Guildford Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford, commonly known as Guildford Cathedral, is the Anglican cathedral at Guildford, Surrey, England. Richard Onslow donated the first 6 acres of land on which the cathedral stands, with Viscount Bennett, a former Prime Minister of Canada, purchasing the remaining land and donating it to the cathedral in 1947. Designed by Edward Maufe and built between 1936 and 1961, it is the seat of the Bishop of Guildford.

The Diocese of Guildford was created in 1927, covering most of Surrey. Work began nine years later on its cathedral. Following a design competition, The Cathedral Committee chose Edward Maufe as its architect and the foundation stone was laid by Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1936. The brief for the competition specified that construction costs for the entire building should be £250,000. Work began in 1937 but had to be suspended during the Second World War. From 1927 until the dedication of the cathedral in 1961 Guildford's restored Georgian Holy Trinity Church served as pro-cathedral. In 1952 Walter Boulton, who had ministered mostly in India, was made Rector of Holy Trinity and provost and revitalised the fund-raising for the new cathedral. The building was consecrated in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on 17 May 1961. Much to the disappointment of people in Guildford town and diocese the first Dean of Guildford was not Walter Boulton but The Right Reverend George Clarkson. The building was finally completed in 1965.

More information

Comments Statistics

| | Public | Dutch • French • Italian