Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in England and Wales and the mother church for Catholics across the two nations, serving as the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. Designed by John Francis Bentley and built between 1895 and 1903, it was deliberately conceived in an early-Christian Neo-Byzantine style rather than the Gothic of its Anglican neighbours, so as not to compete with nearby Westminster Abbey. Its bold exterior of banded red brick and Portland stone, crowned by domes and an 87-metre campanile, is one of London's most distinctive landmarks.
Inside, the cathedral is a study in contrasts: the lower walls glow with over a hundred varieties of marble and shimmering gold mosaics, while the vast brick vaults above remain bare, their decoration left unfinished by design and intention. Sir Eric Gill's celebrated Stations of the Cross, carved in low relief, line the nave. The building was consecrated in 1910 once the debt on its construction had been cleared, in keeping with canon law.
The cathedral is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and enshrines the body of the English martyr Saint John Southworth, executed in 1654, in the Chapel of St George. Cardinals Wiseman and Manning lie in the crypt. A living centre of worship famed for its choir and choir school, it offers free entry to all, while a lift carries visitors up the campanile's viewing gallery for panoramas over central London. It should not be confused with the nearby Anglican Westminster Abbey.
- Location
- 51.4961, -0.1397
- Local time
- 23:34 (Europe/London)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Fri | 07:00–18:30 |
| Sat–Sun | 08:00–18:30 |
Approximate daily opening; sightseeing is limited during the many Masses and the tower gallery has separate hours. Confirm on the official site.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ Saint
The cathedral is formally dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Christ.
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Saint John Southworth Saint
The body of this English Catholic martyr, executed in 1654, is enshrined in the cathedral's Chapel of St George and the English Martyrs.
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Saint Edmund of Abingdon Saint
Relics of Saint Edmund of Canterbury (Abingdon) are kept at an altar in the cathedral's crypt chamber.
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster (Cathedral Chapter)
Free entry to the cathedral; the bell-tower viewing gallery is ticketed.
Official website →The candle wall
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