Norwich Cathedral

Norwich Cathedral stands in the heart of Norwich, a city in Norfolk, East Anglia. Built in the Norman style, it is the seat of the Bishop of Norwich and the mother church of the diocese. The cathedral is the largest building in East Anglia, measuring 141 metres long and 54 metres wide. Its flint and Caen limestone walls enclose a complex that once occupied a tenth of the medieval city. The cathedral close remains a quiet green space in the urban centre. The cathedral’s history begins in 1096, when Herbert de Losinga, the first bishop, started construction. It was damaged during riots in 1272 and rebuilt by 1278. The fourth-largest cloisters in England were added between 1297 and 1480, when a stone spire replaced the earlier wooden one. The cathedral’s medieval roof bosses form one of the world’s greatest sculptural treasures. In the 19th century, Anthony Salvin remodelled the south transept, and in the 20th a new Lady Chapel was built by Charles Nicholson. Inside, visitors find the Norman nave and crossing tower, the vast cloisters, and the 1480 spire rising 96 metres above. The cathedral’s bosses, carved with hundreds of figures, cover the vaults and remain largely intact. A modern hostry now serves as the main entrance, hosting temporary art exhibitions. The cathedral continues to hold daily services and remains a place of worship and reflection in the city.