oldest cathedral

[betty boop]

what is britains oldest cathedral

[Quizmonster]

Canterbury.

[Cetti]

I thought it was Winchester QM. This building was begun in 1079, but they didn't start Canterbury until the 12th century.

I'd put a link but I don't know how it works now. ;-)

[Quizmonster]

I should know better than to argue with you, Cetti, about things religious! There are views on both sides, however. King Ethelbert built a church at Canterbury for St Augustine in the 6th century and the crypt of a cathedral built - on the same site - in the 1th century is still there, too. As I understand it, the present building is also on that site. What one can see above ground of the current building certainly dates from the 12th century, as you say. If below-ground counts, too, though...? (I took the information above from 'The Encyclopedia of Britain'.)

Betty, having said all the above, you'd probably still be wise to take Cetti's answer rather than mine if this is for a quiz!

[Pinotage]

Depends what you mean by oldest :)

St Albans is built over the shrine of Alban, the first English martyr and it appears there was a church or monastery there in 429 when a synod was held there. The current building had ben altered and repaired over the centuries; its fabric contains Roman bricks from the neighbouring Roman city of Verulamium, and King Offa (died 796)built the first Benedictine monastery over the shrine; some pillar from that building were incorporated by the Normans when they rebuilt it in 1077.