Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch.
It was intended that Cathedral Square be named for Protestant martyr Nicholas Ridley, burned at the stake in 1555. Ridley's fellow martyrs, Cranmer and Latimer, have their squares but Ridley's square was envisaged for ChristChurch Cathedral in 1850.
The square was planned in the form of a cross. It was originally conceived as a private area for the Cathedral and a grammar school. However, from the very beginning, the square became a place for meetings and communal events. In 1974 the square was redeveloped. In 2000 Gray tiles were laid, making a grid pattern over an enormous area.
The square is a magnet for colorful characters. Ian Brackenbury, aka "The Wizard", mounts a ladder and begins his discourse. He wears a tall, pointed witch's hat and a black academic gown and he claims to be a false prophet of the Church of England. Then there's the Bible Lady, Renee Stanton. She competes with the false prophet for attention.
Cathedral Square has a large number of historical buildings and statues that are registered as heritage items with Heritage New Zealand. Among them are the ChristChurch Cathedral, Press Building, former Chief Post Office, Old Government Building, Citizens' War Memorial, Godley Statue and others.
In 2011 a disastrous earthquake rocked Christchurch. ChristChurch Cathedral, The crown jewel of the square, was left a gutted ruin. It is still in a damaged state today but plans are to restore it and not to pull it down. Some of the other historical buildings are also damaged by the earthquake.
Today the square is alive with visitors and buskers, food kiosks and hope.
It was intended that Cathedral Square be named for Protestant martyr Nicholas Ridley, burned at the stake in 1555. Ridley's fellow martyrs, Cranmer and Latimer, have their squares but Ridley's square was envisaged for ChristChurch Cathedral in 1850.
The square was planned in the form of a cross. It was originally conceived as a private area for the Cathedral and a grammar school. However, from the very beginning, the square became a place for meetings and communal events. In 1974 the square was redeveloped. In 2000 Gray tiles were laid, making a grid pattern over an enormous area.
The square is a magnet for colorful characters. Ian Brackenbury, aka "The Wizard", mounts a ladder and begins his discourse. He wears a tall, pointed witch's hat and a black academic gown and he claims to be a false prophet of the Church of England. Then there's the Bible Lady, Renee Stanton. She competes with the false prophet for attention.
Cathedral Square has a large number of historical buildings and statues that are registered as heritage items with Heritage New Zealand. Among them are the ChristChurch Cathedral, Press Building, former Chief Post Office, Old Government Building, Citizens' War Memorial, Godley Statue and others.
In 2011 a disastrous earthquake rocked Christchurch. ChristChurch Cathedral, The crown jewel of the square, was left a gutted ruin. It is still in a damaged state today but plans are to restore it and not to pull it down. Some of the other historical buildings are also damaged by the earthquake.
Today the square is alive with visitors and buskers, food kiosks and hope.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Christchurch. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Cathedral Square on Map
Sight Name: Cathedral Square
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Christchurch, New Zealand
Create Your Own Walk in Christchurch
Creating your own self-guided walk in Christchurch is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Statues and Memorials Tour
Although Christchurch is not very large, it has a wealth of public art heritage. Although ravaged by a powerful earthquake in 2011, which caused severe damage to many local attractions, Christchurch nonetheless has retained much of its charm and has a lot to offer visitors in terms of sightseeing. Indeed, there is no shortage of beautiful buildings, parks, gardens and other places of interest... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Christchurch Introduction Walking Tour
Captain James Cook was not the first person to discover New Zealand. There is evidence that the Christchurch area was visited by groups of moa-hunting people as early as 1250 AD.
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles