St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral
Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban
St Albans Abbey viewed from the south west
St Albans Cathedral is located in Hertfordshire
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral
Shown within Hertfordshire
51°45′02″N 0°20′32″W / 51.750556°N 0.342222°W / 51.750556; -0.342222
LocationSt Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 1BY
Country England
DenominationChurch of England
Previous denominationRoman Catholic
TraditionLiberal Catholic
Websitestalbanscathedral.org
History
StatusActive
Founded793
DedicationSt Alban
Consecrated28 December 1115
Cult(s) presentSaint Alban
Relics heldSaints Alban, Amphibalus
Architecture
Functional statusCathedral
Heritage designationGrade I listed[1]
Designated8 May 1950
StyleNorman, Romanesque, Gothic
Years built1077–1893
Groundbreaking1005
Specifications
Length167.8 metres (551 ft)
Nave length85 metres (279 ft)[2]
Nave width23 metres (75 ft)
Width across transepts58.5 metres (192 ft)[3]
Height43.9 metres (144 ft)
Nave height20.2 metres (66 ft)[4]
Number of towers1
Tower height43.9 metres (144 ft)
Bells12 (2010)
Tenor bell weight21-0-19 (1075kg)
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseSt Albans (since 1877)
Clergy
Bishop(s)Alan Smith
DeanJo Kelly-Moore
Subdeanvacant
PrecentorVanessa Jefferson (Minor Canon)
Canon ChancellorKevin Walton
Canon(s)Tim Bull (Dir. Ministry)
Tim Lomax (Dir. of Mission)
1 vacancy (Sub-Dean)
Chaplain(s)Calum Zuckert (Minor Canon & Youth Chaplain)
Laity
Director of musicWilliam Fox
Organist(s)Tom Winpenny
Official nameSt Albans Abbey, Site of Conventual Buildings
Reference no.1003526
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameAbbey Church of St Alban
Designated8 May 1950
Reference no.1103163

St Albans Cathedral, officially the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban,[5] also known as "the Abbey", is a Church of England cathedral in St Albans, England.

Much of its architecture dates from Norman times. It ceased to be an abbey following its dissolution in the 16th century and became a cathedral in 1877. Although legally a cathedral church, it differs in certain particulars from most other cathedrals in England, being also used as a parish church, of which the dean is rector with the same powers, responsibilities and duties as those of any other parish.[6] At 85 metres long, it has the longest nave of any cathedral in England.[2]

Probably founded in the 8th century, the present building is Norman or Romanesque architecture of the 11th century, with Gothic and 19th-century additions.

  1. ^ Historic England. "ABBEY CHURCH OF ST ALBAN (1103163)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Highlights - The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban". www.stalbanscathedral.org. November 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  3. ^ "St Albans abbey — History | A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2 (pp. 483–488)". British-history.ac.uk. 22 June 2003. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. ^ "a Short History of the Abbey / Perkins, Thomas, 1842–1907". Infomotions.com. 8 October 2006. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Home - The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban". www.stalbanscathedral.org. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  6. ^ Perkins, Thomas (8 October 2006). Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Saint AlbansWith an Account of the Fabric & a Short History of the Abbey. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019 – via Project Gutenberg.