Southwark Cathedral, or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, is a cathedral in Southwark, London. It is located on the south bank of the River Thames, close to London Bridge. The railway line from London Bridge station to Cannon Street station passes near the cathedral. Closeby is the Borough Market and the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.
Southwark Cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark. It is claimed that the site has been a place of Christian worship for over 1400 years. It was mention in the records of AD1086 - the so-called Domesday Book. The main structure of the church was built between 1220 and 1420 - and if the dates claimed are correct, then it would be the first Gothic church in London. It was designated a cathedral in 1905 with the creation of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark. There are monuments at the cathedral to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. On a more controversial note, the cathedral came under spotlight on 16 November 1996 for hosting the 20th anniversary service for the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.
In 2001 Nelson Mandela opened a new northern cloister, with a refectory, shop, conference centre, education centre and museum. The new buildings received an award for being the best new buildings of the year in 2002.
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Southwark Cathedral
Author: David Williams (cc-by-sa-2.0)
Inside Southwark Cathedral
Author: Arpingstone (public domain)
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