Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, amongst others, brought Odo to account at the trial of Penenden Heath c. 1072.
Following Odo's final fall, Gundulf was appointed as the first Norman bishop of Rochester in 1077.
The cathedral and its lands were restored to the bishop.

Gundulf's first undertaking in the construction of the new cathedral seems to have been the construction of the tower which today bears his name.
In about 1080 he began construction of a new cathedral to replace Justus' church.
He was a talented architect who probably played a major part in the design or the works he commissioned.
The original cathedral had a presbytery of six bays with aisles of the same length.
The four easternmost bays stood over an undercroft which forms part of the present crypt.
To the east was a small projection, probably for the silver shrine of Paulinus which was translated there from the old cathedral.
 The transepts were 120 feet long, but only 14 feet wide.
With such narrow transepts it is thought that the eastern arches of the nave abuted the quire arch.
To the south another tower (of which nothing visible remains) was built.
There was no crossing tower.
The nave was not completed at first.
Apparently designed to be nine bays long, most of the south side but only five bays to the north were completed by Gundulf.
The quire was required by the priory and the south wall formed part of its buildings.
It has been speculated that Gundulf simply left the citizens to complete the parochial part of the building.
Gundulf did not stop with the fabric, he also replaced the secular chaplains with Benedictine monks, obtained several royal grants of land and proved a great benefactor to his cathedral city.

In 1078 Gudulf founded St Bartholomew's Hospital just outside the city of Rochester.
The Priory of St Andrew contributed daily and weekly provisions to the hospital which also received the offerings from the two altars of St James and of St Giles.

During the episcopates of Ernulf (1115–1124) and John (I) (1125–1137) the cathedral was completed.
The quire was rearranged, the nave partly rebuilt, Gundulf's nave piers were cased and the west end built.
Ernulf is also credited with building the refectory, dormitory and chapter house, only portions of which remain.
Finally John translated the body of Ithamar from the old Saxon cathedral to the new Norman one, the whole being dedicated in 1130 (or possibly 1133) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by 13 bishops in the presence of Henry I, but the occasion was marred by a great fire which nearly destroyed the whole city and damaged the new cathedral.
It was badly damaged by fires again in 1137 and 1179.
One or other of these fires was sufficiently severe to badly damage or destroy the eastern arm and the transepts.
Ernulf's monastic buildings were also damaged.
Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, amongst others, brought Odo to account at the trial of Penenden Heath c. 1072. Following Odo's final fall, Gundulf was appointed as the first Norman bishop of Rochester in 1077. The cathedral and its lands were restored to the bishop.
Gundulf's first undertaking in the construction of the new cathedral seems to have been the construction of the tower which today bears his name. In about 1080 he began construction of a new cathedral to replace Justus' church. He was a talented architect who probably played a major part in the design or the works he commissioned. The original cathedral had a presbytery of six bays with aisles of the same length. The four easternmost bays stood over an undercroft which forms part of the present crypt. To the east was a small projection, probably for the silver shrine of Paulinus which was translated there from the old cathedral.  The transepts were 120 feet long, but only 14 feet wide. With such narrow transepts it is thought that the eastern arches of the nave abuted the quire arch. To the south another tower (of which nothing visible remains) was built. There was no crossing tower. The nave was not completed at first. Apparently designed to be nine bays long, most of the south side but only five bays to the north were completed by Gundulf. The quire was required by the priory and the south wall formed part of its buildings. It has been speculated that Gundulf simply left the citizens to complete the parochial part of the building. Gundulf did not stop with the fabric, he also replaced the secular chaplains with Benedictine monks, obtained several royal grants of land and proved a great benefactor to his cathedral city.
In 1078 Gudulf founded St Bartholomew's Hospital just outside the city of Rochester. The Priory of St Andrew contributed daily and weekly provisions to the hospital which also received the offerings from the two altars of St James and of St Giles.
During the episcopates of Ernulf (1115–1124) and John (I) (1125–1137) the cathedral was completed. The quire was rearranged, the nave partly rebuilt, Gundulf's nave piers were cased and the west end built. Ernulf is also credited with building the refectory, dormitory and chapter house, only portions of which remain. Finally John translated the body of Ithamar from the old Saxon cathedral to the new Norman one, the whole being dedicated in 1130 (or possibly 1133) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by 13 bishops in the presence of Henry I, but the occasion was marred by a great fire which nearly destroyed the whole city and damaged the new cathedral. It was badly damaged by fires again in 1137 and 1179. One or other of these fires was sufficiently severe to badly damage or destroy the eastern arm and the transepts. Ernulf's monastic buildings were also damaged.
Rochester Cathedral