Pictures of Peterborough Cathedral

a Cathedral in the town of Peterborough, in the county of Cambridgeshire

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About Peterborough Cathedral

The magnificent cathedral church in Peterborough was given cathedral status by Henry VIII in 1541. Formerly it had been one of the great Benedictine abbey churches, but the abbey was dissolved in Henry's dissolution. The site of the cathedral is historic, it was first consecrated in 655 when the King of Mercia founded a Benedictine monastery there. In turn this was sacked by the Danes in 870, destroyed by fire in 1116, with the present building being begun by the Abbot Jean de Seez in 1118.

It is the impressive West Front of the cathedral that is Peterborough's crowning achievement, a dramatic Gothic screen replaced the old Romanesque facade, this consists of three huge deeply recessed arches standing 81ft tall, of these the centre arch is noticeably narrower and contains the porch of 1370. The final dramatic effect is achieved by the two slender corner towers.

Much of the original Norman fabric of Peterborough is preserved inside, and the nave completed under Abbot Benedict late in the 12th century, is the supreme highlight of the cathedrals remaining Romanesque style. Here there is much use of the creamy-white Barnack stone produced in quarries owned by the monks. Careful restoration allows us to see the magnificent paintings decorating the high wooden roof, these date back to 1220.

It was the Civil War which brought the greatest damage to Peterborough Cathedral, Cromwell's soldiers desecrated the most beautiful parts of the cathedral including statutory, stained glass, the choir stalls and the high alter. Shortly after this, the Lady Chapel was destroyed and the cloisters demolished.

In Victorian times attention once again turned to beautifying the countries churches and few escaped the typical Victorian "make-over" indeed, some churches benefited from the hand of Sir George Gilbert-Scott and fortunately Peterborough Cathedral was one. It is Sir George who was responsible for the lavishly painted ceiling in the aspe, replacing the one destroyed in the Civil War.

Despite its lack of monastic buildings Peterborough Cathedral, set amidst glorious lawns is still impressive, it has an elaborate beauty and is pervaded by a magical atmosphere which allows you to drift back in time to when brown robed monks entered through the great doors, heads bent, voices raised to the glory of God. It is a glorious historical treasure chest with many ancient reminders of its long historic past.

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Please see below for other recommended attractions and towns to visit near Peterborough Cathedral.

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Distances and directions shown below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Peterborough Cathedral

Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre	(2.1 miles, 3.4 km, direction E)	Pictures
Ferry Meadows Country Park	(3.2 miles, 5.2 km, direction W)	Pictures
Castor Hanglands NNR	(5.0 miles, 8.0 km, direction W)	Pictures
Crowland Abbey	(7.7 miles, 12.4 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Barnack Hills & Holes NNR	(8.3 miles, 13.4 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Burghley House	(10.3 miles, 16.6 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Ramsey Abbey Gatehouse	(10.7 miles, 17.3 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Southwick Hall	(11.6 miles, 18.7 km, direction W)	Pictures
Barnwell Country Park	(12.5 miles, 20.1 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Lyveden New Bield	(15.6 miles, 25.0 km, direction SW)	Pictures

All attractions in Cambridgeshire
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Recommended towns near Peterborough Cathedral

Peterborough, a Historic City in the county of Cambridgeshire (0.2 miles, 0.4 km)
The magic of Peterborough lies in the richness of its beautiful Cathedral. It is a glorious historical treasure house, it is unique and quite beyond compare.
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Whittlesey, a Historic Market Town in the county of Cambridgeshire (4.8 miles, 7.8 km, direction E)
Whittlesey is an old area of Cambridge, it is mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086.
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Fotheringhay, in the county of Northamptonshire (9.0 miles, 14.4 km, direction SW)
The lantern tower of the Church of St. Mary and All Saints at Fotheringhay shines through the deepening shadows of the great trees that frame it, shadows matched in darkness by those less visible that haunt the village where the final tragedy of Mary, Queen of Scots was enacted.
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Stamford, in the county of Lincolnshire (11.5 miles, 18.5 km, direction NW)
Of the 17 churches, only 6 now remain in Stamford, which is without doubt, one of the finest medieval towns in the British Isles, if not in Europe.
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Duddington, a Picturesque Village in the county of Northamptonshire (13.0 miles, 20.8 km, direction W)
This is a gem of a village that is all gracious houses and cottages of stone, roofed with stone slates, that are spaciously interspersed around enchanting country lanes backed by mile after mile of glorious rich pasture and meadowland.
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March, a Historic Market Town in the county of Cambridgeshire (13.9 miles, 22.4 km, direction E)
A curiosity of the town is the tradition of the March, March march. This is when a group of Cambridge students gather in the town to walk back to Cambridge stopping at all convenient inns to quench their thirst!
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Spalding, in the county of Lincolnshire (15.3 miles, 24.6 km, direction N)
In springtime, the town of Spalding, in it's favoured position on the banks of the River Welland becomes a riot of blazing colour as tulips, daffodils and other glorious spring flowers come into bloom.
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Barrowden, a Picturesque Village in the county of Rutland (15.4 miles, 24.8 km, direction W)
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Deene, in the county of Northamptonshire (15.8 miles, 25.5 km, direction W)
Captivatingly beautiful in the quiet Northamptonshire countryside is the delightful village of Deene.
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Bythorn, a Picturesque Village in the county of Cambridgeshire (16.7 miles, 26.9 km, direction SW)
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All towns in Cambridgeshire
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Nearby travel help

Peterborough Station	(0.6 miles, 1.0 km)
A1(M) Junction 17	(3.9 miles, 6.3 km, direction SW)
A1(M) Junction 17	(4.4 miles, 7.0 km, direction SW)
Whittlesea Station	(5.5 miles, 8.9 km, direction E)
Cambridge Airport	(30.9 miles, 49.7 km, direction SE)
London Luton Airport	(48.6 miles, 78.2 km, direction S)
Peterborough Cathedral to London	(73.8 miles, 118.7 km, direction S)

Accommodation & Hotels near Peterborough Cathedral

Hotel Name
Bull Hotel	(0.1 miles, 0.2 km)
Aaron Park Hotel	(0.4 miles, 0.6 km)
The Queensgate Hotel	(0.8 miles, 1.2 km)
Charlotte House Hotel Ltd	(0.8 miles, 1.3 km)
Thorpe Lodge Hotel	(0.9 miles, 1.4 km)
Metro Inns Peterborough	(0.9 miles, 1.5 km)
Ramada Peterborough	(1.0 miles, 1.6 km)
Holiday Inn Peterborough West	(2.1 miles, 3.4 km, direction W)
Best Western Orton Hall Hotel	(2.1 miles, 3.4 km, direction SW)
Express By Holiday Inn Peterborough	(3.9 miles, 6.2 km, direction SW)
All of our hotels are available to book online & with special discounts