• Home
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • Support Us
  • Cathedrals
    • List of Cathedrals
    • Gallery
    • Royal Peculiars
    • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    • Non-Anglican cathedrals
  • About Cathedrals
    • Cathedral and Bishop
    • Cathedral and diocese
    • How is it governed?
    • How is it financed?
    • What is a cathedral?
  • About us
    • Read more About Us
    • Executive Members
    • Executive Director
    • Media enquiries
    • Report and Accounts
    • Cathedral Networks
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • Cathedral Cycle Champions
    • Cathedrals Cycle Route
    • Cathedral Links
    • Cathedral and Major Church Projects Support Panel
    • Cathedrals Measures
    • Chapter Training
    • Church of England
    • Jobs and volunteering
    • Pilgrim Passport
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Latest Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Events Map
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  • Linkedin Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com
  • Bluesky Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.comBluesky

Enter your search, example: Cathedral

The Association of English Cathedrals
  • About Us
  • News
  • Events
  • Divine Light – the Winners
  • Cathedrals
    • List of Cathedrals
    • Gallery
    • Royal Peculiars
    • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    • Non-Anglican cathedrals
  • About Cathedrals
    • Cathedral and Bishop
    • Cathedral and diocese
    • How is it governed?
    • How is it financed?
    • What is a cathedral?
  • About us
    • Read more About Us
    • Executive Members
    • Executive Director
    • Media enquiries
    • Report and Accounts
    • Cathedral Networks
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • Cathedral Cycle Champions
    • Cathedrals Cycle Route
    • Cathedral Links
    • Cathedral and Major Church Projects Support Panel
    • Cathedrals Measures
    • Chapter Training
    • Church of England
    • Jobs and volunteering
    • Pilgrim Passport
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Latest Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Events Map
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. The Favourite Cathedrals of England
Back to all news

The Favourite Cathedrals of England

20th December 2021

Christmas came early for our three competition winners.

The favourite cathedrals of England. As voted by you.

Chosen at random out of almost 900 entrants to win a copy of Simon Jenkins’ new book, Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals.

In it, the author and journalist explores the role of history in telling the stories behind these magnificent buildings demonstrating the cathedrals’ central role in the European imagination.

He writes:

“They represent its most embedded institution, Christianity, in all its finery… Even today no other buildings on earth can compare with these structures. They are history and geography, art and science, mind and body in one…’

This is the first study of Europe’s best 100 cathedrals – and we’re proud to say 13 Church of England cathedrals, St Davids in Wales and Kirkwall in Orkney all make the list.

But which did you choose?

Eight hundred and seventy two of you took the time to take part in our competition to name your favourite English Cathedral and why. And we are super pleased that EVERY ONE of our Church of England Cathedrals got more than one vote – as well as St Davids and Llandaff from the Church in Wales.

This means every one of our cathedrals is someone’s favourite.

But who won? A clue: It was very close.

There was only one vote between your first and second choice and again only one vote between your third and fourth placed cathedrals … while number 5 wasn’t far behind!

Watch this little video to find out who were the top 10 cathedrals.

 

  1. York Minster
  2. Durham
  3. Lincoln
  4. Ely
  5. Salisbury
  6. Canterbury
  7. Wells
  8. Liverpool
  9. Winchester
  10. Norwich

Our competition winners were:

Carolyn Taylor, who chose Salisbury because it is just so beautiful;

Louise Round, who chose Liverpool after a recent visit because she enjoyed its vastness and how peaceful it was. She also liked the Tracey Emin neon and felt really at home there.

Helga Brandt who chose Canterbury, where she grew up, for its amazing history and wonderful memories.

Previous
Next

Trending News

1. Updated – Cathedral Peregrine Webcams

15th January 2026

2. Worcester Cathedral – Peregrine Falcon Livestream Webcam Launched

26th February 2026

3. Peregrines Nesting at Winchester Cathedral – Webcam is Live

26th February 2026

4. The Bury Psalter – St Edmundsbury Cathedral

25th February 2026

5. Winchester Cathedral Wins Top Cultural Enterprise Award for Whales

18th February 2026

Related Reading

Peregrines nesting at Winchester Cathedral again after a year away - webcam is live.

Peregrines Nesting at Winchester Cathedral – Webcam is Live

26th February 2026
Peregrine Livestream at Worcester Cathedral Switches on Early for Upcoming Season

Worcester Cathedral – Peregrine Falcon Livestream Webcam Launched

26th February 2026
New mobile phone audio tour launched at Truro Cathedral

New Audio Tour Launched at Truro Cathedral

25th February 2026
The Cuthbert Centre for Pilgrimage and Prayer (CCPP) - Revd James Shelton

The Cuthbert Centre for Pilgrimage and Prayer – Durham Cathedral

25th February 2026
The Bury Psalter, an illuminated book of Psalms which dates from around 1400 and was used by the Abbey of St Edmund, is to find a new home at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

The Bury Psalter – St Edmundsbury Cathedral

25th February 2026
Artist named for new permanent artwork in response to Bristol Cathedral’s Colston window.

Bristol Cathedral Unveils Artist for Work in Response to Colston Window

20th February 2026
Lent at Salisbury Cathedral

Lent at Salisbury Cathedral

18th February 2026
An exhibition that explores the experiences of refugees is a centrepiece of Portsmouth Cathedral’s Lent programme this year.

Lent at Portsmouth Cathedral

18th February 2026

Contact

Association of English Cathedrals
116 Station Road,
Sutton Coldfield,
B73 5LD
+44 (0)7860 921 419
Email Us

Projects

  • Discover Cathedrals
  • Discover Pilgrimage
  • Choral Evensong
  • Cathedral Ceilings – Always Look Up
  • Cathedral Doors – Look in

Links

  • Resources
  • About us
  • Cathedrals
  • Contact Us
  • Support Us
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter Signup

Signup to our newsletter and receive the latest news and event information directly to your inbox.

Registered charity 1128254 Company limited by guarantee

Registered in England 06726262

Website Design: IfLooksCouldKill

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}