Southwark Cathedral

On a recent trip to London I paid a visit to Southwark Cathedral, which is right by London Bridge tube station.

The building has only been a cathedral, full name The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overy, since 1905, though the building itself is much older, dating from the 13th century. Entry is free, although a voluntary donation is encouraged and a special permit has to be purchased (which I duly did) in order to take photographs.

One of the reasons I’d gone in in the first place was the monument to William Shakespeare, who lived in the area. There is also a tablet nearby in memory of the actor Sam Wanamaker, whose tireless efforts managed to get the Globe theatre rebuilt to its original specifications.

The Cathedral is a very impressive space and there are many things to see from monuments of the important dead to beautiful stained glass windows. There are a few highlights below.

And though I didn’t realise this till later, the Cathedral plays a part in the Doctor Who episode The Lazarus Experiment. Possibly worthy of a visit for that alone!