Christ Church Cathedral. Our Cathedral.
Mā ō tātou ringa, ka rewa anō te tuara o tō tātou whare karakia
With all of our hands the roof of our Cathedral will rise again

Reinstating the Iconic Christ Church Cathedral
The Christ Church Cathedral was severely damaged in the devastating Canterbury earthquakes that struck the city and region in September 2010 and February 2011.
We are reinstating it to once again take central place in Cathedral Square where it will offer a spiritual home to Anglicans, welcome all faiths and none and breathe new life and vibrancy into the heart of our city for generations to come.
Once complete, the Christ Church Cathedral rebuild will feature a reinstated stone Cathedral and Bell Tower - with a viewing platform, a Visitors’ Centre - with a cafe and visitor experience, and a Cathedral Centre - providing space to support the wider community.

Project Timeline
Work began on the reinstatement project in May 2020. We look forward to the end of 2027 when the Cathedral’s doors will once again be open to all.
The work is being undertaken in three phases - stabilisation, main Cathedral strengthening & reinstatement and Tower, and finally the Visitors’ Centre and Cathedral Centre.

Project Overview
This is a complex project requiring close collaboration with the clients, designers, engineers, contractors and heritage professionals - who all are helping to ensure the Cathedral’s heritage fabric is protected throughout the rebuild.
It means the reinstated Cathedral will look as it did before, retaining its heritage features, but be much stronger, safer and more functional, flexible and comfortable.

Cathedral History
The Christ Church Cathedral has been a key part of our city’s identity for 150 years. Like many of the world’s great Cathedrals it took about 130 years to complete.
It was planned by the Canterbury Association, which was founded in 1848 with the aim of establishing a Church of England settlement in Canterbury where the Cathedral was to be the physical and symbolic heart of the city.