Winchester Cathedral
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Index
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Introduction
A difference between cathedral and a large church is defined by the presence of the throne of a bishop. The word
cathedral derives from the Latin and originally Greek word cathedra, a chair
or throne. The diocese of which the bishop overlooks is called a see and
is named after the city in which he sits. In other countries cathedrals are not always on a large scale, but in
England cathedrals have centred around large dioceses and attracted large legacies
and other riches allowing the buildings to grow in size and splendour. Many
cathedrals are built on earlier sacred sites where saints have been buried. Sadly
many of the cathedrals that were founded before 1066 have very little of the early
buildings still standing, except in some cases where the crypts have survived. Those that were founded before 1066 include
Canterbury in 597, York in 625, Lichfield in 656, Hereford in 676 and Worcester in 680.
The list of those buildings that are defined as cathedrals has changed over time. In 1066
the list of cathedrals were, Canterbury, York, London, Rochester, Lichfield, Winchester,
Hereford, Worcester, Wells, Durham, Exeter, Elmham (Norfolk), Dorchester (Oxfordshire),
Sherborne (Dorset) and Selsey (Sussex). The cathedrals before the Norman Conquest were
probabily much smaller in size compared to what we see now. The Normans brought their
building skills with them and shortly after the Conquest many of the cathedrals were
being rebuilt.
Some Cathedrals
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