Pictures of Southwark Cathedral

a Cathedral in the town of London, in the county of Greater London

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About Southwark Cathedral

This is believed to be the oldest Gothic building in London, it stands on a spot where religious buildings have stood for over a thousand years. They began when a convent was founded here by St. Swithen, Bishop of Winchester 852-867, but the earliest record of church buildings came with the Doomsday Book of 1086. Later, the convent buildings became a monastery, this ceased in Henry VIII's Reformation, and following this a building was retained to become a parish church.

The cathedral is a truly magnificent structure with many historic church treasures, in 1623 Samuel Pepys wrote of its virtues, particularly "its fine monuments of great antiquity". Today the cathedral is noted for its historic memorials to Wenceslas Hollar, and to William Shakespeare, during the past century added to these have been a memorial to Sam Wanamaker (1919-1993), and one for the victims of the Marchioness Disaster - the pleasure boat that sank in the River Thames close to where the cathedral stands.

The cathedral nave is an addition from 1890, but this blends well with the older parts of the building. There are many fine roof bosses to be seen, magnificent stained glass, beautiful wood carvings, and fine tracery particularly in the Retro-Choir which is thought by many to be the loveliest part of the cathedral.

Southwark Cathedral is of exceptional beauty, it has an exquisite rich interior, and its exterior is of immense grace with just a small churchyard to one side. It is a stunning building to explore, and afterwards the churchyard makes a peaceful retreat in which to sit and ponder over the wonderful treasures you have seen.

The cathedral is situated on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. There is a restaurant in the Refectory and a shop for purchasing souvenirs.
Please see below for other recommended attractions and towns to visit near Southwark 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 Southwark Cathedral

The Clink Prison Museum	(0.1 miles, 0.2 km)	Pictures
The Golden Hinde	(0.1 miles, 0.2 km)	Pictures
Winchester Palace	(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)	Pictures
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre	(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)	Pictures
George Inn	(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)	Pictures
Tate Modern	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)	Pictures
St. Paul's Cathedral	(0.6 miles, 0.9 km)	Pictures
Tower of London	(0.6 miles, 1.0 km)	Pictures
City Hall, London	(0.6 miles, 1.0 km)	Pictures
Tower Bridge	(0.8 miles, 1.2 km)	Pictures

All attractions in Greater London
Complete A to Z of attractions in England

Recommended towns near Southwark Cathedral

London, a Historic City in the county of Greater London (1.4 miles, 2.3 km, direction W)
London is one of the World's most exciting, cultural destinations where visitors can walk with history whilst enjoying all that...
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Westminster, in the county of Greater London (1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction W)
Of all the jewels in the City of Westminster, none shines more brightly than Westminster Abbey, stunning setting for the coronation of almost every English monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned there in 1066.
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St Pancras, in the county of Greater London (2.0 miles, 3.2 km, direction NW)
The name of the area is taken from the boy martyred in AD 304. Pancras was the orphaned Christian son of a Phrygian nobleman who was brought up at the court of the Emperor in Rome.
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Piccadilly, in the county of Greater London (2.0 miles, 3.3 km, direction W)
One of the Capital's most noted places, Piccadilly sweeps uphill with handsome houses on one side and Green Park on the other.
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Mayfair, in the county of Greater London (2.4 miles, 3.9 km, direction W)
Mayfair has it all, it is the haunt of the rich and famous, with elegant houses and apartment buildings that are the sole province of the wealthy.
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Marylebone, in the county of Greater London (2.6 miles, 4.1 km, direction W)
Marylebone is one of London's more affluent area's, it is home mostly to the well to do, and yet only a couple of centuries ago a large workhouse was built here to give shelter to the poor and homeless, often foundlings were discovered on the workhouse doorstep.
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Camden Town, in the county of Greater London (3.0 miles, 4.9 km, direction NW)
Camden town is a vibrant cosmopolitan region of London.
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Stoke Newington, in the county of Greater London (3.7 miles, 6.0 km, direction N)
Stoke Newington offers visitors a diverse cultural experience, it has restaurants of all types of cuisine, plenty of pubs, clubs, shops and markets, and is sufficiently close to all the historic attractions at the heart of the City of London.
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Chelsea, in the county of Greater London (3.8 miles, 6.1 km, direction SW)
Chelsea is a district in London which in recent times gained fame as the 'home' of the 'swinging sixties' . The swinging sixties was defined on the Kings Road, which runs the length of the area and both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones lived here at one time.
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Greenwich, in the county of Greater London (4.2 miles, 6.7 km, direction E)
The might of british sea-power and the historic town of Greenwich are inseparable. Two famous English sea-faring vessels are here, one is the Cutty Sark, a famous old clipper that shipped tea from China in the 19th-century, and the other, from the 20th-century is Gypsy Moth 1V, sailed round the world by Sir Francis Chichester.
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All towns in Greater London
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Nearby travel help

Borough Tube Station	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
London Bridge Tube Station	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
Cannon Street Station	(0.4 miles, 0.6 km)
London Bridge Station	(0.4 miles, 0.6 km)
London City Airport	(6.6 miles, 10.6 km, direction E)
M1 Junction 1	(7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction NW)
M4 Junction 1	(8.2 miles, 13.2 km, direction W)
London Heathrow Airport	(15.5 miles, 25.0 km, direction W)

Accommodation & Hotels near Southwark Cathedral

Hotel Name
Southwark Rose Hotel	(0.0 miles, 0.1 km)
Novotel London City South	(0.0 miles, 0.1 km)
Mercure London Bankside	(0.2 miles, 0.4 km)
London Bridge Hotel	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
London City Hotel	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
Express By Holiday Inn Southwark	(0.3 miles, 0.6 km)
The Mad Hatter Hotel	(0.5 miles, 0.8 km)
The Bridge Hotel	(0.5 miles, 0.9 km)
Hilton London Tower Bridge	(0.6 miles, 0.9 km)
Club Quarters, Gracechurch	(0.6 miles, 0.9 km)
All of our hotels are available to book online & with special discounts