Westminster Cathedral | |
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Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ | |
51°29′46″N 0°08′23″W / 51.4961°N 0.1397°W | |
OS grid reference | TQ 29248 79074 |
Location | Francis Street, Westminster London, SW1 |
Country | England |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Website | westminstercathedral.org.uk |
History | |
Status | Cathedral |
Consecrated | 1910 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architect(s) | John Francis Bentley |
Style | Neo-Byzantine |
Years built | 1895–1903 |
Specifications | |
Length | 110m (360ft) |
Width | 47m (156ft) |
Number of towers | 1 |
Tower height | 87m (284ft), including the cross |
Administration | |
Province | Westminster |
Diocese | Westminster (since 1884) |
Clergy | |
Archbishop | Vincent Nichols |
Dean | Slawomir Witon |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Simon Johnson, Peter Stevens |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Designated | 1 December 1987 Amended 15 February 1994 |
Reference no. | 1066500[1] |
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The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, known as Westminster Cathedral, is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales and the seat of the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of Westminster was purchased by the Diocese of Westminster in 1885, and construction was completed in 1903.[2]
Designed by John Francis Bentley in a 9th century Christian neo-Byzantine style, and accordingly made almost entirely of brick, without steel reinforcements,[3][4] Sir John Betjeman called it "a masterpiece in striped brick and stone" that shows "the good craftsman has no need of steel or concrete."[5]