The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle-upon-Tyne, named for St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and boats. It was originally a parish church, built in 1091, but this was destroyed in a fire in 1216. It was rebuilt in 1359 and became a cathedral in 1882 when the diocese of Newcastle was created by Queen Victoria. The cathedral is notable for its unusual Lantern spire, which was constructed in 1448. (07/23/1993)