Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the most important Roman Catholic church in England, designed by John Bentley in 1896. He eschewed the Gothic style popular with Victorians, and went for a distinctive Byzantine exterior. The fact that London’s Protestant Gothic masterpiece, Westminster Abbey, is just a stone’s throw from the pulpit probably had a lot to do with this change of style.
On first viewing the cathedral doesn’t even look like a church – its red and white stripped exterior looking more like a Turkish temple. The cupola was even modelled on the one at St. Sophia. But with its 83 metre bell-tower (or campanile), it has a passing resemblance to the Basilica of St. Mark.
Inside Westminster Cathedral
The interior is certainly worth a visit… it’s quite unlike anything that you will expect. The famous fourteen Stations of the Cross depicting Christ’s crucifixion were carved by Eric Gill in 1918, and the nave is the widest in the country – with seats enough for twelve hundred. It is 342 feet long, 156 feet wide and almost as tall again – 117 feet.
The decoration hit a snag when funds for the marble ran out halfway through. Bentley was forced to continue the upper-half in bare brick.
The cathedral’s campanile
A popular pastime for tourists is a climb up the cathedral’s campanile, with fine views of Buckingham Palace and Parliament. There is even a lift installed, so you won’t have to struggle up the stairs.
Most Londoners are unaware of the secret that awaits them at the summit… the cross at the top is said to contain a relic of the ‘True Cross’ – a piece removed from Christ’s own crucifix.
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Facts and information
- Address:
- Westminster Cathedral, Victoria Street, Victoria,
London SW1P 1QW
England - Telephone:
- Work +44 (0) 207 798 9055
- Buses:
- 8 10 16 24 38 44 52 73 82 148 170 171187 214 507 C1 C10
- Trains:
- Victoria CR DS VC
- Opening times:
- Cathedral - 7–7; Campanile - 9.30–5
- Cost:
- Adults £3.00
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Westminster Cathedral
Inside Westminster Cathedral
Mosaic of the Virgin Mary