Liverpool's two cathedrals are at the opposite end of Hope Street. Yesterday I shared a shot of the modern Catholic cathedral, and today it's the turn of the Anglican cathedral.
This building was also a product of the 20th century. It is based on a design by Giles Gilbert Scott. The total external length of the building, including the Lady Chapel (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin), is 207 yards (189 m) making it the longest cathedral in the world; its internal length is 160 yards (150 m). In terms of overall volume, Liverpool Cathedral ranks as the fifth-largest cathedral in the world and contests with the incomplete Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City for the title of largest Anglican church building. With a height of 331 feet (101 m) it is also one of the world's tallest non-spired church buildings and the third-tallest structure in the city of Liverpool. The cathedral is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.
The foundation stone was laid in 1904, and the first part of the building, the Lady Chapel, was completed in 1910. Slow progress was made with the rest of the building, with delays caused by the two world wars. The whole building was finally completed in 1978.
It's a very imposing building on a ridge and is clearly visible from large parts of the city, but for me it doesn't work as well as the Catholic cathedral.
It is well worth a trip to the top of the tower on a clear day to enjoy the views over the city, and it's a much easier climb than many cathedral towers - there is a lift to get you most of the way to the top! Sadly it was far too dull on this visit for it to be worth going to the top on this occasion.
I'm so glad you posted this. After reading about the modern Catholic cathedral I wondered what this one might look like. As far as worshiping in one or the other I much prefer this one. fav
Thank you all for your interesting comments on this and the Catholic cathedral. Two very different buildings, but for essentially the same purpose and with architects taking a very different approach. I've never been to a service in either cathedral - it would be interesting to see which building worked best then.
It's amazing how easy it is to forget disasters and how long it takes to recover from them. We saw another church in Liverpool that was just a shell as a result of it being bombed during the Second World War. I presume there is still quite a lot of restoration needed after your earthquake?
@fishers Ian its very much still in limbo on what they are going to do about the Church. Christchurch Cathedral is quite an icon for New Zealand. Yes there is still so much restoration to be done there. I haven't managed to get down and visit there but will one day.
Thank you all for your interesting comments on this and the Catholic cathedral. Two very different buildings, but for essentially the same purpose and with architects taking a very different approach. I've never been to a service in either cathedral - it would be interesting to see which building worked best then.
Ian
It's amazing how easy it is to forget disasters and how long it takes to recover from them. We saw another church in Liverpool that was just a shell as a result of it being bombed during the Second World War. I presume there is still quite a lot of restoration needed after your earthquake?
Ian