English Cathedrals: Art, Architecture and Legends

This is an online course.

England’s great cathedrals are among the most extraordinary buildings ever created in Europe. Rising above their cities with soaring vaults, luminous stained glass and centuries of craftsmanship, they were designed not only as places of worship but as powerful expressions of faith, history, and community.

This course explores ten of England’s most remarkable cathedrals through the stories embedded within their stones.

Each week we will examine a different cathedral, uncovering the history of its foundation, the development of its architecture, and the artworks that still shape its character today. Alongside this exploration of the buildings themselves, we will also encounter the saints whose cults helped define these places — figures whose lives, legends, and miracles drew pilgrims from across Europe. 

Through this dual perspective, the course reveals how architecture, art, and belief worked together in the Christian imagination. Cathedrals were not simply impressive structures, they were living centres of devotion, storytelling, and identity.

The course is taught jointly by Dr Sarah James, who will explore the saints and their cults, and Dr Michael Paraskos, who will guide participants through the art and architecture of the buildings. Together they offer a richly layered introduction to the religious, artistic, and cultural world that gave rise to England’s great cathedrals.

We will look at:

• Durham Cathedral
• Rochester Cathedral
• Norwich Cathedral
• Canterbury Cathedral (and York Minster!)
• Salisbury Cathedral
• Wells Cathedral
• Gloucester Cathedral
• Westminster Abbey
• Ely Cathedral
• St Paul's Cathedral, London

Term dates

•  Spring/Lent Term: week beginning 12 January 2027 until week ending 20 March 2027

For course content enquiries: Contact Dr Sarah James at sarah.james1@imperial.ac.uk 

For enrolment and booking enquiries: Contact Christian Jacobi at c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

Recordings of these classes will be available (T&Cs apply).

Imperial certificates

This course has no exams or assessments, so you can focus on enjoying your learning. Regular attendance may also lead to the award of an Imperial attendance certificate. (T&Cs apply).