[Home]  [Search]  [E-mail]

History
852AD - 1212AD
1212AD - 1539AD
1539AD - 1815AD
1815AD - 1907AD
The Present

Not only was the church in bad repair but it was seriously threatened by the reconstruction of the Old London Bridge, much of which dated back to medieval times. The new approach road to the bridge was within 60 feet of the east end of the church and fifteen feet above the churchyard level. A great controversy developed in the Borough about the future of the church. Some felt it was of architectural importance, others that 'St Saviour's Folly' was a 'damp old monastery' that should be demolished and replaced by a parish church 'more commodious to the needs of the populace'.

After an initial vote to demolish the building completely, the pro-restoration lobby won the day and thanks to the energies of the architect George Gwilt the eastern portion of the choir, aisles and retro-choir were restored. However, the Bishop's Chapel (east of the retro-choir) and the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene (east of the South Transept) were both demolished. The nave was also in a poor condition and in 1831 the roof was removed for safety reasons and it remained open to the elements for seven years. In 1838 a makeshift nave was constructed which caused the great Victorian architect A W Pugin to describe it as ' as vile a preaching place as ever disgraced the 19th century'. In the 1860s the London, Dover and Chatham Railway Company constructed the viaduct that still dominates the cathedral today.

By the end of the nineteenth century the cathedral church at Winchester could not respond to the poor living and working conditions of South London. At first the area was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester. But the Bishop, Anthony Thorold, felt that a new diocese centred at Southwark could cope better with South London's social problems. In 1890 the Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone to the new Nave, which is a very successful and harmonious neighbour to the older part of the building.

In 1897 St Saviour's became the pro-cathedral of South London. In 1904 an Act of Parliament created the new Diocese of Southwark  and in 1905 the church became the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie. Edward Talbot, the Bishop of Rochester, was enthroned as the first Bishop of Southwark.

[Previous]  [Next]