Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester Cathedral, the former abbey church of St Peter in Gloucester, south-west England, elevated to the rank of cathedral by Henry VIII in 1541. Founded c. 681 and Benedictine from 1022, Gloucester Abbey was one of the richest in the West Country. It acquired particular fame when the murdered Edward II was buried there, under a magnificently carved tomb, in 1327.

The present cathedral was begun in 1089. The surviving Norman nave, with its massive cylindrical arcades, dates from 1120 to 1160. A comprehensive remodelling, which transformed the east end and the transepts, began in the 1330s, when the abbey was enjoying generous patronage from Edward III. The new work was a pioneering example of the Perpendicular style of Gothic architecture. The Lady Chapel and central tower date from the second half of the 15th century. The east window, dating from the 1350s, commemorates those who fought at the Battle of Crécy. The chief surviving relic of the monastic buildings is the fan-vaulted cloister, completed in 1412.