Southwell, a town of Nottinghamshire, since 1884 a cathedral city, on the ancient Ermine Street, 7 miles W. by S. of Newark and 12.N.E. of Nottingham. A church was founded here by Paulinus about 630; but the stately cruciform minster, which with its three towers resembles York on a smaller scale, is wholly of post-Conquest date, comprising Norman nave and transepts (1110), Early English choir (1250), and Early Decorated chapter-house (1300). It measures 306 feet by 123 across the transepts, and the lantern tower is 105 feet high. A collegiate church until 1841, it became in 1884 the cathedral of a new diocese including the counties of Notts and Derbyshire, and taken from Lincoln and Lichfield; and in 1888 it was reopened after restoration. Its eagle lectern originally belonged to Newstead priory, having been fished out of the lake there about 1750. In the old 'Saracen's Head' Charles I. surrendered to the Scots commissioners (1646); Byron's mother occupied Burgage Manor House (1804-7); and there are picturesque ruins of the palace of the Archbishops of York (c. 1360; much altered and enlarged by Wolsey). The collegiate grammar-school was refunded in Henry VIII.'s time; and there are a literary institute and free library. Pop. (1851) 3516; (1881) 2866; (1891) 2831.
See works by Rastall (1787, 1801), Shilton (1818), Dimock (1884), Livett (1883), and Leach (1890).