England - Chester Cathedral

Chester Cathedral is an ancient abbey and a remarkable building of international importance that has played a significant role in shaping the history of Chester.

There have been churches on the site of the Chester Cathedral for some 1.400 years. After the departure of the Romans, churches were built by the Saxons. In the year of 907 a church dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon princess St. Werburgh was constructed. The church housed her remains and pilgrims made their way to the cathedral.

In 1092 a Benedictine abbey was founded by the Normans. The monastery remained on the site for nearly 500 years until King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in England. Fortunately the king handed the monastic buildings back to serve as the cathedral church of the new diocese of Chester in 1541.

Over the centuries much of the soft red sandstone has become eroded and much of what we see today is the result of enthusiastic restoration during the Victorian period.

The interior offers some treasures of national significance, including the finest pinnacled medieval choir stalls (main picture), dating back to the late 14th century.