Cathedral of St Nicholas
CATHEDRAL OF ST NICHOLAS, ST NICHOLAS' STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1355309
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Cathedral of St Nicholas
- Statutory Address:
- CATHEDRAL OF ST NICHOLAS, ST NICHOLAS' STREET
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-04-18
- Reference:
- IOE01/10377/29
- Rights:
- © Mr Bob Cottrell. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1355309
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Cathedral of St Nicholas
- Statutory Address 1:
- CATHEDRAL OF ST NICHOLAS, ST NICHOLAS' STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CATHEDRAL OF ST NICHOLAS, ST NICHOLAS' STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Newcastle upon Tyne (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 24989 64009
Details
NZ 2464 SE, NZ 2564 SW, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE ST NICHOLAS' STREET NZ 2463 NE, NZ 2563 NW (east side) 20/, 21/, 23/ and 24/490 Cathedral of St.Nicholas 14.6.54 G.V I Parish church; cathedral since 1882. Mostly mid C14, incorporating earlier work in N.W. crossing and north arcade; C15 tower and spire. Many alterations later include the addition of north and south porches in C19 by J. Green and Dobson. Sandstone, coursed and squared except for modern ashlar; lead-covered roofs. West tower with transepts and porches; aisled nave with south chapel; transepts; aisled chancel with north chapel and south vestry (with Thomlinson Library St. Nicholas Churchyard,q.v.). Decorated windows in transepts, south aisle and clerestory, Perpendicular elsewhere; many renewed. Renewed west and late C20 north and south doors in moulded arches, the latter under tall windows, in gabled porches. 3-stage tower has big polygonal buttresses; 5-light window above door; small 2-light windows and tall paired 2-light belfry openings in upper stages; high pierced, battlemented parapet has centre-side pinnacles and taller corner pinnacles which enclose 4 flying buttresses holding square lantern; smaller pinnacles and battlemented parapet on this surround slender octagonal spire. Interior: coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; arch-braced panelled roofs with heraldic bosses. 4-bay nave and 4-bay chancel arcades have octagonal columns with plinths but without capitals, the triple-chamfered arches springing directly from them; high crossing arches in similar style, but chancel arch on responds with capitals. Tower has arches in similar style with 5 chamfers; ribbed vault. Head-stopped drip-moulds to arcades; string and drip-moulds to aisle; plain clerestory. Low blind arcade on south wall interrupted by chapel. Crypt in north transept has 5-mouchette window and chamfered segmental transverse ribs. Octagonal stone font with arms of Robert Rhodes, a C15 benefactor, and high crocketed cover. Pre-reformation brass eagle lectern. South chapel has medieval roundel of the Virgin and Child in each window; much C19 glass commemorating local industrialists and Grey of Falloden. Monuments: 2 medieval grave covers, one with head and feet of body depicted in 'openings ; C14 effigy of knight with shield, lamb at feet; large high-quality C15 incised brass from the grave of Roger Thornton in All Saints', on south chancel aisle wall; several C17 memorials including large sculpture of the Maddison family at prayer; Matthew Ridley, d. 1778, by J. Bacon in classical style; Admiral Collingwood, d. 1810, by Rossi; Matthew White Ridley of Blagdon Hall, died 1813, as a Roman by Flaxman; Calverly Bewicke, died 1815, by Baily; R.H. Williamson died 1835, by Dunbar; alabaster effigy of J.C. Bruce by George simmonds, dated 1896; effigy of Bishop Wilberforce, 1908, by F. W. Pomeroy.
Listing NGR: NZ2498964007
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 304830
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jun-2026 at 14:35:14.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.