The original church was founded by King Edmund I in about 943 as a royal collegiate church; however, there is no trace of its existence today. The current cathedral dates from the fourteenth century, although it appears to be based on an earlier medieval building, which drawings show was about the same size as the present church. It may be that it became structurally unstable and was pulled down. The tower dates from 1510 to 1530 and was built in the popular perpendicular gothic style of the time. The rest of the building was rebuilt in a classical stype to the designs of James Gibbs of 1725.