tower was added or rebuilt during the latter part of the 14th century. During the early part of the 15th century the nave arcades, north aisle, and north porch were rebuilt. New windows were inserted toward the end of the 15th century and the south aisle was largely rebuilt. About that same time the clearstory was added to the nave. The south porch was added mid 16th century, the chancel was rebuilt in 1863, the spire restored in 1899, and the nave roof was restored in 1907-8.

All Saints - Ellington

Only the chancel arch remains from any portion of a building prior to ...

Updated: Aug 17, 2005 10:50pm PST

St Mary the Virgin - Ely : St Mary's has a seven-bay aisled nave with arcades of circa 1200, a 13th century south chapel, and a 15th century clerestory. The chancel is 13th century and the tower 14th century with an octagonal spire. The nave has north and south doorways. The south doorway gives access to a hexagonal meeting room, built in 1985 and extended in 1999. The north doorway, under a 14th century porch, is an elaborate composition contemporary with the nave arcades.

St Mary the Virgin - Ely

St Mary's has a seven-bay aisled nave with arcades of circa 1200, a 13 ...

Updated: Aug 18, 2005 5:05pm PST

St Mary the Virgin - Godmanchester : The church of St Mary was mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 but, except for a few stones in the walling, nothing of this early building remains. The church seems to have been rebuilt about the middle of the 13th century, and of this period are the chancel, the west wall of the nave and small parts of the west walls of the aisles. About 1340 a north vestry was added to the chancel, and at the end of this century (and extending into the next) a further reconstruction took place beginning at the west end of the aisles and embracing the arcades, clerestory and porches, and the raising and altering of the chancel. The tower and spire being ruinous were taken down and rebuilt in 1623. The upper part of the south porch was rebuilt around 1669. The roof and parapets were repaired early in the 19th century, and the church was generally restored in 1853, the vestry was rebuilt and the organ chamber and choir added in 1860. Another general restoration took place in 1885 and the chancel restored in 1912.

St Mary the Virgin - Godmanchester

The church of St Mary was mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 but ...

Updated: Aug 18, 2005 11:12pm PST

St Michaels - Great Gidding : The present building dates back to the mid 13th century. In the early 15th century the cherestory, aisles and the south porch were added.

St Michaels - Great Gidding

The present building dates back to the mid 13th century. In the early ...

Updated: Aug 19, 2005 10:22pm PST

St Bartholomew - Great Stukeley : The original building was constructed mid 12th century. During the early 14th century the north aisle was built and the east and west bays rebuilt. The chancel arch and the middle part of the south aisle wall were rebuilt in the 15th century, as well as the building of the south porch in 1470. The building of the tower was started, but wasn't completed until much later. The additon of the clearstory to the nave was also added. The building was completely restored sometime during the mid 1800s and again in 1909-10.

St Bartholomew - Great Stukeley

The original building was constructed mid 12th century. During the ea ...

Updated: Sep 02, 2005 3:35pm PST

All Saints - Hamerton : The earliest parts of the present building are the side windows of the porch, which date from the extreme end of the 13th century, but the whole church seems to have been rebuilt with a chancel, nave, side aisles and south porch in the early years of the 14th century. The usual reconstruction took place late in the 15th century when the aisle walls were largely rebuilt with larger windows, a clearstory added to the nave, the roofs of the nave and aisles renewed, a rood-screen and rood-stairs added, and the west tower built. The chancel, being decayed and ruinous, was partly rebuilt in 1796 when a new steep roof covered with tiles replaced the former flat-leaded roof. The church was restored in 1854 when the chancel walls were refaced. The chancel was under-pinned and repaired in 1896-7.

All Saints - Hamerton

The earliest parts of the present building are the side windows of the ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2005 6:21pm PST

All Saints - Hartford : The two arcades are of the extreme end of the 12th century, and the northern perhaps is slightly earlier than the south. The north and east walls of the chancel may be of the same date. The tower is of late 15th century date. All the rest of the church was rebuilt in 1861, and a further restoration took place in 1885.

All Saints - Hartford

The two arcades are of the extreme end of the 12th century, and the no ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2005 6:38pm PST

All Saints - Huntingdon : The earliest work now remaining is in the south arch of the tower which was evidently the western arch of an earlier 13th century arcade. The tower itself was built at the end of the 14th century, and during the 15th century a general rebuilding of the church took place, beginning with the south aisle and south porch; the nave arcades and the north aisle were next and, finally around 1500, the chancel was rebuilt. The tower has since been partially rebuilt with brick and large buttresses were built against it, possibly in the 17th century. The chancel, nave and north aisle were restored, and the organ chamber and vestry built in 1859. The eastern end of the south aisle was rebuilt in 1861. In 1668 All Saints took over the registers of St John the Baptist church and All Saints church became known as All Saints & St. John's. However, it is now generally referred to just as All Saints.

All Saints - Huntingdon

The earliest work now remaining is in the south arch of the tower whic ...

Updated: Sep 02, 2005 10:47pm PST

St Marys - Huntingdon : There are small remains of 12th century buttresses and the north-east, north-west and south-west corners of the south aisle. The chancel, the nave arcades and the south aisle were rebuilt in the 13th century. The west tower and south porch were built circa 1385, and the clearstory was added about 1500. In 1607 the north-east corner of the tower fell down, destroying the north arcade and the north aisle, all which parts were rebuilt between the years 1608 to 1620. The organ chamber and vestry were built in 1869 when the church was generally restored. A further restoration took place in 1876, and small repairs were done in 1913. In 1667 it took over the registers of St. Benedicts and became known as St. Mary's & St. Benedict's. It is now generally referred to simply as "St. Mary's".

St Marys - Huntingdon

There are small remains of 12th century buttresses and the north-east, ...

Updated: Sep 03, 2005 6:04pm PST

St John the Baptist - Keyston : The earliest existing parts are the nave and aisles are from about 1250; the chancel was built around 1280, and the tower and porch were built around 1300. Commencing in about 1480, a considerable reconstruction took place: the east wall of the chancel was rebuilt, the walls heightened and a new window inserted in each, the clearstory was added to the nave, the south transept was built, and new windows inserted into the south aisle walls. The roofs of the nave, transepts and aisles were renewed when these parts were respectively reconstructed towards the end of the 15th century and correspond with the slight differences of date, but those of the south aisle and porch were renewed in the 17th century.

St John the Baptist - Keyston

The earliest existing parts are the nave and aisles are from about 125 ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 9:02am PST

St Peters - Kings Ripton : The chancel has a mid-13th century piscina, which may date the present core of the church. The north arcade and chancel arch are both 15th century, as are the tower and the north and south windows. The north clerestorey dates from this period too. The church was restored in 1851. The only Romanesque feature is the font.

St Peters - Kings Ripton

The chancel has a mid-13th century piscina, which may date the present ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 9:33am PST

St Martins - Little Stukeley : Portions of the building date back to the 12th century. Several additions continued throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, including the tower. During the early part of the 14th century, the chancel was rebuilt and widened, and the north chapel was added. The nave and the chancel arch were rebuilt during the 16th century. Durng the period the south chapel, aisle, and porch were added. More rebuilding and alterations were done in the mid 17th century and the north aisle was again rebuilt in 1887. The tower was repaired in 1910.

St Martins - Little Stukeley

Portions of the building date back to the 12th century. Several addit ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 10:01am PST

St Peters - Nottingham : The original St Peters church was built in the 11th century, but was totally destroyed in the 12th century. It was later rebuilt in the later part of that same century. The aisles were probably added during the 14th century. Parts of the building were destroyed by bombardment in the 17th century and had to be rebuilt. The Vicorian chancel and the north transept were built in 1877.

St Peters - Nottingham

The original St Peters church was built in the 11th century, but was t ...

Updated: Nov 25, 2005 9:06pm PST

St Peters - Oundle : Sections of the existing building date back to the 12th century. At that time the church was a small cross shaped building. The tower seems to have been built in the latter part of the 14th century or early 15th century. Some type of rebuilding of the tower was done in the late 17th century. The south porch as added in 1485.

St Peters - Oundle

Sections of the existing building date back to the 12th century. At t ...

Updated: Jun 22, 2008 9:03pm PST

St John the Baptist - Peterborough : The original church was built in 1229, but had to be moved due to flooding and population shift. The current building was dedicated on June 24, 1407. The tower originally had a spire, but it was removed in the late 1820s because it had become unsafe. In 1881, the east pinnacle blew off during a high gale, crashing through the aisle roof. This led to extensive renovation period from 1881-3. The building was renovated again in 1909, and in 1976-7.

St John the Baptist - Peterborough

The original church was built in 1229, but had to be moved due to floo ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2005 5:46pm PST

St Thomas A Becket - Ramsey : The original building dates back to the 12th century. The clerestory dates from the 15th century. The one-bay square vaulted chancel originally had aisles, and remains of the south aisle are visible on the exterior. On the north there is a later vestry that continues the line of the nave aisle. The tower is set at the south of the nave's west end, and its erection dates from 1672. The building history is complex, but the building was originally the hospitium of Ramsey Abbey, and had no west tower. The nave arcades were shortened by just over one bay when the tower was added, and the tower arch appears to have been constructed of parts of the removed arcade, including the west respond capitals. Meanwhile the original west doorway, of much the same date as the nave but stylistically unrelated, was presumably moved to its present position as west tower doorway. This is only one of several hypotheses that could be advanced to account for the present appearance of the west end. There was an extensive restoration in 1843-44. 12th century work described here comprises the chancel vault and arch, its east windows and the remains of the south chapel; the nave arcades, the west tower arch and the west tower doorway.

St Thomas A Becket - Ramsey

The original building dates back to the 12th century. The clerestory d ...

Updated: Jan 01, 2006 2:28pm PST

St Peters - Redmile : Not much could be found about the history of this church building. The building has its beginnings from the 12th century. The octagonal crocketed spire tops the square tower and is constructed of a dressed grey stone, the tower being of local ironstone. In the late 1990s, vandals damaged one of the three remaining stained glass windows.

St Peters - Redmile

Not much could be found about the history of this church building. The ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2006 7:06pm PST

St James - Spaldwick : The north wall and part of the east wall are all that remain of the original 12th century building. The south aisle was added mid 13th century and the chancel with the chancel arch were rebuilt in the early 14th century. The tower and its spire were built in the 14th century. There was a long delay between when it was started and finished, probably due to the results of the black death in 1349-50. Around 1370 the clearstory and porch were added. Toward the beginning of the 16th century the south chapel was built and the south aisle and porch were rebuilt. During the 17th century, two buttresses were built onot the north side of the nave, the window between them altered, and the parapets of the nave rebuilt. A lot of rebuilding was done in the 19th century, including the total restoration in 1863. The spire was struck by lightning on 30 May 1904, requiring it to be repaired and rebuilt. The chancel was retored again in 1908 and the tower in 1914.

St James - Spaldwick

The north wall and part of the east wall are all that remain of the or ...

Updated: Mar 07, 2006 5:43pm PST

All Saints - St Ives : The present building is largely the result of a complete rebuilding, begun in 1470, but some 13th century features have survived, notably the north doorway, one south aisle window, and a double piscina. The tower was blown down by a gale in 1741, rebuilt in 1748 and again rebuilt in 1879. In 1918 an airplane crashed into the spire, which fell on the nave roof, and a rebuilding of spire and roof took place in 1924. The only 12th century feature is the font.

All Saints - St Ives

The present building is largely the result of a complete rebuilding, b ...

Updated: Mar 07, 2006 6:11pm PST

Free Anglican Church - St Ives : This is the third building this church has occupied. The present building was opened in 1864 and extensively renovated internally in 1980. Although not an actual medieval church building, its construction has the gothic look of the larger medieval cathedrals.

Free Anglican Church - St Ives

This is the third building this church has occupied. The present buil ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2006 8:57pm PST

St Andrews - Sutton in the Isle : St. Andrews Parish Church located in the town of Sutton in the Isle is the largest non-cathedral church building I've come across so far. The locals call it a mini-cathedral. The interior has the gothic look like all the other medivel parish churches, but it is very fresh looking. They've added the white plaster to the inside walls to lighten it up and it has been done extremely well. They also have several large stained glass windows. For the most part, the exterior is well groomed, with two exceptions. The cemetary area directly in front of the tower hasn't been mowed in a long time which is evidenced by the fact that the grass is taller than most of the headstones and monuments in that area. The area immediately surrounding the building and facing the streets are well kept and groomed around the graves. There are two cemetary areas to the right of the tower past a short pathway that is very well kept and seems to have more modern headstones. Near the pathway is an area that has locked gates that blocks the access to some old buildings that may have the rectory at one time. Some of the glass in the windows have been busted out and the grass hasn't been mowed in years, probably. There were a couple of nice rose buds, I noticed.

St Andrews - Sutton in the Isle

St. Andrews Parish Church located in the town of Sutton in the Isle is ...

Updated: Aug 11, 2005 8:19pm PST

St Mary Magdalene - Warboys : The chancel arch and a north arcade respond remain from a 12th century church with a north aisle. The north aisle was rebuilt and a south aisle added in the course of the 13th century, and in the middle of the 13th century the west tower with its spire was begun. The aisles were later extended west alongside the tower and porches added; the south aisle & porch in the late 14th century, and the north in the 15th century. At some time before the 19th century the chancel was shortened, but in 1832 it was rebuilt to its original length. At the same time galleries were added in the aisles and at the west end of the nave; the floor was lowered to accommodate them. This work in the nave was reversed in 1926. The spire was restored in 1898. Romanesque sculpture is confined to the chancel arch. On the north chancel door is a 12th century knocker in the form of a lion mask with a ring showing two fighting dragons.

St Mary Magdalene - Warboys

The chancel arch and a north arcade respond remain from a 12th century ...

Updated: Mar 07, 2006 6:30pm PST

St Peters - Wentworth : St Peter's is a small church with aisleless nave and chancel and a west tower with a pyramid roof. The nave has 12th century north and south doorways, the south under a porch dating from 1868, when the nave was rebuilt. The chancel is 13th century and the tower 14th century. The nave has recently been converted into a church hall by screening it from the chancel and laying a tiled floor. Benches for the parishioners have been installed in the chancel, which already contained choir stalls and the organ. The glory of the church is a 12th century relief of St Peter now set into the interior north chancel wall.

St Peters - Wentworth

St Peter's is a small church with aisleless nave and chancel and a wes ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2006 9:55pm PST

St Swithins - Old Weston : The earliest parts of the present building are the later 13th century arcades. During the 14th century, the church seems to have been largely rebuilt, commencing with the chancel which was rebuilt and widened to the north in the first decade; the aisle walls in the middle of the century; the clearstory added to the nave about the same time; and the west tower and the south porch at the extreme end of that century. The northern part of the east wall of the chancel and the western end of the north aisle were rebuilt in the 15th century. The roof of the nave was reconstructed in 1657, that of the north aisle in 1638 and the south aisle in 1785. The church was restored in 1895 when the walls were thoroughly repaired and pointed, and the roofs re-leaded.

St Swithins - Old Weston

The earliest parts of the present building are the later 13th century ...

Updated: Nov 27, 2005 7:14pm PST

All Saints - Winwick : All Saints has an aisled four-bay nave with clerestoreys, a south transept, an aisleless chancel and a west tower supporting a broach spire with two tiers of lucarnes. The south arcade is 13th century. and the north arcade circa 1325. The chancel also dates from the 13th century, but the chancel arch was rebuilt circa 1350. The south transept and the tower date from the 15th century. In the 16th century the clerestorey was added to the nave and the norht aisle was rebuilt. There was a major restoration in 1864, when the south transept, the south aisle clerestorey, the porch and the upper part of the spire were rebuilt. The spire was struck by lightning in 1935 and subsequently restored. The south doorway is the only 12th century feature.

All Saints - Winwick

All Saints has an aisled four-bay nave with clerestoreys, a south tran ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2006 10:44pm PST

St John the Baptist - Wistow : The current church building dates back to the late 15th century, but there are fragments that date back to the 13th century. The upper portion of the tower was built in the 16th century.

St John the Baptist - Wistow

The current church building dates back to the late 15th century, but t ...

Updated: Aug 12, 2005 4:25pm PST

St Mary & St Peter - Harlaxton, Lincolnshire : This Anglican parish church has portions dating back to 1323 or earlier. The spire was restored in 1885, with further internal renovations done in 1890-91.

St Mary & St Peter - Harlaxton, Lincolnshire

This Anglican parish church has portions dating back to 1323 or earlie ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2006 9:05pm PST

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