Northampton Cathedral
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral
in Northampton
, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton
and mother church
of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire
, Bedfordshire
, Buckinghamshire
and that part of Berkshire
(formerly in Buckinghamshire) that lies to the north of the River Thames
.
commissioned Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to design a collegiate
chapel
of St Felix which was built in 1844. The number of worshippers soon outgrew the size of the building and Pugin's son Edward Welby Pugin
was chosen by Bishop Amhurst to design an extension in order to make the building into a cathedral. This extension came in the form of the current nave
which was opened in 1864, dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury.
The cathedral was left in this form until 1948-55 when it was decided by Bishop Leo Parker that the west end of the cathedral should be extended. This meant that St Andrew's chapel (1825) had to be demolished in order for the development to go ahead. The original east end was replaced by a straight east end, transept
s and a crossing tower all by Albert Herbert
.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton
Bishop of Northampton
The Bishop of Northampton is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton in the Province of Westminster, England.The see is in the town of Northampton where the bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Thomas of Canterbury.The current bishop is the Right...
and mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and that part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(formerly in Buckinghamshire) that lies to the north of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
History
The origins of the current building date back to 1840 when Bishop WareingWilliam Wareing
Bishop William Wareing was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton.Born 14 February 1791 in London, and after studying at Oscott College, William Wareing was ordained as a priest on 28 September 1815, aged 24, by Bishops Thomas Walsh, Nicholas Wiseman and George Hilary...
commissioned Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to design a collegiate
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of St Felix which was built in 1844. The number of worshippers soon outgrew the size of the building and Pugin's son Edward Welby Pugin
E. W. Pugin
Edward Welby Pugin was the eldest son of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton. His father, A. W. N. Pugin, was a famous architect and designer of Neo-Gothic architecture, and after his death in 1852 Edward took up his successful practice...
was chosen by Bishop Amhurst to design an extension in order to make the building into a cathedral. This extension came in the form of the current nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
which was opened in 1864, dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury.
The cathedral was left in this form until 1948-55 when it was decided by Bishop Leo Parker that the west end of the cathedral should be extended. This meant that St Andrew's chapel (1825) had to be demolished in order for the development to go ahead. The original east end was replaced by a straight east end, transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s and a crossing tower all by Albert Herbert
Albert Herbert
Albert Charles Herbert was a British abstract and religious artist, painter and etcher.-Education:...
.