ochester was founded in around 604 by Ethelbert, King of Kent. After the Norman Conquest Gundulf, the first Norman, was chosen as Bishop. Gundulf of Bec was the chief castle builder for William the Conqueror and was responsible for the construction of the Tower of London. Gundulf first built a tall tower on the site, possibly for protection while he worked on rebuilding the rest of the cathedral, improving the surrounding monastic buildings and replacing the secular canons with monks of the Benedictine Order. The nave and the restored west front are mainly twelfth century. In 1201 a pilgrim was murdered outside the cathedral and was raised to a Saint and known St. William of Perth. Pilgrims flocked to the cathedral and the increased income provided money to rebuild many parts including the presbytery, transepts and choir. The original tower that Gundulf constructed was in poor condition and reduced in height.Cathedral
Cathedral
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Rochester Cathedral
| County | Categories | ||
| Remains | Excellent remains | Access | Only open at certain times |
| Location | 51.38877,0.503685 (Google Maps) | Directions | Directions via Google Maps |
| County |
| Categories |
| Remains |
Excellent remains |
| Access |
Only open at certain times |
| Location |
| 51.38877,0.503685 |
| Directions |
| Directions via Google Maps |
ochester was founded in around 604 by Ethelbert, King of Kent. After the Norman Conquest Gundulf, the first Norman, was chosen as Bishop. Gundulf of Bec was the chief castle builder for William the Conqueror and was responsible for the construction of the Tower of London. Gundulf first built a tall tower on the site, possibly for protection while he worked on rebuilding the rest of the cathedral, improving the surrounding monastic buildings and replacing the secular canons with monks of the Benedictine Order. The nave and the restored west front are mainly twelfth century. In 1201 a pilgrim was murdered outside the cathedral and was raised to a Saint and known St. William of Perth. Pilgrims flocked to the cathedral and the increased income provided money to rebuild many parts including the presbytery, transepts and choir. The original tower that Gundulf constructed was in poor condition and reduced in height.Location
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Location Map (click to explore)
Dimensions of main church
Timeline
1077
...
Rochester Cathedral building work begins
Gundulf, the Norman monk responsible for the design and construction of the Tower of London, was given the see of Rochester. He started the construction of a tower at Rochester that formed part of the church and is its oldest above-ground part,
1077
...
Gundulf consecrated as Bishop of Rochester
Gundulf became Bishop of Rochester, remaining there for thirty years and where he is buried.
1100
July 13
Abbey Church at Gloucester dedicated
The abbey church at Gloucester built by Abbot Serlo was dedicated by Samson the Bishop of Worcester, Gundulph the Bishop of Rochester and Harvey Bishop of Bangor.
1108
March 7
Death of Gundulf
Gundulf's thirty year career of magnificent castle and cathedral design and construction came to an end with his death. His plans for the reconstruction of Rochester Cathedral were left incomplete. It was not until 1115 that construction work was to resume under the direction of Ernulf. ¹
1115
(to 1130)
Nave of Rochester Cathedral
Construction of Rochester Cathedral's nave commenced in 1115 and was finished in around 1130. ¹
1130
...
Fire at Rochester
On the same day that Henry I attended the consecration of Rochester Cathedral, a fire took hold in the city and damaged the newly finished building.
1137
...
Fire at Rochester
Only seven years after another serious occurrence, fire again broke out in Rochester and damaged the Cathedral.
1179
...
City of Rochester fire
In 1177 or 1179 another fire took hold in the city of Rochester damaging the Cathedral.
1200
(to 1227)
Rochester Cathedral Presbytery and Choir
Building work on eastern area of the Cathedral at Rochester began in around 1200 and continued until 1227. ¹
1240
(to 1255)
North Transept of Rochester Cathedral
Work on the north transept of Rochester Cathedral took place between 1240 and 1255. ¹
1280
...
South Transept at Rochester Cathedral
Rebuilding work on the South Transept and nave of Rochester Cathedral commenced in 1280. ¹
1343
...
Rochester Cathedral Tower
Under the direction of Bishop Hamo de Hythe the construction of a new central tower was begun ¹
3D Virtual Reconstructions
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.
