Roman Britain
Christianity first reached Britain under Roman rule. St Alban became the first British martyr, and by 314 British bishops were attending the Council of Arles — the faith was already organised on these shores.
A History in Stone
The Cathedrals of England
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The Story
Faith Written in Stone
For fifteen centuries the cathedrals and churches of England have shaped the skyline and the soul of the nation.
From the mission of Augustine at Canterbury to Wren's dome above London, these buildings record the coming of Christianity, the ambition of Norman and Gothic masons, and the upheavals of the Reformation. This guide gathers ten of the greatest — their founding dates, their architecture and the stories held within their walls.
Why It Endures
A Living Inheritance
Each is still a place of worship, and each is a chronicle: of saints and kings, of fire and rebuilding, of craftsmanship that has outlasted empires. To walk their naves is to move through more than a thousand years of English history — and to look up at ceilings raised by hands long turned to dust.
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The Long Story
Formation of Christianity in England
How the faith reached these islands, took root, and raised the cathedrals — from Roman Britain to the Reformation.
The Gregorian Mission
Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine to King Æthelberht of Kent. Augustine founded his see at Canterbury, and from that mission grew the organised English Church that endures to this day.
The Synod of Whitby
Meanwhile the northern mission from Iona and Lindisfarne had evangelised Northumbria. At the Synod of Whitby the English Church aligned itself with Roman practice, uniting the traditions of north and south.
Norman & Gothic
The Norman Conquest opened a great age of building. Romanesque gave way to Gothic as masons raised ever taller vaults and spires — Durham, Canterbury, Salisbury, Lincoln and York among the wonders of medieval Europe.
The Reformation
Henry VIII broke with Rome and dissolved the monasteries. The Church of England was established, and many monastic churches became the cathedrals we know today — later joined by Wren's Baroque St Paul's after the Great Fire.
The Ten
The Cathedrals & Churches
Chosen for their history and their architecture — each with its founding date, its story and its images of interior and exterior.
Westminster AbbeyLondon
Founded AD 960 · English Gothic
Canterbury CathedralCanterbury
Founded AD 597 · Romanesque & Gothic
York MinsterYork
Founded AD 627 · English Gothic
Durham CathedralDurham
Founded AD 1093 · Norman / Romanesque
St Paul's CathedralLondon
Founded AD 1675 · English Baroque
Salisbury CathedralSalisbury
Founded AD 1220 · Early English Gothic
Winchester CathedralWinchester
Founded AD 642 · Norman & Perpendicular Gothic
Lincoln CathedralLincoln
Founded AD 1072 · English Gothic
Wells CathedralWells
Founded AD 1175 · Early English Gothic
Ely CathedralEly
Founded AD 673 · Norman with Gothic Octagon
By the Numbers
AD 597
Augustine's mission founds the Church at Canterbury
1066
Coronations of English monarchs begin at Westminster
123m
The spire of Salisbury — the tallest in Britain
1000+
Years of worship beneath these vaults
Begin Your Journey
Walk a Thousand Years of English Faith
Start with the coronation church of Westminster Abbey, follow the pilgrims' road to Canterbury, or climb to Durham's Norman heights. Each page tells the founding, the history and the architecture, with images of nave and stone.
Begin with Westminster Abbey →