Liverpool Cathedral

North elevation of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

Liverpool Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of Liverpool, England; it is built on St James Mount, in the centre of the city. It is the second largest Anglican cathedral in the world, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool; it is not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Construction

John Charles Ryle was installed as the first Bishop of Liverpool in 1880, but the diocese had no cathedral, merely a "pro-cathedral" in the rather ordinary parish church of Saint Peter's, Liverpool. Following much debate, church and civic leaders agreed a new cathedral should be built and in 1902 held an open competition to select a design. For architects, this was a very significant event; not only was it to be one of the largest building projects of the 20th century, but this was only the third opportunity to build a cathedral in England following the Reformation of the 16th century (St. Paul's Cathedral being the first, rebuilt from scratch after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and Truro Cathedral being the second, built in the 19th century).

The competition attracted over 100 entries including designs from noted architects such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Charles Herbert Reilly. In 1903 the assessors, Norman Shaw and George Bodley, selected a proposal submitted by the 22-year-old student Giles Gilbert Scott despite the fact that he had no previous buildings to his credit. The choice of winner was even more contentious with the cathedral committee when it was discovered that Scott was in fact a Roman Catholic, but since faith wasn't a requirement of the original competition, the decision stood. (Ironically, the original architect of the Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, Sir Edwin Lutyens, was an Anglican.)

Drawing of Gilbert Scott's original twin towered design

The Lady Chapel was the first part of the cathedral to be completed. It is noticeably more elaborate than the rest of the cathedral and retains features of Scott's original Gothic design, whilst also showing the influence of G. F. Bodley.

Although young, Scott was steeped in ecclesiastical design and well versed in the Gothic revival style with his grandfather George Gilbert Scott and father both designing numerous churches. Due to Scott's inexperience, the cathedral committee appointed Bodley to oversee the detailed architectural design and building work. Bodley and Scott's collaboration was a stormy one, with Scott verging on resigning before Bodley's death in 1907.

The foundation stone was laid by King Edward VII in 1904, with the first element, the Lady Chapel, opening in 1910. It was at this time that Scott, free of Bodley and growing in confidence, submitted an entirely new design for the remaining (main) part of the structure. Scott's original design was based on Durham Cathedral and had two towers at the west end, the revised plan called for a single central, exceptionally tall tower topped with a lantern. At the same time Scott change the style somewhat, losing much of the gothic detailing and introducing a significantly more modern, monumental style, even incorporating elements from Rennie Mackintosh's competition entry. The cathedral committee approved the new plans, which also made the cathedral's interior much more spacious. With the altar completed, the church was consecrated in 1924, but regular services were not held until 1940. Construction of the tower was finished in 1942, but the Second World War and inflation slowed work and the completion of the building only came in 1978; too late for Scott, who had died in 1960.

Details

The interior of the cathedral, looking up in to the vault below the central belltower.

Liverpool Cathedral occupies a total area of 9,600 square metres and was built mainly of sandstone quarried from the Liverpool suburb of Woolton. The cathedral's belltower is one of the tallest in the world, rising to a height of 100 metres. It houses the highest (66 metres) and heaviest (31 tonnes) ringing peal of bells in the world. The choir contains the second-largest pipe organ in the UK with two five-manual consoles, 9765 pipes and a trompette militaire. The organ was the largest in the United Kingdom until the recent reconstruction of the Willis organ at London's Royal Albert Hall. There is an annual Anniversary Recital on the Saturday nearest to 18th October - the date of the organ's consecration. One of the cathedral's stained glass windows shows the artisans who designed and built it – Bodley and Scott are both shown, sitting together.

The cathedral's west window. The uppermost window is the Benedicite window

Admission to the cathedral is free but with a suggested donation of £3. It is open daily year-round from 8 am to 6 pm, and regular services are held every Sunday.

Liverpool not only has the Anglican cathedral, but also a Catholic cathedral — the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, also built in the 20th century, to an even more modern design. Currently there are plans to link the Cathedral to Hope Street via a bridge over St James Mount and Gardens. This will connect to the north porch, which was originally intended as the main entrance and currently contains a refectory.

Liverpool Church of Scotland congregation

The eastern end of the cathedral featuring the high altar and stained glass window

The Liverpool St Andrew's congregation of the Church of Scotland uses the Western Rooms of the Cathedral for Sunday services. Until the early 1980s the congregation worshipped in St Andrew's Church, Rodney Street (built in 1823 by the architect John Foster Jr, but now sadly derelict).

Liverpool Cathedral Bells

At 219 ft above floor level, the bells of Liverpool Cathedral are the highest and heaviest ringing peal in the world. There are 13 bells, named the Bartlett bells after Thomas Bartlett (d September 4, 1912). Bartlett was a native of Liverpool who bequeathed the funding. They weigh a total of 16.5 tons and are grouped in a circle around the great 14.5 ton bourdon bell. The bells vary in size and note from the comparatively light 9cwt treble to the tenor weighing 4 tons. The 13th bell (sharp 2nd) is extra to the main peal, and its purpose is to make possible ringing in a correct octave in a lighter key. All 13 bells were cast by bellfounders Mears & Stainbank of Whitechapel in London. The initial letters of the inscriptions on the 13 bells spell out the name “Thomas Bartlett” (from tenor to treble).

The bourdon bell “Great George” was cast by Taylors of Loughborough and at 14 tons 10cwt is the second only to “Great Paul” of St Paul's Cathedral in London. “Great George”, named in the memory of King George V, is hung in a pendant position and is sounded by means of a counter-balanced clapper.

Reference

The Book of Liverpool Cathedral, V. E. Cotton, 1964

Anglican Cathedrals in England and Wales

Church of England

Church in Wales

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