Southwark Cathedral lies on the South Bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. It is one of the most beautiful and historic churches in London but it is enveloped by a sprawl of buildings and the main railway line from London Bridge to Cannon Street passes close by it.
It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark and the earliest reference to the site was in the Domesday Book survey of 1086. Many things have befallen the church throughout its history - it has seen fires, has been rich, sold by a King and has been used both as a bakehouse and a place for fattening pigs.
The main structure of the present church was built between 1220 and 1420, making it the first Gothic church in London. The only part of the original 13th century church to survive is the choir and retrochoir but the cathedral still has many interesting and ancient monuments.
Thomas Becket preached here before departing to Canterbury, days before his murder in 1170.
Heresy trials occurred in the Lady Chapel under Mary I of England. Here, assisted by Bishop Bonner, in 1555, the Bishop of Winchester, tried for heresy John Rogers, Bishop Hooper and many others, their offence being that they remained faithful to the religion which in the previous reign had been the law of the Land.
Shakespeare buried his 27 year old brother, Edmund, here in 1607. It was a popular resting place for dramatists and actors - John Fletcher and Philip Massinger are also buried here. John Harvard was baptised here and his father served regularly on parish business.
Admission free
Tube ( Underground ) : Southwark.
Website: www.dswark.org/cathedral
Other London churches you may wish to see:
Westminster Abbey
St. Paul's Cathedral
Temple Church
St. Bartholomew-the-Great
St. Olave's Church, Hart Street
All-Hallows-by-the-Tower
St. Dunstan's-in-the-West
St. Bride's Church
St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate
