Cathedral of St Michael and St George, Aldershot

The Cathedral Church of St Michael and St George stands on Queens Avenue in Aldershot as the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Bishopric of the Forces. Built in 1892 to an Early English Gothic Revival design by Ingers Bell and Aston Webb, it was originally intended for Anglican army chaplaincies. The foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria, and the trowel and mallet she used remain on display in the west porch. Consecrated in 1893, the church became the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces in 1973 after the Church of England no longer required it. The cathedral’s red-brick exterior with Portland stone facings and tall spire makes it a local landmark. Inside, the yellow-brick nave has five bays of Early English arches and a Romanesque clerestory. The south aisle features red marble tablets honouring members of the Royal Army Service Corps who died between 1882 and 1920. Stained glass windows by Heaton, Butler and Bayne depict saints and biblical scenes, some relocated from the earlier wooden church that once stood opposite the Louise Margaret Hospital. Visitors find a spacious interior with a modern chancel and a richly decorated east end. The 1930s mosaic reredos portrays the Last Supper, while the East Window shows scenes of The Ascension and The Crucifixion. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, added in 1998, contains brass panels from the old church. A sanctuary crucifix made from parts of 23 aircraft serves as a memorial to the Royal Air Force. The cathedral also hosts musical concerts and holds an annual memorial service for the Royal Army Service Corps.