The history of Sheffield Cathedral

Circa 1000 AD

Christianity has been in England for 400 years. England is ruled by Saxon kings, including Ethelred and Canute.

The only thing remaining from the earliest years of the church on the Cathedral site is a stone Saxon cross. Unfortunately we no longer have this in the Cathedral, but it can be seen in the British Museum. Although there was a church here, it would be another 900 years before it turned into a Cathedral.

Circa 1101 AD

The Norman Conquest means that England is now ruled by kings who came from France.

Many of the important people had French names.

In Sheffield, one of them, William de Lovetot, built a church on the Cathedral site. If you go to the far end of the Cathedral (the east end) you can see some of the stones, with their dogtooth pattern, from William's church in the east wall.

1200s

This is the age of Magna Carta, and of conflict between the king and the barons.

The town and castle of Sheffield were burnt down during the conflict in 1265, and perhaps the church was too. If so, it was quickly replaced, because we find a church being blessed by William de Wickwane, Archbishop of York in 1280.

1300s

Sheffield begins to be known for its cutlery, when Chaucer mentions a Sheffield 'thwitel', a knife, in 'The Reeve's Tale' from his book 'The Canterbury Tales'.

A window in the Cathedral Chapter House illustrates this.

1430 AD

A century of war - war between England and France, and war between two royal families based in York and Lancaster, the Wars of the Roses.

Building styles had changed in the past 200 years, and so the church of 1280 was demolished and a new modern one built, in the 'Perpendicular style' was built, with seven altars, a central tower and spire and a splendid hammer beam roof. The tower is still here and is one of the oldest buildings in Sheffield that is constantly in use.

Circa 1520 AD

The century is dominated by King Henry the 8th, with his six wives. Henry breaks with the Pope and declares himself head of the Church of England. The distinctive thought and worship of the C of E begins here.

George, the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, had the Shrewsbury chapel built to one side of the Cathedral as a family chapel, with a burial vault beneath. You can see his tomb (with both his wives) there still.

The Chapel also houses a grand monument to the 6th Earl, who, for a while, was the guardian of Mary Queen of Scots during her imprisonment in Sheffield (1570-1584).

1554 AD

Queen Mary 1 granted the Charter to the Twelve Capital Burgesses, who became a corporation unique to Sheffield

1740s

The age of the industrial revolution and the discovery of crucible steel by Benjamin Huntsman and others, coupled with the general growth of industrial towns and cities, swelled the Sheffield population from around 15,000 in 1743 to around 45,000 in 1801.

Silver plate was invented here, and Sheffield was given its own Assay Office.

1777

On one side of the church was a shed where the local fire engine was kept. In 1777 this was knocked down, and a new, two-storey building fitted into the wall of the north aisle and the chancel.

This space is now the site of St Katharine's Chapel.

1779

John Wesley, having been denied the pulpit in the Church, preached to over 4000 people at dawn in Paradise Square

1805

This century sees the reign of Queen Victoria. Charles Dickens publishes 'A Christmas Carol', and the first Christmas cards are produced - our traditional Christmas begins here.

No-one would have wanted to celebrate in Sheffield parish church, though, which was dilapidated, dark and gloomy. A diarist records that the church was then 'one of the most gloomy places of worship in the kingdom'.

It had become so seriously dilapidated that the nave (the main part of the church) had to be pulled down and completely rebuilt.

1880

The old galleries and pews were swept away and replaced by oak benches in the nave, which was extended.

A new west door was installed and north and south transepts were built to either side of the tower.

1914

The Parish Church was granted cathedral status with the formation of the new Diocese of Sheffield

At the end of World War I, plans were made to enlarge the building. These involved turning the axis of the church through 90 degrees, constructing a second tower and spire and building a new chancel and sanctuary on the north side of the old church, with the nave stretching out to Church Street on the south side.

The architect of this new work was Charles Archibald Nicholson.

1930s

All the work on the north side was completed, including the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the Crypt Chapel of All Saints, the Chapel of St George, the Chapter House, the Song School and offices.

The Chapel of St Katharine was rededicated and the Shrewsbury Chapel restored.

1960s

The Nicholson plan having been abandoned in favour of a new design by Arthur Bailey, a narthex entrance was built, leading to an extended west end with a lantern tower.

In 1966 the enlarged Cathedral was rehallowed.

1998-99

The Lantern was repaired and new windows designed by Amber Hiscott were put in place.

2000s

The Cathedral is still being added to and adapted to serve the needs of the modern Church and city. In 2007 Princess Anne opened the Cathedral Community Resource Centre, in which we offer hospitality to the local business community, to learning events, and to the homeless and vulnerable of Sheffield. As you enter the Centre from the Cathedral, you see what used to be the west window of the Cathedral, in its new home, linking the old and the new.

What next?

We are planning new floors, heating, lighting, and an accessible and welcoming entrance.