Mount Pleasant, Liverpool
Picture Donated by Jonathan P. Neill
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There is no traditional tower in which to place
bells in this cathedral's circular form. The frontis, the upright wedge
above the main entrance, is the belfry. The frontis is pierced by four
apertures, each containing a bell representing one of the four gospels.
Below them, on the vertical surface facing Hope Street, there is a
design of three crosses by William Mitchell. The right-hand cross
describes the repentant thief and the crown is the thorned crown of
Christ the King. Mitchell also designed the main doors which are
bronze-effect but made of fibre glass. According to Pevsner, these
contain the symbols of the evangelists. These are normally John as an
eagle, Luke as an ox, Mark as a lion and Matthew as an angel. Mitchell
himself attributes the door carvings to Old Testament scriptures from
The Book of Ezekiel and from Revelations, "and the first beast was like
a lion and the second beast like a calf; and the third beast had a face
as a man and the fourth beast was as a flying eagle. And the four beasts
had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within."
The architectural brief of Cardinal Heenan required the design of the
cathedral to incorporate the earlier Lutyens designed crypt. Gibberd did
this by roofing the crypt with a large public piazza terminated by two
small pyramids. The piazza is a space for an open air congregation and
the northern face of the cathedral has an external altar for this
purpose. Mitchell is arguably an underrated abstract sculptor whose
major works include the Egyptian staircase in Harrods and sculpture for
Harlow New Town. Sources: Pevsner Architectural Guides: Liverpool by Joseph Sharples & http://www.william-mitchell.com/liverpool.htm Alan Maycock © 2007 |