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St. John's Roman Catholic Cathedral

St John's Cathedral interior

Victorian church, with wooden vaulted ceiling. Built in five phases from 1882-1925, and consecrated in 1887.

During World War II it was extensively damaged and Bishop's House was destroyed by a bomb. All stained glass windows, except rose window over the organ, were either damaged or destroyed, and were repaired or replaced. The sanctuary walls, where the High Altar was positioned, were covered by paintings by Nathanel Westlake. These were also damaged and in 1972 were painted out. In 1906 the High Altar was moved forward and placed under an elaborate baldacchino. In 2010 a The three-metre high statue of St John the Evangelist, sponsored by the Friends of the Cathedral, was unveiled outside the Cathedral. Philip Jackson is one of the foremost figurative sculptors in Britain today.

Opening Times

Open New Year
Open Christmas
Open All Year
2012 (28/08/2011 - 31/12/2012)
DayTimes
Monday08:0018:00
Tuesday08:0018:00
Wednesday08:0018:00
Thursday08:0018:00
Friday08:0018:00
Saturday08:0018:00
Sunday08:0018:00
Bank Holiday09:0017:00
2012 (01/01/2012 - 31/12/2012)
DayTimes

Facilities

Accessibility

  • All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
  • Disabled Parking
  • Disabled persons toilet
  • Facilities for Hearing Impaired Visitors - Induction loop system
  • Facilities for Visually Impaired Visitors
  • Guide Dogs Permitted
  • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
  • Ramp/Level Access
  • Toilets for Disabled Visitors
  • Wheelchair user accessible

Children & Infants

  • Baby changing

Parking & Transport

  • On site parking
  • Railway station within 5 miles
  • Railway station within walking distance

Catering

  • Catering for groups
  • On-Site cafe/restaurant - Light refreshments, sandwiches, hot and cold beverages. Buffet for groups when pre-arranged.

Payment Methods

  • Delta
  • Delta accepted
  • Maestro
  • Maestro Accepted
  • MasterCard
  • MasterCard accepted
  • Sterling Travellers Cheques accepted
  • Visa
  • Visa accepted

Establishment Features

  • Conference facilities
  • Open New Year
  • Open on bank holidays
  • Printed Material in Foreign Languages
  • Toilets

Specialist Features

  • Cyclists welcome

Tours and Demonstrations

  • Educational Visits Accepted
  • Guided Tours Available for Groups

Printed Material in Foreign Languages

  • French printed material
  • German printed material
  • Italian printed material
  • Spanish printed material

Road Directions

Nearest major road is M27. Follow signs to historic seafront and when entering the city, the cathedral is well signposted.

Public Transport Directions

Nearest station is Portsmouth & Southsea. Follow signs for Cathedral.

What's Nearby

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Proximity
Within miles