Completed in 1962, Coventry Cathedral, north of the ruins of the medieval church destroyed in 1942, is linked by an impressive porch. The nave is seen here but the full impact of the stained glass is seen only from the choir and sanctuary; in place of an ‘east’ window, Graham Sutherland’s tapestry, the largest in the world, is an awe-inspiring climax depicting Christ in Majesty.
Truro is one of four Anglican cathedrals in Britain completed in the twentieth century. The style chosen by the architect, John Pearson, was Early English of the thirteenth century. The building, completed in 1910, is therefore very much ‘out of period’. Part of the parish church of St Mary was incorporated into the new design (the rest was demolished). The cathedral has interesting features and its three spires make an impressive skyline.
Liverpool Cathedral is also Gothic in conception with high soaring arches and a vault. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s prize-winning design was conceived in the early 1900s when he was twenty-two and it has of necessity been modified over the years. He did not live to see its completion. The lasting impression is one of vastness; a congregation of several thousand can be seated so that each person has an uninterrupted view of the proceedings. This is partly due to the absence of pillars. The building is of local sandstone and was completed in the 1970s. It is the largest cathedral in Britain and among the five largest in the world.
Liverpool and Guildford are the only Anglican cathedrals built on new sites in Britain since the Middle Ages. The central tower at Guildford is at the highest point of the hill. The design of the cathedral again follows the medieval pattern – with one vital difference. Unlike medieval worship, modern practice prefers an uninterrupted view of the high altar. There is therefore no screen across this church as was the pattern in old churches and, to quote the architect, Sir Edward Maufe RA, ‘the seven ... simple ... arches on each side lead us forward in spirit ...’. The symbol of the cathedral is the Guildford Cross, in the shape of the building, incorporating extra arms at the base, the welcoming arms of the Church symbolised by the unique west front.
Coventry Cathedral is a building very much of the mid twentieth century. It was designed by Sir Basil Spence. Lying north to south, the cathedral was completed in 1962 and covers the area north of the old cathedral destroyed in 1941. An impressive porch links the old ruins with the new building. Angels and saints are engraved on the huge ‘west’ window. From this point the eye is drawn to the high altar and, in place of the usual ‘east’ window, to the largest tapestry in the world, depicting Christ in Majesty. Designed by Graham Sutherland, it was woven in France. The baptistery window, a blaze of colour, is another memorable feature. The nave windows are set at an unusual angle so that their impact is experienced fully only from the sanctuary. There is much symbolism in the various architectural features and furnishings. The Cross of Nails and the Charred Cross of Coventry in the ruined part are both poignant reminders of reconciliation, one of the main tasks facing the Christian Church today. Jacob Epstein’s sculpture ‘St Michael and the Devil’ is just outside the entrance.
At Llandaff there has been a similar ‘resurrection’ after the land-mine damage of 1941. The most outstanding modern feature is Jacob Epstein’s ‘Majestas’ in unpolished aluminium, on a concrete arch-cum-pulpitum designed to allow an uninterrupted view the length of the cathedral, but at the same time punctuating the traditional division between nave and choir.
Modern extension work has been carried out at Derby, Ports mouth, Sheffield and St Edmundsbury cathedrals. At Portsmouth parts of the building recall late Norman and early Gothic origins. In the seventeenth century the tower and nave, damaged in the Civil War, were rebuilt by order of Charles II. Now this ancient church has been refashioned in keeping with its new cathedral status. The late-twentieth-century work draws on elements of earlier styles. There has been sensitive reordering and impressive new work at Blackburn, Bradford and Chelmsford and at Wakefield there are now attractive precincts.
At Sheffield the new section is very extensive – almost a completely new church. Work has been carried out on the nave, St George’s Chapel, a further tower and a narthex (a kind of porch) and a chapel to the Holy Spirit.
In 1970, the 1100th anniversary of the martyrdom of King Edmund of East Anglia, the new eastward extension of St Edmundsbury Cathedral was consecrated. The cathedral today is also the parish church of St James, originally built, together with two other churches, for the townsfolk to worship in away from the monks at the abbey, whose ruins lie behind the cathedral. This is no doubt one reason why the abbey itself did not become the parish church as it did elsewhere, such as at St Albans. The tall slender pillars of the nave at St Edmundsbury make it a particularly fine example of the work of John Wastell, who lived in Bury St Edmunds until his death in 1515.
Imaginative designs using modern technology and materials are to be seen at the Roman Catholic cathedrals of Clifton, Liverpool, and, even more recent, Brentwood and Middlesbrough.
And so into the twenty-first century.
A unique enterprise like building a cathedral and keeping it safe and weather-proof – indeed beautiful as well – never really ends and constant maintenance is always a costly challenge because of the special nature of the work and craftsmanship involved. There are, to state the obvious, fewer and fewer craftsmen and women with the skills required for this work. We need to be forever appreciative and grateful for what the few continue to achieve.
Extensions planned at Sheffield Cathedral before the Second World War were completed in the 1960s; this is the modern narthex entrance.