ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch
ChristChurch Cathedral is in the middle of Cathedral Square. The Cathedral is the child of the Canterbury Association, founded by Parliament and the Anglican Church. Under the leadership of John Robert Godley, Anglo-Irish statesman, the colony of Christchurch became a reality in 1850.
In 1858 The Anglican diocese commissioned architect George Gilbert Scott to design the Cathedral. It was to be built in Scott's Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone was laid in 1864, but budget restraints halted construction in 1865. In 1873 New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort took over.
The 100 foot nave and tower were consecrated in 1881. The chancel, transepts and apse were finished in 1904. The tower and spire of the cathedral reached a height of 207 feet above the square. The cathedral was an all-stone construction.
From 1881 through 2011 the Cathedral was wracked by earthquakes. In 2011 a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February left the Cathedral in ruins. The spire was destroyed completely. After a 6.4 magnitude quake in June, the walls partially fell in. In 2012 it was announced the building would be demolished.
After much litigation, in September of 2017 Bishop Victoria Mathews announced the Cathedral would be reinstated. The reconstruction would take an estimated 10 years.
In 1858 The Anglican diocese commissioned architect George Gilbert Scott to design the Cathedral. It was to be built in Scott's Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone was laid in 1864, but budget restraints halted construction in 1865. In 1873 New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort took over.
The 100 foot nave and tower were consecrated in 1881. The chancel, transepts and apse were finished in 1904. The tower and spire of the cathedral reached a height of 207 feet above the square. The cathedral was an all-stone construction.
From 1881 through 2011 the Cathedral was wracked by earthquakes. In 2011 a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February left the Cathedral in ruins. The spire was destroyed completely. After a 6.4 magnitude quake in June, the walls partially fell in. In 2012 it was announced the building would be demolished.
After much litigation, in September of 2017 Bishop Victoria Mathews announced the Cathedral would be reinstated. The reconstruction would take an estimated 10 years.
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ChristChurch Cathedral on Map
Sight Name: ChristChurch Cathedral
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Christchurch, New Zealand
Create Your Own Walk in Christchurch
Creating your own self-guided walk in Christchurch is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Statues and Memorials Tour
Although Christchurch is not very large, it has a wealth of public art heritage. Although ravaged by a powerful earthquake in 2011, which caused severe damage to many local attractions, Christchurch nonetheless has retained much of its charm and has a lot to offer visitors in terms of sightseeing. Indeed, there is no shortage of beautiful buildings, parks, gardens and other places of interest... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Christchurch Introduction Walking Tour
Captain James Cook was not the first person to discover New Zealand. There is evidence that the Christchurch area was visited by groups of moa-hunting people as early as 1250 AD.
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles