The picture today shows Gloucester cathedral from the south-west, an image copied from the Gloucester Cathedral website (much of this site is a built-up area today).
Gloucester cathedral is an example of a medieval monastic church of the Benedictine order that survived the Reformation of the 1530s because Henry VIII ordered it to become one of five new diocesan churches (cathedrals), these new diocese carved out of existing ones (Worcester in this case). The other four were Bristol (previously the abbey church of Augustinian canons), Chester (previously the abbey church of Benedictine monks), Oxford (previously the abbey church of Augustinian monks) and Peterborough (previously the church of Benedictine monks). Thus there were 21 cathedrals by the end of Henry VIII’s reign. This was the last subdivision of dioceses until the 19th century when eight new diocese were created and the respective parish churches elevated to cathedral status.
Not only the Reformation but also the Renaissance impacted on cathedrals. One example of this, if a rather complex one, was the history of ‘Old’ St. Paul’s cathedral in London.
The ‘Old’ St. Paul’S cathedral, said at one time to be the largest church in Christendom, dominated the landscape of medieval London. In 1561 its timber spire burnt down and in the early 17th century the nave and transepts were given a classical ‘coat’ designed by Inigo Jones. Cupolas were erected on top of the west towers at the same time and a corinthian collonade built across the west front. The fire of London, 1666, ended Wren’s plan to build a central cupola and ‘lantern’. After the fire there was much discussion in political circles as to the design of the replacement cathedral, the ‘Great Model’ being revised by the ‘Royal Warrant Design’ (Charles II). The building programme of Wren’s St. Pauls seen today ended in 1711. Here then was the great example of Classical architecture overtaking Gothic, the coming to fruition of the Renaissance.