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| This very fine example of early medieval architecture stands in the heart of the City. The Cathedral boasts many treasures from the Bishop’s Throne, high above the Eastern Apse to superb stained glass, an amazing collection of roof bosses in the cathedral building itself and in the cloisters and much more. Like the Catholic Cathedral it is well worth a visit and is a haven of calm in a busy city. |
 The ground plan is almost unchanged from the Romanesque original, with fourteen bays making up an unusually long aisle. One feature to watch for is the shape of the radiating chapels, which consist of two intersecting segments of a circle.Two of the chapels here also postdate the original building, the Bauchon Chapel dating from 1329 and St Catherine's Chapel from about 1375. About a hundred years later, the 315 foot spire was added - among the English cathedrals, only Salisbury's is bigger. Norwich comes second only to Salisbury in the size of its cloisters, too. These date from the 13th to 15th century - work was slowed down by financial problems and the arrival of the Black Death in 1349. |
| Norwich Cathedral Treasures |
 The Bishop's Throne high up in the eastern apse, is of exceptional interest. The wooden structure of 1960 is set against fragments of medieval stone which appear to be older than the Cathedral itself. The surfaces of these stones show signs of weathering and the evidence suggests that this occurred before the stones were set up in the present Cathedral; they may have come originally from the Anglo-Saxon Cathedral at North Elmham, although there is no conclusive proof from the evidence now available. It is not an unreasonable conjecture, however, as the transfer of the throne would have been a good means of expressing the continuity of the East Anglia See as it moved again this time to Norwich. (The throne or 'cathedra', which is the seat of the Bishop, gives a cathedral its distinctive name.) |
| Other Special Features |
 New stained glass by John Hayward and Keith New has been installed in The North Transept. The glass is designed as a collage of sections augmented by some newly painted glass.The oldest glass in The Cathedral is in the ambulatory, some dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, although this cathedral was not its original location. The huge west window dates from 1854 and was thoroughly cleaned in 1995. Finally, the Seven Sacraments Font in St. Luke's chapel is a beautiful example of a type of font popular in East Anglia in the 15th century. There are only two in other areas, but 38 in Norfolk and Suffolk. The scenes carved round the octagonal bowl are Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Communion, Marriage, Unction of the Dying - then a Crucifixion to fill the eighth space and Penance. The "Seven Sacraments" font originates from the parish church of St Mary-in-the-Marsh, which was demolished in 1564. The parishioners were given use of St. Luke's Chapel, where they still worship. |
| More Churches |
| To explore some of the other fascinating Churches and Cathedrals in Norfolk, please choose from any of the links below. St. John's Roman Catholic Cathedral Norwich Cathedral St. Margaret's, Kings Lynn St. Mary, Brancaster St. Helen, Ranworth St. George, South Acre St. Martin, Thompson Round Towered Churches |
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