Chester Cathedral sits on ground that has been the site of a place of worship for close to 2,000 years. At one time, a Druid temple sat on this site. The present building dates as far back as 1092 when the Norman Earl of Chester, Hugh Lupus, nephew of William the Conqueror, established a Benedictine Monastery on the site. When the monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII, instead of destroying the church as was customary, Henry deeded it back as a cathedral in 1540 to the newly established Diocese of Chester. Extensive restoration was conducted in the middle 19th century.