Cathedral, Chester

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The full name of Chester Cathedral is'The church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary',since 1541 it has been the centre of worship in Chester.The Cathedral and Monastic buildings were restored in the 19th century and a free standing bell tower was added in the 20th century.
The cathedral is the north West's most visited tourist attraction.opening times for tours are mon to sat-9am till 5pm
sun 1pm till 4pm
There is also a shop for souvenirs and guidebooks.

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This was a must see experience when in Chester. The Cathedral, or at least it's location, has been a focus of worship and attention since the 10th century. At that time a church was present dedicated to St Werburgh, who was born in the 7th century.

The cathedral has grown and developed through adversity and change within the social and religious infrastructure of the region and country.

It is a cathedral worth visiting; inside there are many smaller chapels and places of solitude. It is a living and breathing location - daily worship, visitors and links with other religious communities as far away as the Solomon Islands and North West Russia.

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The present Cathedral stands on the sit of a 10th century Anglo saxon minster dedicated to St Werburgh by Aethelfleda. In 1092 the first Norman Earl of Chester, Hugh d'Avranches decided to transfor the minster into a Benedictine Abbey and then began the slow process of constructing the Abbey Church and at the same time the monastic quarters were rebuilt in a much more elegant gothic style. In 1540 the Abbey was barely finished when Henry VIII dissolved the monastery. However in 1541 the King returned the Church as the Cathedral of the new diocese of Chester.

By the end of the 18th Century, the Cathedral was in need of repair but restoration did not start until the middle of the 19th Century. Today you can see some great architectural features, including remains of the medieval abbey. The fantastic carvings of the Quire are not to be missed. They are said to be amongst the finest medieval carvings in Britain today. Look out for the carvings of the Old man of Chester and the Elephant with a horses body - these can be found on the end of the beautifully carved pews.

There is an admission fee of £5.00 to go into the Cathedral Mon - Sat. Admission is free on Sundays with an optional donation.

Chester Cathedral stands on the site of a seventh century Saxon Church that was dedicated to St. Werburgh, although the site itself may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times.

In 1092 Hugh Lupus (Hugh the Wolf) founded the Benedictine Abbey, and a new Norman style church was built of which parts of which can still be seen today.

The Church was rebuilt from around 1250 onwards taking 250 years to complete. Due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, the Abbey was closed in 1541, but the following year became the Cathedral of the newly-created Diocese of Chester.

Monday to Saturday: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Sunday: 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm

Adult - £5.00
Child 16 & Under - £2.50

email office@chestercathedral.com

March 2010

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The Bell tower of Chester Cathedral is not atatched to the Cathedral building but is in the grounds called Cathedral Green, It's a great place to sit if you want some peace and quiet.
The Cheshire Regiments garden of remembrance is here.

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Chester Cathedral is probably one of the main tourist attractions in Chester but the quite hefty admission charge of £5 certainly puts a lot of people off and it put us off. i really do object to paying to go in to a Church especially such a large amount.

Open:
Monday – Cathedral Saturday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm. Shop 9.30 am – 5.00 pm. Refectory 9.30 am – 4.30pm
Sunday Cathedral 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm. Shop 11.00 am – 4.00 pm. Refectory CLOSED

Admission Charges are:
Adults £5.00 per person Senior Citizens £4.00 per person
Children (under 16) £2.50 per person Families - up to 3 children FREE with a paying adult
Students £4.00 per person Unwaged £4.00 per person
Charisma Card - free admission for cardholder only
Groups (10 or more) £4.00 adult - £2.00 children under 16

Regular Services
WEEKDAYS (Monday - Friday)
07.30 - Morning Prayer in the Chapel of St Anselm
17.30 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Choral Evensong in the Quire
Wednesday:Said Evening Prayer in the Lady Chapel

SATURDAYS
09.00 - Morning Prayer
09:30 - Holy Communion
16:15 - Choral Evensong

SUNDAYS
08.00 - Holy Communion in the Quire (Book of Common Prayer)
10.00 - The Cathedral Eucharist in the Nave
11.30 - Mattins in the Quire (BCP Eucharist 3rd and 5th Sundays)
15.30 - Choral Evensong in the Quire
18.30 - Evening Service in the Nave on the 1st & 5th Sundays in the month

HOLY COMMUNION
12.30 - Monday in the Chapel of St. Werburgh
12.30 - Tuesday in the Nave
12.30 - Wednesday in the Nave
11.30 - Thursday in the Lady Chapel (Book of Common Prayer)
12.30 - Friday in the Chapel of St Erasmus
09.30 - Saturday in the Chapel of St Werburgh

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Stephen Broadbent's bronze sculpture, the Water of Life, in Chester Cathedral cloister garden, is one of the most beautiful in the world. It was completed in 1994 and is 3.3m high. It depicts the encounter between Jesus and the woman of Samaria, as told in John's gospel.

" Jesus said, ' The water that I shall give will be an inner spring always welling up for eternal life.'" John 4:14

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Chester Cathredral is a wonderful place to visit.

With records of a church on this site since the early tenth century, it was founded as a Benedictine Monastery dedicated to St Werburgh on 1092. In 1541, following the dissolution of the monasteries, it was rededicated as the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester, the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester.

It has the only Consistory Court left in existance in Ehgland

The 11th century Cathedral is just off the main shopping street and is one of the main attractions of Chester. If you're looking for a little peace, then just take ten minutes to sit in one of the gardens and watch the world go by, before heading inside to take in the architecture. The huge cost of maintaining the building means that it is no longer free of charge to enter, and the Diocese asks that you make a contribution if you visit (I believe the recommended sum is around £4).

Look out for a fabulous quilt inside the cathedral that depicts the Chester Mystery Plays. It was made in the early 1990s by an American artist and is a true work of art and craftsmanship. It was stolen from the Cathedral a couple of years ago but fortunately was found and returned safely, and is now on view in a much more secure position for us all to enjoy.

Visitors are welcome to join the services at the Cathedral. If you are able to spend Christmas in Chester then I can recommend the 12 lessons and carols on Christmas Eve - but get there early, because the building is packed to the rafters and you might not get in!

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The first church here was built in the 7th century. It is believed that it was built on the site of a Roman temple to Apollo and that even earlier than that, the Druids worshipped here.

In 875 AD, the body of St. Werburgh was brought to Chester by nuns to protect it from the invading Danish army. Werburgh was an Anglo-Saxon princess, the daughter of the King of Mercia. She had died in 690 AD. The church was consequently dedicated to St. Werburgh in 907 by Aethelflaed, the daughter of Alfred the Great,

In 1092, following the Norman conquest, St. Lupus transformed the church into a Benedictine abbey, built in Romanesque style. Henry VIII raised it to cathedral status in 1592. It is unusual because, unlike most English cathedrals which are built of limestone, it is built with red sandstone bricks.