St Peter's Cathedral, Likoma

St Peter's Cathedral is a huge Anglican cathedral on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi. The island is tiny, only about 18 square kilometres, yet the building covers about 1,640 square metres. The Guardian reported in 2016 that it was the third-largest cathedral in Africa, and the card says it is about the size of England's Winchester Cathedral.

It was started in 1903 and finished in 1911 by missionaries of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa. It is built mostly of granite quarried on the island, in a Gothic Revival style with a cross-shaped plan and two towers at the west end. Today it is the seat of the bishop of Northern Malawi. Likoma is an exclave of Malawi, surrounded by Mozambican waters.

A mission on an island

In 1885, missionaries chose Likoma as their headquarters. The island's position protected them from raiders on the mainland, and its harbour let steamers reach villages around the lake. Bishops came and went, and some had short, hard lives. Architect Frank George arrived to rebuild and expand the mission, working with local masons and carpenters. Under Bishop Gerard Trower, they began building the large church in 1903.

Why so big?

The cathedral's size reflected the high-church style of the mission, which valued grand, beautiful worship. The plan is cross-shaped, with a double-ended apse inspired by early European churches. Because it was built of local granite by local workers, it looks like part of the island. Likoma became part of Malawi rather than Mozambique because the British missionaries were there.

On the globe

The model shows a large Gothic cathedral on a small lake island.