100 Buildings 100 Years

1978: Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ

Status: Listed Grade I
Type: Place of worship
Architect: Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
Location: St James's Mount, Liverpool

High on St James’s Mount, Scott’s Gothic, sandstone Cathedral dominates Liverpool.

The 331-feet tower impresses with its height and bulk. The lower part is square, punctuated by the Rankin Porch. The eight-sided upper stage is topped with a lantern crown. The sheer scale of the interior awes: the tower space, the sublime 456-feet nave, and the arched bridge at the west end. The interior is richly decorated: Edward Carter Preston’s sculptures, Carl Edwards’s stained glass, and fine furniture and woodwork.

Scott’s Memorial is at the heart of the nave. He was 22 in 1903 when he became joint-architect with Bodley. After 1907, Scott was the sole architect. The west front was completed in the 1970s: his lifetime’s work.

Although the Cathedral houses new works – a recent addition is a Tracey Emin neon – it is surely one of the 20th century’s greatest Arts and Crafts buildings. The interior contains many fine artworks and furniture.

by Aidan Turner-Bishop

Listing description