The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is beyond any doubt the most famed religious building in the English city of Liverpool. The cathedral is also known as the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and is the official seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool. The cathedral is also recognized as the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is listed as a Grade II edifice and is described by many architectural experts as one of the most beautiful churches in the United Kingdom.
Plans to build a cathedral in Liverpool date back to the mid 19th century but it was during the mid 20th century that English architect, Frederick Gibberd won a worldwide design competition which at last started the construction of Liverpool’s own cathedral. The construction of the cathedral officially began in 1962 and end ended five years later in 1967. It was in the same year that cathedral was consecrated. Soon after the opening of the cathedral, the building commenced showing architectural flaws, the two most serious of which were leaks in the aluminium roof and defects in the mosaic tile which had commenced to fall off the concrete ribs of the edifice. These flaws led to the suing of Frederick Gibberd by the cathedral authorities. The necessary repairs to remove the architectural flaws of the cathedral were conducted years later during the 1990s.
The cathedral’s crypt is the only feature of the building that wasn’t built by Frederick Gibberd. The crypt was built by Sir Edwin Lutyens who at the time was appointed the built the cathedral but had to stop his work in progress because of the events of World War II. The crypt is built of brick and granite from the quarries in Penryn, Cornwall. Every year the cathedral’s crypt is used as the venue for the Liverpool Beer Festival. The Liverpool Beer Festival is one of England’s most visited festivals as travelers and beer aficionados from all over the country and the world come to take part in it. The crypt is also often used as an examination venue for the students of the University of Liverpool during the exam periods.
The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is located on Mount Pleasant in the central parts of the city. Although the cathedral itself isn’t located in a residential or commercial area, it is situated in close proximity to some of Liverpool’s most renowned areas. Some of these areas are home to high quality public services such a man and van services. In fact many claim that the finest moving companies in the city are based in the central parts of the city. So if you are moving to or from Liverpool have no worries that you will have to handle your removal on your own as their will be plenty of companies that will want to lend you a hand by providing you top notch man and van services.
Another fascinating feature of the cathedral is its organ which has four manuals, 88 speaking stops and 4565 pipes and is one of the largest organs in the United Kingdom.