ALDERSHOT CATHEDRAL
ENGLAND CATHOLIC
PAUL SCOTT
I have not been able to access a plan for this Cathedral, but this satellite view will be helpful.
The axis of the Cathedral is some 30° off due east - west geographically. We shall be using liturgical directions on this site with the sanctuary facing East (capital E). The difference between geographical east and liturgical East will not be great enough to cause difficulties.
Aldershot Cathedral is basically cruciform in shape with a tower at the West end and covered aisles. Some extra building has been added at the Northeast corner – presumably vestries and administration space. A separate war memorial lies off the Southwestern corner.
For this tour we shall start North of the tower and walk around the Cathedral in a clockwise direction before entering by the West door. Our route within the Cathedral will then be clear. I do find this Cathedral has a mystery concerning the transepts at the East end. I wonder if you can pick it?
To continue, tap / click on START
You can access intermediate points in the tour by a tap / click on the following links:
NOTE ON MAGNIFYING IMAGES
With this website format the images are large enough for most purposes. If there is a need for greater magnification of an image, go to the identical photo on
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulscottinfo/albums
and use Command - + (Mac) or Windows - + (Windows).
HISTORY
Wikipedia
Years Built: 1892 – 1893
Address: Queens Ave, Aldershot, England GU11 2BY
The Cathedral Church of St Michael and St George serves as the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Bishopric of the Forces. It is located on Queens Avenue in Aldershot, England, and the building was originally intended to be the principal church for the Anglican chaplaincies of the British Army. However, since 1973 it has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces.
The church was designed in 1892 in the Early English Gothic Revival style by Ingers Bell and Aston Webb of the War Office. The church was built by J. Davey of Brentwood and was dedicated to St George.
Because the building was originally intended as the principal church for the Anglican chaplaincies of the British Army, the foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria on 27 June 1892. The trowel and mallet she used in the ceremony are exhibited in the cathedral’s west porch.
St George’s was consecrated on 7 October 1893 by the Rt. Rev. Anthony Thorold, the Bishop of Winchester, in the presence of Queen Victoria and other members of the royal family.
The Catholics, in the meantime, were worshipping in the Church of St Michael and St Sebastian which had been erected in 1855 opposite the Louise Margaret Hospital. This church was a large wooden building not unlike a barn in appearance, and was constructed mainly of cast iron with internal wooden pillars. The nave had many windows filled with stained glass.
By the early 1970s St George’s was not required by the Anglican chaplaincies because the Church of England had two underused churches in the area while the number of Catholic soldiers was increasing; so, in 1973 it became the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces instead, and was dedicated to St Michael and St George.
The wooden Church of St Michael and St Sebastian, no longer being required as a Catholic place of worship, became an Army store until it burned in 1983.
The Royal Army Service Corps has had a very long and close association with the church, holding a memorial service there each year on a Sunday in July. The Corps’ Chapel of Remembrance stands to the South of the Sanctuary and contains memorials and books of remembrance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_St_Michael_and_St_George,_Aldershot
