The present building is widely regarded as one of the finest Norman cathedrals in the country, with a particularly fine doorway at its western (main) entrance. The tympanum depicts Christ sitting in glory in the centre, with Justus and Ethelbert flanking him on either side of the doorway.

Rochester Cathedral, West Door

The present building is widely regarded as one of the finest Norman cathedrals in the country, with…

This image depicts citizens along a narrow road in Spain. A woman rests in chair while donkeys walk on the other side of the road.

Narrow Street in Spain

This image depicts citizens along a narrow road in Spain. A woman rests in chair while donkeys walk…

The lighthouse on the Eastern Heights still stands in the grounds of Dover Castle to 80 foot (24 m) high close to its original height, and has been adapted for use as the bell tower of the adjacent castle church of St Mary de Castro.

Roman Lighthouse, and Part of St. Mary's Church, Dover

The lighthouse on the Eastern Heights still stands in the grounds of Dover Castle to 80 foot (24 m)…

York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is the second largest of its kind in Northern Europe. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, and cathedral for the Diocese of York, and is run by a Dean and Chapter under the Dean of York. Its formal title is The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St. Peter in York.

West Front of York Minster

York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is the second largest of its kind in Northern…

Lyminge is a village in southeast Kent, England.

Lyminge Church

Lyminge is a village in southeast Kent, England.

Norwich Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Norwich in Norfolk, England dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity.

The Cathedral of East Anglia (Norwich)

Norwich Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Norwich in Norfolk, England dedicated to the Holy…

The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish born Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald around AD 635. It became the base for Christian evangelizing in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia.

Lindisfarne Priory Ruins before 1860

The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish born Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off…

The Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Sherborne in the English county of Dorset, is usually called Sherborne Abbey. It has been an Saxon cathedral (705–1075), a Benedictine abbey (998–1539) and is now a parish church.

Sherborne Minster

The Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Sherborne in the English county of Dorset, is usually called…

St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral sits on the edge of London's oldest region, the City, which originated as a Roman trading post along the edge of the River Thames.

St. Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat…

Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, West Sussex, England is an Anglican Cathedral. The Cathedral was founded in 1075, after the seat of the bishop was transferred to the town from nearby Selsey. It was consecrated in 1108.

Chichester Cathedral

Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, West Sussex, England is an Anglican Cathedral. The Cathedral was…

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century.

Benedictine Nun

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict,…

People have been coming to worship and pray at Ripon for more than 1,350 years. The Cathedral building itself is part of this continuing act of worship, begun in the 7th century when Saint Wilfrid built one of England’s first stone churches on this site, and still renewed every day.

Ripon Cathedral

People have been coming to worship and pray at Ripon for more than 1,350 years. The Cathedral building…

The cathedral was founded by Augustine in 602 AD and dedicated to St. Saviour. The Cathedral's first Archbishop was St. Augustine of Canterbury, previously abbot of St. Andrew's Benedictine Abbey in Rome. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great in AD 597 as a missionary to the Anglo-Saxons.

Canterbury Cathedral

The cathedral was founded by Augustine in 602 AD and dedicated to St. Saviour. The Cathedral's first…

Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. Construction of the cathedral began in 1079 under bishop Walkelin, and on April 8, 1093, in the presence of nearly all the bishops and abbots of England.

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the…

Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The stone is sandstone and came from a quarry on the south side of Lichfield. The walls of the nave lean outwards slightly, due to the weight of stone used in the ceiling vaulting, some 200–300 tons of which was removed during renovation work to prevent the walls leaning further.

Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English…

There has been a church on the site for over 1300 years since Etheldreda, Queen of Northumbria made a grant of lands to Wilfrid, Bishop of York c.674. Of Wilfrid's Benedictine abbey, which was constructed almost entirely of material salvaged from nearby Roman ruins, the Saxon crypt and apse still remain.

Hexham Abbey

There has been a church on the site for over 1300 years since Etheldreda, Queen of Northumbria made…

It is generally regarded as the most impressive (architecturally speaking) church in England that is not a cathedral. Originally a collegiate church, it was not selected as a bishop's seat during the Dissolution of the Monasteries; nevertheless it survived as a parish church, and the chapter house was the only major part of the building to be lost.

Beverly Minster

It is generally regarded as the most impressive (architecturally speaking) church in England that is…

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies the ancient priory church building and is one of the oldest churches in Great Britain. The tower dates from Norman times, and doubtless formed part of the building as restored after the Conquest.

Monkwearmouth Church

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies…

Eyam churchyard contains a Saxon cross dated to the 7th or 8th centuries. Initially, it was located at the side of a cart track near to Eyam. After the plague it was moved to its present location.

Eyam Churchyard Cross

Eyam churchyard contains a Saxon cross dated to the 7th or 8th centuries. Initially, it was located…

Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. In 1544, as English armies raged across Scotland and badly damaged the Abbey which was never fully repaired.

Melrose Abbey Ruins

Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks,…

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies the ancient priory church building and is one of the oldest churches in Great Britain. The tower dates from Norman times, and doubtless formed part of the building as restored after the Conquest.

Jarrow Church Tower

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies…

He is well known as an author and scholar, and his most famous work, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) gained him the title "The father of English history". Bede is regarded as a Doctor of the Church by the Roman Catholic Church, a position of theological significance; he is the only man from Great Britain to achieve this designation.

Bede's Tomb, Durham Cathedral

He is well known as an author and scholar, and his most famous work, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum…

An illustration of the Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia.

Presbyterian Church

An illustration of the Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia.

An illustration of the Cathedral at Pisa located in Pisa, Italy. In the distance on the right side the Leaning Tower of Pisa is noticeable.

Cathedral at Pisa (exterior)

An illustration of the Cathedral at Pisa located in Pisa, Italy. In the distance on the right side the…

An illustration of the interior of the Cathedral at Pisa located in Pisa, Italy.

Cathedral at Pisa (interior)

An illustration of the interior of the Cathedral at Pisa located in Pisa, Italy.

An illustration of the Baptistery at Pisa.

Baptistery at Pisa

An illustration of the Baptistery at Pisa.

Now known as Mainz Cathedral. Originally St. John's Church, then St. Salvator, consecrated in 911 by Archbishop Hatto I, served as the cathedral for the Bishop of Mainz until the appointment of Willigis as Archbishop of Mainz in 975.

Mayence Cathedral

Now known as Mainz Cathedral. Originally St. John's Church, then St. Salvator, consecrated in 911 by…

Formerly it was the parish church of Chelsea when it was a village, before it was engulfed by London. The building originally consisted of a 13th century chancel with chapels to the north and south (c.1325) and a nave and tower built in 1670.

Old Church at Chelsea

Formerly it was the parish church of Chelsea when it was a village, before it was engulfed by London.…

The church was originally built by the Saxons around 960, then was adapted by the Normans when William de Braose granted it to the Knights Templar in the 12<sup><small>th</small></sup> century. The church later passed to the Knights Hospitaller in the 15<sup><small>th</small></sup> century.

Sompting Church Tower

The church was originally built by the Saxons around 960, then was adapted by the Normans when William…

Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church in Mobile, Alabama. It was the first large Gothic Revival church built in Alabama. The church was established in 1845 and was the second Episcopal congregation in Mobile. The cornerstone for the building was placed on April 8, 1853 and was completed in 1857.

Trinity Church

Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church in Mobile, Alabama. It was the first large Gothic Revival…

Christ Church Cathedral was established in 1823 as the first Episcopal congregation in Mobile, Alabama and the first in the State of Alabama. The cornerstone of the current Greek Revival building was laid in 1838, with construction completed in 1840.

Christ Church

Christ Church Cathedral was established in 1823 as the first Episcopal congregation in Mobile, Alabama…

This is the only building to survive. It was built c.1365 after its predecessor had been destroyed in the great storm of 1362. Originally the roof was of lower pitch than that of today and covered in lead.

St. Alban's Monastery Gate

This is the only building to survive. It was built c.1365 after its predecessor had been destroyed in…

Greensted Church, in the small village of Greensted, near Chipping Ongar in Essex, England, is the oldest wooden church in the world, and probably the oldest wooden building in Europe still standing, albeit only in part, since few sections of its original wooden structure remain. The oak palisade walls are often classified as remnants of a palisade church or a kind of early stave church, dated either to the mid-9th or mid-11th century.

Greenstead Church

Greensted Church, in the small village of Greensted, near Chipping Ongar in Essex, England, is the oldest…

Founded in AD 1093, it remains a centre for Christian worship today. It is generally regarded as one of the finest examples of a Norman cathedral in Europe and has been designated a <abbr title="United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization">UNESCO</abbr> World Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green, high above the River Wear.

Durham Cathedral from the Wear

Founded in AD 1093, it remains a centre for Christian worship today. It is generally regarded as one…

Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as "the most poetic of the English Cathedrals". Much of the structure is in the Early English style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals in a foliate style known as "stiff leaf". The eastern end has retained much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has a splendid Early English façade and a large central tower.

Wells Cathedral, Somerset

Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as "the most poetic of the English Cathedrals".…

Glastonbury Tor is a hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St. Michael's Tower. Tor is a local word of Celtic origin meaning 'conical hill'. The Tor has a striking location in the middle of a plain called the Summerland Meadows.

The Hills at Glastonbury

Glastonbury Tor is a hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St. Michael's…

The influence is very much Roman, and this can be seen by looking at the doors and windows of the tower. The tower has a number of functions. At Earls Barton, the ground floor probably served as the main body of the church and would have been annexed by a chancel to the east.

Earls-Barton Saxon Tower

The influence is very much Roman, and this can be seen by looking at the doors and windows of the tower.…

Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm around 700, and could have been a temporary burial site for King Edward the Martyr. It was re-discovered by Canon Jones in the 19th century, having been used for secular purposes (apparently becoming a house, a school and part of a factory).

St. Aldhelm's Church, Bradford-on-Avon

Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm…

The stone Abbey was built around 1045&ndash;1050 by King Edward the Confessor and was later rebuilt again by Henry III in 1245, who had selected the site for his burial: it was consecrated on December 28, 1065, only a week before the Confessor's death and subsequent funeral. It was the site of the last coronation prior to the Norman Invasion, that of his successor King Harold.

Westminster Abbey

The stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor and was later rebuilt…

Waltham Abbey was founded in 1030 and a building was constructed on the site by Harold Godwinson (aka King Harold II). In 1177 the abbey was refounded as an Augustinian foundation. The Augustinian abbey was a popular place for overnight stays with kings and other notables who were hunting in Waltham Forest. It was the last abbey in England to be dissolved, in 1540.

Harold's Church at Waltham

Waltham Abbey was founded in 1030 and a building was constructed on the site by Harold Godwinson (aka…

In 1070 Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing so many people during their conquest of England. So William the Conqueror vowed to build an abbey where the Battle of Hastings had taken place, with the high altar of its church on the very spot where King Harold fell in that battle on Saturday, 14 October 1066. He did start building it and named it Battle Abbey, though he died before it was completed. Its church was finished in about 1094 and consecrated during the reign of his son William Rufus. It was remodelled in the late 13th century but virtually destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Battle Abbey Gateway

In 1070 Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing so many people during their…

The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids. In 1107, William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, was appointed to the see, and this was the catalyst for the building of a new cathedral in the Norman style. Its official foundation was in 1133.

Exeter Cathedral

The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of…

The Cathedral was founded in 680 with Bishop Bosel as its head. The first cathedral was built in this period but nothing now remains of it. The existing crypt of the cathedral dates from the 10th century and the time of St Oswald, bishop of Worcester. The current cathedral dates from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Worcester Cathedral

The Cathedral was founded in 680 with Bishop Bosel as its head. The first cathedral was built in this…

Pope Saint Gregory VII (c. 1020/1025 – May 25, 1085), born Hildebrand of Soana (Italian: Ildebrando di Soana), was pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal authority and the new canon law governing the election of the pope by the college of cardinals.

Pope Gregory VII

Pope Saint Gregory VII (c. 1020/1025 – May 25, 1085), born Hildebrand of Soana (Italian: Ildebrando…

Odo of Bayeux (c. 1036 – February 1097, Palermo), Norman bishop and English earl, was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and was for a time second only to the king in power in England.

Odo of Bayeux

Odo of Bayeux (c. 1036 – February 1097, Palermo), Norman bishop and English earl, was the half-brother…

St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz (Stift St. Alban vor Mainz) originated as a Benedictine abbey, founded in 787 or 796 by Archbishop Richulf (787-813) in honour of Saint Alban of Mainz, located to the south of Mainz on the hill later called the Albansberg. It was turned into a collegiate foundation (Herrenstift) in 1442. The buildings were entirely destroyed in 1552, although the foundation retained a legal existence until its formal dissolution in 1802.

St. Alban's Abbey before the Modern Restoration

St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz (Stift St. Alban vor Mainz) originated as a Benedictine abbey, founded in 787…

Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m or 404ft).

Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples…

St. John's Chapel, or the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, is located in the Tower of London. Dating from 1080, this complete 11th century church is the oldest church in London. A beautiful Romanesque chapel, St. John's is on the second floor of the White Tower, which was built in 1077-97 as a keep or citadel, the oldest part of William the Conqueror's powerful fortress.

St. John's Chapel in the Tower

St. John's Chapel, or the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, is located in the Tower of London. Dating…

"Prodeo et Ecclesia" translates to "For God and the Church""Regno et Patria" translates roughly to "Kingdom and Fatherland"

Prodeo et Ecclesia

"Prodeo et Ecclesia" translates to "For God and the Church" "Regno et Patria" translates roughly to…

The cathedral consists of a Norman nucleus (Walter de Lacy is buried there), with additions in every style of Gothic architecture. It is 420 feet (130 m) long, and 144 feet (44 m) wide, with a beautiful central tower of the 15th century rising to the height of 225 ft (69 m). and topped by four graceful pinnacles, a famous landmark.

Gloucester Cathedral (Abbey) Church

The cathedral consists of a Norman nucleus (Walter de Lacy is buried there), with additions in every…

The Basilica of St. John Lateran (Italian: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the cathedral of the church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. As the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, containing the papal throne (Cathedra Romana), it ranks above all other churches in the Roman Catholic Church, even above St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

St. John's Church, Lateran Palace, Rome

The Basilica of St. John Lateran (Italian: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the cathedral of…

Founded in AD 1093, it remains a centre for Christian worship today. It is generally regarded as one of the finest examples of a Norman cathedral in Europe and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green, high above the River Wear.

Durham Cathedral

Founded in AD 1093, it remains a centre for Christian worship today. It is generally regarded as one…

Lyons-la-For&ecirc;t is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy, in northern France. Because of its architecture which has been maintained as it was at the beginning of the 17th century, it is also a well-known landmark within the very distinct geophysical and geocultural entity that is the Pays de Bray, known for its traditional bocage landscape of woods, orchards and cattle economy.

The City of Lyons, France

Lyons-la-Forêt is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy, in northern France. Because of…

Ely Cathedral (in full, The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely) is the principal church of the diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Ely. It is known locally as "the ship of the Fens", because of its prominent shape that towers above the surrounding flat and watery landscape.

Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral (in full, The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely) is the principal…

The mitre is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, some Lutherans.In Western Christianity, the crozier is shaped like a shepherd's crook. A bishop bears this staff as "shepherd of the flock of God"

Mitre and Crosier

The mitre is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain…

The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589. Between AD645 and 1097, the community was attacked many times by raiders, including the Vikings, however it was of such note as both a religious and intellectual centre that King Alfred summoned help from the monastic community at St David's in rebuilding the intellectual life of the Kingdom of Wessex.

St. David's Cathedral

The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589. Between AD645…

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with more than 2.7 million residents, and a metropolitan area of almost 4 million inhabitants. It is located in the central-western portion of the Italian peninsula, on the Tiber river. Rome stands on top of more than two and a half thousand years of history, was once the largest city in the world and the center of Western civilization. Rome is still the heart of Christianity, being seat of the Roman Catholic Church which controls the Vatican City as its sovereign territory, an enclave of Rome.

General View of Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with more…

It was begun during the reign of King Henry I by the first Bishop of Carlisle, the Englishman Athelwold (1133-1155), who built a moderate-sized Norman minster of which the transepts and part of the nave still exist. The present cathedral has fine examples of stone tracery, medi&aelig;val stained glass, paintings and carvings. The building is made of red sandstone, which due to local weather at some places appears black.

Carlisle Cathedral

It was begun during the reign of King Henry I by the first Bishop of Carlisle, the Englishman Athelwold…

The original Saxon church on the site was dedicated to St. Edmund the King and Martyr. During the Crusades in the 12th century the church was renamed St. Edmund and the Holy Sepulchre, in reference to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The name eventually became contracted to St Sepulchre.

St. Sepulchre's, Cambridge

The original Saxon church on the site was dedicated to St. Edmund the King and Martyr. During the Crusades…

The Cistercian Abbey of St Mary and St Chad was founded in 1135 by Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Coventry (1129&ndash;1148). The abbey's location near the border of Wales meant it was destined to have a turbulent history. The abbey was closed in 1536 by the order of Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, whereupon the estate was granted to Lord Powis.

Buildwas Abbey (Cistercian)

The Cistercian Abbey of St Mary and St Chad was founded in 1135 by Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Coventry…