Anglican Cathedral Church Of Christ

The Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool is a monumental 20th-century Gothic Revival cathedral, positioned on the raised plateau of St James' Mount with the former quarry on its ritual north side containing the early 19th-century Grade I registered St James' Cemetery (now St James' Gardens). The cathedral is oriented with the nave at the ritual west (actual north) end and the chancel at the ritual east (actual south) end, with an ambulatory behind the chancel. The chancel is flanked by north and south choir aisles. A vast central space sits beneath the Vestey Tower, with transepts to the ritual east and west of great porches. An octagonal chapter house occupies the ritual north-east corner, and the Lady Chapel is positioned at the ritual south-east corner.

Exterior

The cathedral is massive in scale, with contrasting east and west ends—the east elevation is more elaborate, while the west displays stark simplicity. Gableted buttresses define the structure, and the mortar pointing throughout the exterior and interior was deliberately designed by Scott to highlight the cathedral's stonework construction.

The west elevation, redesigned by Frederick G Thomas and Roger Arthur Philip Pinkney in 1967 and completed in 1978 due to funding constraints, features a massive arched recess containing a three-light Great West window with a pinnacled crest and glazed tympanum, flanked by buttresses surmounted by pinnacles. The West Door, the cathedral's ceremonial entrance, has an elaborate carved niche above, surmounted by a 13-foot-high green bronze figure of the 'Welcoming Christ' by Dame Elisabeth Frink (1992), with flanking side doors.

The nave consists of three bays in the same style as the choir but with fewer carved figures. Large windows on the north and south sides feature simple geometrical tracery with two lights and a sexfoil above, with quadrant jambs, separated by widely spaced buttresses. An arcaded gallery sits above each window.

Two transepts extend from each north and south side, with tall traceried arched windows of two lights with octofoil above and copper roofs. Low arched projections to the left and right of the south transepts contain undercroft entrances.

The space between the transepts is occupied by enormous porches with wide arched entrances and flat reinforced concrete roofs. The ritual north porch is known as the Welsford Porch, and the ritual south porch (the cathedral's main entrance) is the Rankin Porch. Both are accessed by stone stair flights, with the Hillsborough memorial stone laid by the steps to the Rankin Porch. Tall iron gates at the Rankin Porch are surmounted by an elaborate cross and fish design. Both porches contain a large arch at the rear with three wide carved oak doors with flat ogee heads merging into a traceried tympanum. Triple-light windows pierce the porch side walls with a pierced balustraded gallery at the top, and studded oak doors flank each side of the Rankin Porch interior. Carved figure sculpture in both porches by Edward Carter Preston (Sculptor to the Cathedral, 1931–1955) was influenced by 13th-century French portal figures, with features based on people working in the cathedral. The sculpture depicts themes of Natural and Supernatural Virtues, Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Resurrection, and the Active Life. Carved figures of George V, Queen Mary, George VI, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother adorn the side walls of the Rankin Porch.

The Vestey Tower stands 331 feet high, spanning the central space above and behind the porches. Its design was developed from 1910 with Burnard Green as engineer. The square lower stage features plainer masonry and a single large window on each north and south side, incorporating three lights with a rose above. The upper stage of the tower is tapered with more elaborate decoration, octagonal corner turrets surmounted by carved lanterns, tall paired lancet belfry windows with timber louvres, and eight pinnacles surmounting the top of the tower, with one slightly taller than the rest (added in February 1942 with carved initials of Scott and the date).

The choir consists of three bays with large windows on the north and south sides featuring simple geometrical tracery with two lights and a sexfoil above, carved figures, and quadrant jambs, separated by widely spaced buttresses. An arcaded gallery sits above each window. A walled founder's plot is located on the south side in front of the choir.

The east choir elevation is dominated by a massive Great East window with curvilinear tracery and a wide central mullion incorporating statue niches. Four small pointed arched windows sit below, all flanked by full-height buttresses and corner turrets with short spires. A two-storey buttressed projection at the bottom of the elevation features a series of lunette windows with cusped lights at the upper level lighting the ambulatory, and plain triple-light windows at the lower level lighting the former vestries (now education rooms).

The octagonal chapter house has a conical copper roof, with a taller stair turret on the north-east side. Tall pointed arched windows with curvilinear tracery punctuate the walls, and an open balustraded balcony wraps around the upper part, connecting to the main body of the cathedral via a high-level bridge. The Chapter House was provided by the Freemasons of West Lancashire in memory of the 1st Earl of Lathom (their 1st Provincial Grand Master).

The Lady Chapel is a tall, narrow, rectangular structure of eight bays, with the end bays forming a polygonal apse. Tall slender windows with Decorated-style tracery are framed by pierced balustrades above and below, attached to full-height buttresses. A porch is attached to bay one on the south side with a tall two-arched balcony above. Carved figures of children by Lillie Read are executed in a 15th-century Italian Renaissance style.

Interior

The interior is characterized by massive height with exceptionally tall Gothic arches in the nave, transepts, and chancel. The subtle Gothic styling features blank masonry broken up at strategic points by sophisticated and intricate detailing. The marble floor incorporates a hypocaust system. Animals feature heavily in the interior decoration. Interior woodwork was executed by Green & Vardy and Waring & Gillow, metalwork by the Bromsgrove Guild, and sculpture by Edward Carter Preston, Walter Gilbert, and Louis Weingartner.

The nave, also known as 'The Well', has a sunken floor lower than the central space and aisles. Artificial sandstone vaulting known as 'Woolston' covers the second bay. A triforium runs along each side of the nave; the south side contains the Elizabeth Hoare Gallery. Late 20th-century toilets, a lift, and a stair were inserted behind the north wall of the north aisle. A vestibule off the adjacent south aisle contains stairs and a lift to the tower, as well as an operational K6 telephone kiosk (the iconic 1935 design by Scott produced to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V). The West Door features an elaborate carved surround and crest with a carving of the royal coat of arms above, with the Great West/Benedicite window above.

The Dulverton Bridge, or Nave Bridge, completed in 1961, spans the first bay of the nave and draws the eye down the length of the cathedral. It is surmounted by a pierced oak balustrade and gallery, accessed by two stairs. The south stair features a dedication stone reading 'THIS STONE WAS UNVEILED BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II ON 25TH OCTOBER 1978 AT THE SERVICE OF DEDICATION TO MARK THE COMPLETION OF THIS CATHEDRAL'. The north stair has a stone displaying carved initials of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with an entwined lovers' knot.

The north-west transept contains a shop and mezzanine café, converted in the late 20th century.

The south-west transept (Baptistry) features an ornate dodecagon font of buff-coloured marble with carved figures of apostles on each side by Edward Carter Preston. A 39-foot-high elaborate oak baldachino (ornamental canopy) designed by Scott features a painted and gilded ornamented panelled ceiling. A 15-foot-high carved oak font cover with a pulley system concealed in the columns of the baldachino sits atop the font, all set upon a black marble platform with inlaid mosaic depicting breaking waves and fishes representing Christianity. The robing rooms below the transepts were converted into the Western Rooms (banqueting rooms).

The central space (the area between the transepts underneath the tower) features a circular inlaid marble memorial to Scott at the centre of the floor, reading '1880-1960/SIR GILES GILBERT SCOTT/O.M..R.A./ARCHITECT'. Three doorways on each north and south side lead to the Rankin and Welsford Porches, similarly styled to the outer doors with sculpture by Edward Carter Preston. Tower windows sit above. The vaulted vestibule beyond the doors to the Welsford Porch now contains a café. Two paintings by Adrian Wiszniewski depict the parable of the Good Samaritan and the House built upon Rock, donated by the Jerusalem Trust in 1996. A star-shaped vaulted ceiling covers the central space, with a central circular opening through which the bells were hauled. The Corona Gallery sits immediately below the vaulting (originally used by the cathedral's choir).

The tower contains a reinforced concrete girdle at its base. A steel cradle supports 14 bells (the highest and heaviest peal in the world), including the great Bourdon Bell ('Great George'). The bells were cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, with psalm texts incorporated onto each bell. The massive bell chamber contains tall oak louvres, and concrete stairs lead up to the roof.

The north-east transept, or War Memorial Chapel, features an ornate alabaster and gilt altarpiece. A low rectangular carved alabaster cenotaph set on a shallow plinth sits at the front of the chapel, surmounted by a bronze case containing the Roll of Honour (names of 40,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the Liverpool area lost during the First World War). Bronze angels set at each corner of the case face inwards, with kneeling figures of a soldier, sailor, airman, and marine facing outwards. A wide arched porch surmounted by a balustraded gallery sits on each side of the transept; the east side features a glass case with a decorative carved surround containing the King's Regiment's Roll of Honour. Military colours are displayed on each side wall with carved regiment badges above. The ship's bell of HMS Liverpool commemorates Liverpool's role as Allied headquarters during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War.

The south-east transept (Derby Transept) contains the tomb of the 16th Earl of Derby (first chairman of the Cathedral Committee), designed by Scott. The bronze memorial depicts a recumbent effigy of the Earl resting his head on a sculpture of the cathedral, with a timorous mouse peering out from his drapery.

The chancel is divided into the choir and sanctuary. A carved stone pulpit with a pierced balustrade and statue niches sits to the left of the chancel entrance, incorporating a carved inscription in memory of Sir Arthur Forwood and John Torr, who raised the Bishopric Endowment Fund. Elaborate carved oak organ cases on either side of the choir occupy a complete bay. Designed by Scott, they project slightly into the choir and contain an organ by Henry Willis III installed in 1926, rebuilt in 1958–60 and made electric by Henry Willis IV. The console is on the north side, and the organ was gifted by Mrs Barrow. Carved oak clergy and choir stalls (the latter gifted by Lord & Lady Waring) incorporate carved paired Liver birds guarding the choir stall steps. The Bishop's Throne, with the Diocesan crest carved above, was gifted by Miss Watt. The crest is replicated in mosaic in the Presbytery floor (eastern part of the choir) in front. Two paintings behind the choir stalls by Christopher Le Brun depict the Good Samaritan and the Return of the Prodigal Son, donated by the Jerusalem Trust in 1996. A decorative patterned marble floor covers the sanctuary. The altar is set upon a stepped platform (with steps in alternating light and dark coloured marble). A highly elaborate carved stone and gilded reredos behind by Weingartner & Gilbert features an overall design by Scott influenced by Spain. It was gifted by Mrs Mark Wood, with figures designed and carved by Walter Gilbert and figures in lighter coloured Wooler sandstone carved by Arthur Turner. The lower reredos panel depicts the Last Supper, the centre panel depicts the Crucifixion flanked by scenes of the Passion, and the outer panels depict the Nativity and Resurrection. The altar rail is supported by ten bronze figures depicting the Ten Commandments, by Weingartner & Gilbert.

The north choir aisle features memorial inscriptions on the walls. A door at the west end leads into the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, which contains an alabaster altarpiece depicting Jesus praying at the Sea of Galilee by William Gough, and 'Redemption' artwork by Arthur Dooley and Ann McTavish.

The chapter house has tall geometric-patterned metal entrance gates by Keith Scott (1980s). A concrete domed ceiling covers the space, and a patterned marble floor spreads beneath. Panelled oak stalls line the lower part of the walls with carved detailing to the Bishops' and Dean's stalls. A plain panelled oak altar features an altar painting of the Crucifixion (Craigie Aitchison, 1998). Large carved stone relief crests sit between the stained glass windows. An oak door with ornate metal strap hinges incorporating Lancashire rose motifs and a carved stone surround is set in the north-east corner, leading to a turret stair and high-level gallery above the Chapter House floor.

The ambulatory is situated behind the High Altar with a lower floor level. A corbelled ribbed vaulted ceiling with carved bosses covers the space. Four arched openings on the west side (with stained glass windows above) lead into a lobby area with a series of oak doors with decorative ironwork and carved stone surrounds (one of which depicts a rose and Bishop's mitre). The former vestries behind are now used as education rooms. Two wide arched openings on the west side of the ambulatory provide a processional route in and out of the sanctuary. Stair flights at each north and south end, set within arched openings, access the choir aisles, with small corbelled balconies above.

The south choir aisle features monuments to Bishop Chavasse, Bishop Ryle, and Dean Frederick Dwelly on the north side. The foundation stone on the south side bears inscriptions by Herbert Tyson Smith reading 'TO THE GLORY OF GOD THIS FOUNDATION STONE WAS LAID BY KING EDWARD THE SEVENTH ON THE 19TH DAY OF JULY 1904', and 'OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT WHICH IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST'. Stained glass rose windows adorn the west end of each choir aisle. Two doors towards the east end of the south wall of the south choir aisle lead to the Lady Chapel. The west door accesses a stone stair leading to the chapel floor, while the east door leads to an arcaded gallery at the west end of the Lady Chapel with a short stair flight connecting to the main chapel stair.

The Lady Chapel, by Bodley and Scott, is richly decorated and dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. A black and white marble chequerboard floor with interspersed motifs spreads across the space. Decorative metal pendant lights by Scott hang from an elaborate rib vaulted ceiling. Fine decorative stone carving by Joseph Phillips adorns the walls. The original choir stalls have been removed. Wall piers linked by arches and pierced by narrow passage aisles support a triforium surmounted by an elaborate crest. Thirty-eight carved angels with instruments project out above the triforium. A stylised stone inscription of the text 'GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON...' (St John 3:16) is carved below the triforium. Tall stained glass windows rise above and behind. The altar at the east end features an ornate triptych reredos designed by Bodley and Scott, with figures by G W Wilson and construction by Rattee & Kent. The centrepiece features delicate gilt filigree surrounding painted panels depicting the Nativity and Christ's early ministry, flanked by blue panelled wings on each side with gilt text. A 15th-century kneeling figure of Our Lady by Giovanni della Robbia sits to the left of the altar. The 'Alleluia Door' on the north side of the chapel has a bronze handle incorporating a snail and salamander, with an ornate carved stone surround incorporating 'ALLELUIA' and a relief crown above the door. An elaborate carved oak organ case designed by Scott sits at the west end above the arcaded gallery.

Stained Glass

Window themes were chosen by a stained glass committee led by Sir Frederick Radcliffe with large input from Scott.

The Great West Window, or Benedicite Window, by Carl Edwards, consists of three lancets over 52 feet high depicting creation, with a separate lunette window at the top depicting the Risen Lord. It covers 1,600 square feet in total and was installed in 1978.

The nave aisle windows depict the historical development of the ministry, teaching, and liturgy of the Church of England. The Bishops' window by William Wilson depicts various historical bishops. All remaining windows in the nave are by Carl Edwards. The Parsons' window depicts various clergy members. The Laymen's window depicts tradesmen who worked on the cathedral and committee members, including G F Bodley, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Sir William Forwood, and the Earl of Derby. The Musicians' Window depicts contributors to Anglican music. The Hymnologists' window depicts hymn writers. The Scholars' window depicts Oxford & Cambridge scholars, including the first Dean of Liverpool, Dean Frederick W Dwelly.

The north-west transept window by Herbert Hendrie depicts the theme of Church and State, including King George V and Queen Mary at the 1924 consecration.

The south-west transept (Baptistry) window by Herbert Hendrie depicts salvation and healing through water, and baptisms.

The Old Testament window on the north side of the central space by James H Hogan depicts Old Testament figures and scenes, including the Call of Abraham. The New Testament window on the south side of the central space (also by Hogan) depicts New Testament figures and scenes, including the Nativity and Crucifixion.

The north-east transept (War Memorial Chapel) window by J W Brown and James H Hogan has the theme of sacrifice and risen life.

The south-east transept window by J W Brown was destroyed during the Second World War and replaced with a simplified version by James H Hogan on the same theme of Jesus' miracles.

The Great East Window, or Te Deum Window, by J W Brown of Whitefriars Studios, was gifted by Mrs Ismay. It illustrates the traditional hymn of the church 'Te Deum Laudamus', with alternating bands of colour and clearer glass as dictated by Scott. The septfoil window at the top depicts the risen Jesus surrounded by a heavenly chorus. Two sets of paired lancets below with curvilinear-style tracery at the top depict heavenly choirs with representatives of the faithful on Earth below, including apostles, saints, martyrs, and figures from the arts, science, law, commerce, scholarship, architecture, and the army.

The north choir aisle windows are by J W Brown. The 'Sapphire' window depicts St Matthew (symbolised as an angel) and the Epiphany. The 'Gold' window depicts St Luke (symbolised as an ox) and the feeding of the five thousand. The rose window at the east end depicts journeys across the sea undertaken in faith.

The chapter house windows, originally by Morris & Co, were damaged in the Second World War and repaired by James Powell & Sons. They depict interests and traditions of the Freemasons. The Corn Merchants' window in the chapter house stair by C E Kempe & Co Ltd commemorates the Woodward family (Liverpool corn merchants) 1803–1915.

The ambulatory contains four windows by Burlison & Grylls, each depicting a pair of saints associated with the four nations of the British Isles.

The south choir aisle windows are by James H Hogan. The 'Ruby' window depicts St John (symbolised as an eagle) and various biblical events. The 'Emerald' window depicts St Mark (symbolised as a lion) and scenes from his gospel. The rose window at the east end by J W Brown depicts biblical demonstrations of God's power in and through water.

The Lady Chapel windows illustrate the role of women in the history of faith from biblical times to the 20th century. A scroll runs across all windows displaying the words of the Magnificat. The original glass designed by J W Brown was destroyed during the Second World War and replaced by simplified adaptations by James H Hogan and Carl Edwards. The gallery window above and behind the organ by Hogan depicts the Annunciation. The Noble Women windows on the west stair and atrium by J W Brown, 1921, were donated by the Girls' Friendly Society. They were damaged in the Second World War but remade to original designs. They depict women who contributed to society, including Elizabeth Fry, Louisa Stewart, Grace Darling, and Kitty Wilkinson.