Truro is Cornwall’s only city but to be clear it is hardly a throbbing metropolis! Walking its granite cobbled streets, relaxing in its shady parks and shopping the many independent shops, visitors will find that the Cornish pace of life here is just as slow and easy-going as it is elsewhere.
When you arrive in the city however, whether by car, train, bus or ferry there is one site that it is impossible to miss! The cathedral absolutely dominates the skyline! It’s central spire towers above the streets, reaching 76 metres (250 feet) which makes it not just the tallest structure in Cornwall but one of the tallest spires in Britain.
Truro’s Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary has to be one of the most interesting and impressive buildings to visit in the whole of Cornwall. The stunning Gothic Revival architecture is breathtaking; the sound of the organ sends shivers down your spine and a wander through its cool interior rewards the visitor with fascinating art works and moving memorials.
Truro Cathedral built in 1880
It would be easy to convince yourself that the cathedral is hundreds of years old but in fact it was built between 1880 and 1910, making it the first Anglican cathedral to be built on a new site in England since Salisbury Cathedral in 1220!
It was built on the site of the 16th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin, part of which still survives as a peaceful chapel in one of the side aisles. While construction was underway the congregation worshipped in a temporary wooden building close by which could hold less than 400 people and was extremely hot in summer and cold in winter. It was here in this ramshackle building that Edward Benson, the first Bishop of Truro, introduced his new evening service of ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ on Christmas Eve, 1880, which is now a popular seasonal tradition in many cathedrals across the country.
The cathedral was designed by architect, John Loughborough Pearson, in a Gothic Revival style with soaring vaulted ceilings, its distinctive spires and stained glass rose windows. Four kinds of stone were used, the majority sourced from local quarries including Mabe granite for the exterior, and St Stephen’s granite for the interior, with the softer Polyphant stone for the dressings and shafts.
Truro Cathedral’s organ
The enormous Father Willis pipe organ, installed in 1887, is considered by specialists to be one of the finest in the country and when you hear it play it is not hard to understand why, the sound makes the air around you vibrate! It is great idea to try and coordinate your visit with one of the choir practices so that you can hear the organ in action and also enjoy the heavenly sound of the choristers. The choir has a fine reputation and Chistopher Gray, the choral conductor and organist in Truro from 2008 to 2023, has gone on to be Director of Music at St John’s College in Cambridge.
Beyond the stunning architectural features, the cathedral is packed full of art too, paintings, sculptures, textiles adorn the walls and there are also regular visiting, monumental-scale, art installations such as the Gaia globe, an internally lit depiction of the earth from space which was suspended from the cathedral roof in 2023.
In recent years the cathedral has expanded its repertoire of engagement and entertainment, so as well as the traditional Sunday evensong recitals, it now plays host live music concerts and silent discos! And if you are lucky enough to find that your visit coincides with one of their roof top or tower tours this is a rare and wonderful opportunity not to be missed! It is a chance to explore a hidden world up in the lofty heights of the building and see heart-stopping, bird’s eye views of this beautiful little city and countryside beyond!