The site has been worshiped on for well over a thousand years.
A church was first recorded on this site in AD596,
then Church of Saint Mary the Virgin was built in 1826 and was raised to Cathedral status with the creation of the Blackburn diocese in 1926.
The Diocese was originally part of the Manchester Diocese and is the only Anglican Cathedral in Lancashire.
The original church now forms the nave of the new cathedral, which after forty years of fundraising, a world war and the death of its architect was finally consecrated in 1977.
On entering, the eye is drawn to the altar, above which is suspended a steel corona, representing Christ's crown of thorns. The altar, corona and lantern are all the work of the noted stained glass artist John Hayward.
A magnificent example of modern architecture and modern art is well represented in the Cathedral with work by Josehina de Vasconcellos and sculptures by John Hayward including his sculpture of Christ the worker on the west door.
The nave has 15 images called The Journey, by the contemporary painter Penny Warden
The lantern tower is now home to an impressive stained glass memorial to Princess Diana of Wales.
