A cathedralchurch is a Christian place of worship that is the chief, or "mother" church of a diocese and is distinguished as such by being the location for the cathedra or bishop's seat. In the strictest sense, only those Christian denominations with an episcopal hierarchy possess cathedrals. However, notable churches that were formerly part of an episcopal denomination are still often informally called cathedrals.
It is a common misconception that the term "cathedral" may be applied to any particularly large or grand church. A cathedral may in fact be a relatively small building, particularly if it is located in a sparser or poorer community. Modern cathedrals frequently lack the grandeur of those of the Medieval and Renaissance times, having more focus on the functional aspect of a place of worship. However, many of the grand and ancient cathedrals that remain today were originally built to much smaller plans, and have been successively extended and rebuilt over the centuries.
Some cathedrals were purpose-built as such. Some were formerly abbeys or priories, whilst others were parochial, or parish churches, subsequently promoted in status due to ecclesiastical requirements such as periodic diocesan reorganisation.
The following list comprises all locations of current cathedral churches, or former cathedral churches, including those locations where no trace remains of the structure, indeed where the precise location is no longer known.[dubious – discuss]
Also included are those structures or sites of intended cathedrals as well as pro-cathedrals, which are churches serving as an interim cathedral, (for instance whilst a permanent cathedral is acquired), or as a co-cathedral where the diocesan demographics/geography require the bishop's seat to be shared with a building in another location.
The inclusion of dependencies is strictly for ecclesiastical reasons—the included dependencies are those that share a province with the mainland of England.
former Parish Church, built between 1879 and 1884, spire removed 1907 became cathedral in 1980 after several attempts to restore the ruined cathedral on St Patrick's Isle came to no avail although the diocese is in the Province of York, the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom
N.B. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a diocese-like structure under canon law, is currently headed by a married man, who is therefore an ordinary but not a bishop; hence the central church of the Ordinariate is not technically a cathedral. However, it will be a cathedral whenever the ordinary is a bishop. It is therefore included here. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham (Houston) is in the same position.
Stamford Hill Cathedral, London N16: from 2011 onwards, the Georgian Orthodox Cathedral Church of the Nativity of Our Lord. Previous name (1956–2007): Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Original name: Church of the Ark of the Covenant, or Abode of Love.
Rookwood Road, Stamford Hill, London N16 6SS
Built originally (1892–1895) as "Church of the Ark of the Covenant" for the Agapemonites (the Abode of Love) but probably not actively used by them after the 1920s.
Used (1956 to 2007) by the "Ancient Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd" (a movement led by Archbishop Harold Percival Nicholson (Mar Johannes) (1905–1968) and known during this period as "Cathedral of the Good Shepherd"
Cathedrals of the Church of England (purple).[fn 1]
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