Westminster Cathedral - London

Art by Eric Gill, John Francis Bentley, Tom Phillips and Boris Anrep

Apr 3, 2008

The Cathedral of the Precious Blood has mosaics by Boris Anrep, sculptures by Giacomo Manzù, carvings by Eric Gill and marble decoration by its architect, J F Bentley.

Westminster Cathedral remains one of London's best kept secrets with visitors often walking right past on their way to London's better known attractions such as nearby Westminster Abbey. Those that are drawn to this extraordinary sanctuary are astonished by what they find.

The Cathedral's Byzantine architecture, with its towers, balconies and domes makes it stand out among London's famous landmarks. In a city so rich in Gothic architecture it is surprising to find a Cathedral in the Christian Byzantine style designed and built barely one hundred years ago.

Westminster Cathedral's Early History

The Cathedral sits on a plot of land known in medieval times as Bulinga Fen, part of marshland surrounding Westminster. The land was later owned by Benedictine monks, the builders and owners of Westminster Abbey. In the 17th century the monks sold some of the land for the construction of a prison. This site was eventually purchased for the Catholic Church by Cardinal Henry Edward Manning (1808 - 1892) in 1884.

In 1894 Herbert Vaughan (1832 - 1903, third Archbishop of Westminster) appointed John Francis Bentley (1839-1902) as architect for the Cathedral. Vaughan would have preferred a magnificent gothic structure but Bentley, inspired by St Mark's in Venice and the Santa Sophia in Constantinople, convinced him that the Early Christian Byzantine style would be more practical and a lot cheaper.

With the laying of the foundation stone on 29th June 1895 the Cathedral was dedicated to The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to his Blessed Mother, his Foster Father St Joseph and St Peter, his Vicar. Secondary patrons include St Augustine and all British saints, St Patrick and all saints of Ireland.

The basic structure took eight years to complete and used twelve and half million hand-made bricks. The nave is 34 metres high and 18 metres wide, the highest and widest in England. The first major service was the Requiem Mass on 26 June 1903 for Herbert Vaughan whose tomb is in the chapel of St Thomas.

Inside Westminster Cathedral

On completion the building was left virtually bare to be decorated by future generations. Throughout the twentieth century exquisite marble-work, mosaics and sculptures have been installed. The fourteen Stations of the Cross by Eric Gill (1882-1940, engraver and letterer) are among the Cathedral's greatest treasures.

Stations of the Cross

Gill was commissioned to provide fourteen panels for a total price of £765. Before the designs were even approved Gill erected a panel made at his own expense. Gill's work was heavily criticised and one of the panels had to be re-carved before the Stations were approved and finally dedicated in 1918. The photograph shows the twelth Station.

Sculptures, Marbles and Mosaics

The Cathedral is partly decorated with stunning mosaics by artists such as Boris Anrep, Justin Vulliamy, Tom Phillips and Christopher Hobbs. More than one hundred different types of marble cover the floors and walls. Many beautiful sculptures such as St Thérèse of Lisieux, by Giacomo Manzù decorate the walls. Decoration continues with the latest mosaic by Tom Phillips, commemorating Cardinal Newman, to be installed shortly.

The campanile stands 87 metres high and views of London's skyline are amazing. Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are among the famous landmarks that can be seen.

Entrance to St Edward's Tower is £5 (£2.50 concessions). There is an elevator.

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