History
The cathedral is named after St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and boats. It was originally a parish church, built in 1091, but this was destroyed in a fire in 1216. It was rebuilt in 1359 and became a cathedral in 1882 when the Diocese of Newcastle was created by Queen Victoria.
The cathedral is notable for its unusual lantern spire, which was constructed in 1448. For hundreds of years, it was a main navigation point for ships using the River Tyne. At its base the tower measures 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m) by 35 ft (11 m) and it is 196 ft 6 in (59.89 m) from the base to the top of the steeple.
The interior of the church was badly damaged by Scottish invaders during their brief occupation of the city in 1640, and in 1644, during a nine-week siege, Scottish invaders threatened to bombard the lantern tower, but were deterred when Scottish prisoners were placed inside.
The tower contains a complete ring of twelve bells, the tenor bell which weighs almost two tons, plus three 15th century bells, one, St Nicholas, which is rung for daily services. The addition of a second treble bell (named "Gabriel") in 1999 has made it possible to ring a lighter peal of ten bells.
Read more about this topic: Newcastle Cathedral
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