Southwark Cathedral

At the south end of London Bridge, below the glass spike of the Shard and beside the stalls of Borough Market, stands a church that has watched over the crossing for nine hundred years. Southwark Cathedral was a priory, then a parish church in a district of theatres, inns and prisons, and only became a cathedral in 1905. It keeps the tombs of a medieval poet and a Jacobean bishop, a memorial to Shakespeare, and a chapel for the founder of Harvard.

From priory to cathedral

In 1106 the church became an Augustinian priory, St Mary Overie — “over the river”. After a fire in 1212 it was rebuilt over the next two centuries, beginning with the choir and retrochoir, and it is often called the first Gothic church in London. At the Dissolution the priory was closed and the church became the parish church of St Saviour.

Bankside, beyond the City’s jurisdiction, was the London of the playhouses, and the parish knew Shakespeare’s world: his brother Edmund was buried here in 1607, and John Harvard was baptised here the same year. The ruinous nave was rebuilt in 1890–97 by Arthur Blomfield, and in 1905 the church became the cathedral of the new Diocese of Southwark.

The square pinnacled tower of Southwark Cathedral above the transept, seen from below — The central tower over the crossing. Photograph by Clicker Finger on Pexels.

The visitor's cheat sheet

Southwark Cathedral at a glance
Where	London Bridge, London SE1 9DA, beside Borough Market
Getting there	London Bridge station (Underground and rail) is a couple of minutes’ walk
Opening hours	Mon–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 8.30am–5pm. Areas are restricted during services, and the closures page lists whole or part closures
Admission	Free; donations welcome. Highlights tour £9
How long	About 1 hour
Best time	A weekday between 9am and 5pm, when no services restrict access
Dress code	No formal code; respectful dress as in any working church
Tours	Cathedral Highlights tour, 60 minutes at 11am on set dates, £9 (concessions £7, under-10s free), booked on Eventbrite; themed specialist tours at the same price

Hours and admission checked against the official site in October 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.

Early Gothic London. The choir and the low, vaulted retrochoir behind the high altar date from the rebuilding after 1212. Walk round behind the screen to stand in one of the oldest Gothic interiors in the capital.

What to see, in the order you meet it

The nave and the great screen

The nave is Victorian, built in the style of the thirteenth-century choir. Look east to the great stone screen behind the high altar, filled with figures. In the north aisle lies the painted tomb of John Gower, the poet and friend of Chaucer, who died in 1408; his effigy rests its head on his three books. Elsewhere in the church is an oak effigy of a knight, probably of the thirteenth century — a rare survival in wood.

The nave of Southwark Cathedral looking east to the carved stone screen behind the high altar — The nave, rebuilt in the 1890s, looking east to the great stone screen. Photograph by JFVoll on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The brightly painted tomb of the poet John Gower, his effigy resting its head on three books — The tomb of John Gower, Chaucer’s friend, his head resting on his three books. Photograph by Poliphilo on Wikimedia Commons (CC0).

Shakespeare and Harvard

In the south aisle is the Shakespeare memorial: an alabaster figure of the playwright reclining, against a carving of Bankside and the Globe, with a stained-glass window of characters from the plays above. In the north transept, the Harvard Chapel commemorates John Harvard, baptised here in 1607, who left his books and half his estate to the college in Massachusetts that took his name.

An alabaster figure of William Shakespeare reclining, with a relief of old Southwark behind — The Shakespeare memorial, with a carving of the Southwark he knew behind him. Photograph by Frank Kovalchek on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

A colourful stained-glass window above the Shakespeare memorial, with figures from his plays — The Shakespeare window above it, with characters from the plays. Photograph by Philip Halling on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

The retrochoir and Lancelot Andrewes

Behind the high altar is the retrochoir, low and vaulted, the earliest Gothic work in the church. Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester and one of the translators of the King James Bible, who died in 1626, is buried in the cathedral under a painted tomb.

The east end of Southwark Cathedral with its lancet windows and the tower behind — The east end, rebuilt after the fire of 1212 in the earliest Gothic style in London. Photograph by helloiamtugce on Pexels.

Tickets and tours

Free entry, tours on set dates

Entry is free. The Cathedral Highlights tour, led by a volunteer guide, lasts an hour and starts at 11am on set dates; it costs £9 for adults and £7 concessions, and is free for children under 10. Specialist tours on themes such as stained glass, poets and playwrights, and the women of Southwark run at the same price. All are booked on Eventbrite, and groups must book in advance.

Where to stay in London

The hotel link goes to Booking.com. This site earns nothing from it at present — it is here because it is the quickest way to check what is actually available.

Don't miss

The retrochoir One of the oldest Gothic interiors in London.
Gower's tomb A medieval poet, painted and gilded.
The Shakespeare memorial With his plays in glass above.
The Harvard Chapel For the founder of Harvard, baptised here.
The wooden knight A rare oak effigy.
Hodge The cathedral cat.

Insider tips

Pair it with the market. Borough Market is right outside, the Globe and Tate Modern are a short walk west along Bankside, and the Golden Hinde and the ruins of Winchester Palace are just beyond. Check the closures page first: the cathedral sometimes closes for funerals, filming and events. Well-behaved dogs on a short lead are welcome.

The cathedral has a café and a shop, and its churchyard garden is a quiet spot in one of the busiest corners of London.

A black and white cat sitting on a red cushion in a carved wooden stall — Hodge, the cathedral cat. Photograph by Marathon on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Common questions

Is Southwark Cathedral free to visit?

Yes. Entry is free and donations are welcome. The one-hour Cathedral Highlights tour costs £9 for adults, £7 concessions, and is free for children under 10.

Is Shakespeare connected to Southwark Cathedral?

Yes. Shakespeare worked at the Globe, a few minutes’ walk away, and his brother Edmund, an actor, was buried in the church in 1607. The cathedral has a memorial to the playwright, with a stained-glass window of characters from his plays above it.

What is the Harvard Chapel?

A chapel in the north transept commemorating John Harvard, founder of Harvard University, who was baptised here in 1607. It was paid for by Harvard alumni living in England.

When is the best time to visit?

Parts of the cathedral are restricted during services. The cathedral recommends visiting Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday 9.30am–3.45pm and 4.30–5pm, and Sunday 12.30–3pm and 4–5pm. Short prayers are said on the hour from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

How do you get to Southwark Cathedral?

It stands at the south end of London Bridge, a couple of minutes’ walk from London Bridge station, next to Borough Market.

Where to stay and eat nearby

Borough Market and the streets around London Bridge are full of places to eat, and the South Bank has hotels of every kind.

Hotels in London

More English churches

St Paul's Cathedral — across the river by the Millennium Bridge
Westminster Abbey — the coronation church
Winchester Cathedral — whose bishops once owned this corner of Southwark

See all the cathedrals and churches worth visiting in England →