| Cathedral of the Holy Trinity | |
|---|---|
| Gibraltar Cathedral | |
 Main entry of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Gibraltar viewed from Cathedral Square, depicting its Moorish-style horseshoe arches. | |
 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity | |
| 36°08′18″N5°21′15″W / 36.138235°N 5.35406°W /36.138235; -5.35406 | |
| Location | Cathedral Square |
| Country | Gibraltar |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | holytrinitygibraltar |
| History | |
| Status |
|
| Founded | 1838 |
| Founder | John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Dedicated | 1838 |
| Events | Explosion of the RFABedenham (1951) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect | Peter Harrison |
| Style | Moorish Revival |
| Years built | 1825–1832 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese in Europe |
| Archdeaconry | Gibraltar |
| Clergy | |
| Dean | Ian Tarrant |
| Canon | Robin Gill (Canon Theologian) |
TheCathedral of the Holy Trinity is the cathedral for theChurch of EnglandDiocese of Europe. Located inCathedral Square, it is sometimes referred to simply asGibraltar Cathedral, although it should not be confused with theCathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, which isGibraltar'sRoman Catholic cathedral.
The cathedral is particularly notable for itsMoorish revival architecture, particularly in its use ofhorseshoe arches. This is an architectural style inspired byMoorish architecture, appropriate given the period of Moorish control inGibraltar's history.
The church was originally built to meet the needs ofAnglican worshippers among the civil population of Gibraltar, as theKing's Chapel was primarily reserved for military use.John Pitt, Earl of Chatham, who had arrived asGovernor of Gibraltar in 1820, persuaded theBritish Government to sell a derelict building and use the money to build a church on the land.Building work began in 1825 and the church was completed in 1832. The original architect wasPeter Harrison who prepared a design around 1740, without Moorish arches. More than eighty years later Colonel Pilkington of theRoyal Engineers was in charge of the work, and the design was modified. During the building process, the partially completed church had to be used for a short time as an emergency hospital during an epidemic ofyellow fever.
The church wasconsecrated in 1838 by Archdeacon Edward Burrow in the presence of theDowagerQueen Adelaide, widow ofWilliam IV. It was raised to cathedral status in 1842, with the creation of the Diocese of Gibraltar at the time ofenthronement ofGeorge Tomlinson as the firstBishop of Gibraltar.[1]
The cathedral suffered no significant damage during theSecond World War. After the war had come to an end, BishopHarold Buxton made an appeal for the purpose of "Saying Thank You toMalta and Gibraltar", with the intention of raising funds to be spent on improvements forSt Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Malta and the cathedral in Gibraltar. In Gibraltar the money raised was used for the construction of newvestries and the creation of a second chapel in the southaisle of the cathedral, to be dedicated toSaint George and in memory of all who lost their lives in the Mediterranean area during the war. A stone fromCoventry Cathedral, which was ruined inthe Blitz, is let into the wall behind the baptismal font. It is a small stone with a cross.Theexplosion of the RFABedenham on 27 April 1951 caused substantial damage to the cathedral, lifting the roof and smashing the stained glass. The windows in the sides of the building were re-glazed with plain glass, while the gathered fragments of coloured glass were used to construct the new stained glass window which remains in the east wall, above the high altar. The cathedral required extensive repair work and was not in use until Christmas of that year.
As with mostChurch of England cathedrals, the priest in charge of the building and its ministry is called theDean, currently Ian Tarrant (John Paddock retired in 2017).[2] The Canon Theologian isRobin Gill.[3] Adrian Mumford is the honorary Lay Canon Precentor. TheBishop in Europe is based inBrussels, where there isanother pro-cathedral.
