Downside Abbey

Image: © Tiger Taken: 5 Jul 1993

The Basilica of St Gregory the Great is the largest neo-Gothic church, not a cathedral, in England and home to the senior community of English Benedictines. The brothers came to Downside from Douai in northern France in 1814, as refugees from the Napoleonic regime, but most of what we see today was built in the 20th century. The cluster of eastern chapels and the transept were constructed between 1882 and 1890, the architects being Archibald Dunn and Edward Hansom. The quire was designed by Thomas Garner and completed in 1905; the tower beyond, placed over the south transept rather than the central crossing, was completed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1938. At 166 feet it is the tallest tower in Somerset after Wells Cathedral at 182 ft (Bath Abbey's tower is 162 ft). The great church is 74 feet high (Bath 75 ft, Exeter Cathedral 69 ft, Wells 73 ft) and 328 feet long at present (Bristol Cathedral 338 ft), but Scott's nave still awaits its final two western bays.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0