This is a list of cathedrals in England and Wales and the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and those in the Channel Islands, by country. Former and intended cathedrals are listed separately. A cathedralchurch is a Christianplace 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 the label 'cathedral' remains in common parlance for notable churches that were formerly part of an episcopal denomination. It is a common misconception that the term "cathedral" may be applied to any particularly large or grand church. Whilst many cathedrals may be such, this is due to their ecclesiastical status. Such a church is grand because it is a cathedral, rather than it being designated a cathedral because of its grandeur. A cathedral may in fact be a relatively small building, particularly where they exist in sparser or poorer communities. 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.
Contents of this list
The following list comprises, for England and Wales and its dependencies, 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. Also included are those structures or sites of intended cathedrals as well as pro-cathedrals, which are churches serving as an interim cathedral,, 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 and Wales.
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 is in the same position.
