Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (part 2)

It's early morning in our household and I'm posting more about the Liverpool Cathedral on this Good Friday as I have some quiet time to myself before the day begins. (Yesterday one of the grandsons and his girlfriend drove up from Berkshire on his way north to see his other grandparents and we went out into the countryside, which I'll share after the Easter weekend and our other grandson and his girlfriend are also coming for our family reunion on Easter Sunday.

A visitor to the cathedral has to walk up a hill (St James' Mount) to the main entrance. Surrounding it are many old buildings and you can walk down into St James' Garden.  During the 18th century this was a quarry providing stone for the beautiful Georgian buildings in the city. Later it was developed as a cemetery and the Parthenon like building know as the Oratory served a the mortuary chapel. In the garden is a mineral spring. If we go back to Liverpool it's another area I would like to return to.

the war grave of a Victoria Cross for Gallantry

recipient.

The family grave of the Gilbert Scotts

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (a Roman Catholic) was only 22 years old when, in 1902, he won the design competition to build the cathedral.  It became his life's work over the next six decades.  Medieval in design, 20th materials and techniques were used in the construction.

The cathedral is dedicated to the Risen Christ and a statue of Christ with outstretched arms over the main West Doors welcomes visitors as they enter the building. The work by Elisabeth Frink was erected just a few days before her death in 1993.

The Benedicte Window over the Great West Doors

by the artist Carl Edwards takes inspiration from scripture

'O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord'.

the Dulverton Bridge usually allows visitors to view the

nave and high altar from above, but is closed for repair at the moment

Looking back from the transepts in the nave

towards the West Doors and the Dulverton Bridge.

Looking toward the high altar from the nave

The High Altar (difficult to photograph with my small digital camera). The Last Supper is illustrated in the lower panel. Above is the Passion and the Crucifixion of Christ. Above and behind in the 

Te Deum window.  The Te Deum is an ancient hymn of praise, 'We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord....'

a choir stall with a carving of a cormorant

(the symbol of the city 'the Liver Bird')

the organ

the Chapter House

The Holy Family in the Children's Chapel

a last look at the Benedicte Window before leaving

below a neon light installation by the artist, Tracey Emin

reads " I Felt You And I Know You Loved Me"

I'll leave you today with a photo mosaic - home and

our church fellowship garden. 

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

Last time we visited Liverpool I was only able to take a photo of the facade from the car as we drove passed Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.  It stands on raised ground and it can be seen easily against the skyline. This time our apartment was located nearby and so I was able to walk to the cathedral whilst the rest of the family went to the another place that was also near where we were staying. 

It's an impressive building from the outside, but nothing prepared me for the vastness of the space within.  The first thing I did was to sit in the nave, take everything in and read the general guide book to decide where to go.  I had also bought a booklet about the stained glass, which is something that interests me.  My photos cannot do justice to this amazing building.

Today I'll take you to the Lady Chapel which is located at the far end of the nave, but easy to miss as it's down a flight of steps. A few groups were coming and going, but it really was a peaceful chapel with much to appreciate. I didn't want to disturb those who were sitting in prayer so I can only give an impression through the few photos I took.

The Lady Chapel was completed in 1910 and may reflect the influence of the architect, G.E. Bodley,
who assisted the chief architect of the cathedral, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. The original stained glass in the Lady Chapel was destroyed in 1940 during WWII and the restored windows, re-using the original theme;  the celebration of the role of women in the history of the Church.

Looking towards the altar
 The carved panel above the altar is covered
by two wooden doors during the season of Lent.

The 15th century figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the work of Giovanni della Robbia. The Christ Child was commissioned in 2002 in memory of the Dean of the Cathedral at the time.

The carved panel depicts scenes from the life of Christ.

(photo taken from the information board in the chapel)

The stained glass windows depict holy women through the ages.

One of the carved angels

In the empty chapel - looking towards the end of the nave there's the organ and viewing gallery accessed by stairs that lead back into the main cathedral.

A carved memorial plaque reads "To build greatly and to cause good music to resound here was very dear to the heart of Helen Swift Neilson of the United States of America 1869 -1945"

The carved WWI memorial plaque reads "Let us remember many honourable women 1914-1919.

They counted not their lives unto death"

At the west end of the Lady Chapel and on the staircase are the 'Noble Women' windows featuring portraits of women famous for their heroism.  Among them are Julian of Norwich, the medieval mystic, Christina Rossetti, the poet, Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer.  Some have a strong Liverpool connection; Kitty Wilkinson, Josephine Butler and Catherine Gladstone. The original windows had been gifted by the Liverpool Diocesan Girls' Friendly Society for installation in 1910. However, as previously mentioned, they were badly damaged during the Second World War, but restored in 1951 with some of the portraits being replaced with new glass.  Photographs and original drawings were used as source material for the reproduction windows.  Other reproduced portraits incorporated salvaged glass from the originals.

Here is a closer look at one depicting

the poet Christina Rossetti.