Rochester Cathedral

England's second oldest cathedral in the heart of historic Rochester.

 

Rochester Cathedral is the second oldest cathedral in England and was founded in 604 AD by Bishop Justus. Construction on the present building was started in 1080 by William the Conqueror's architect, Bishop Gundulf, and it was finally consecrated in 1130. The west front is one of the finest Romanesque facades in England and the nave and the western part of the crypt are also largely Norman.

There are many inspirational works of art and architecture to discover, including the richly decorated Chapter Room doorway, the Gundulf Door (one of only a handful of pre-12th century doors surviving anywhere in Britain) which can be viewed by special arrangement and the medieval wheel of fortune fresco.

To mark the new millennium and to celebrate the 1,400 years of Christian worship, pilgrimage and prayer on this site, the Russian iconographer, Sergei Fyodorov, completed the painting of the first real fresco in an English cathedral for 800 years in 2004 and this is now on view to the public.

There is much to reflect on whether you visit as an individual or in a group.