Lancaster Cathedral

Lancaster Cathedral stands in the centre of Lancaster, a Roman Catholic church turned cathedral in 1924. It replaced an earlier mission chapel built in 1798 on Dalton Square and now occupies a site near the original. Designed by E. G. Paley in the Gothic Revival style, the building was completed in 1859 and later enlarged by his firm. A baptistry was added in 1901 and the east end reordered in 1995 by Francis Roberts. The cathedral remains in daily use for services, concerts and visitor tours. The exterior is of sandstone ashlar with slate roofs except for the copper-roofed baptistry. A tall spire rises from the northeast tower, its four stages marked by string courses and topped with lucarnes. The west front shows a five-light window with Geometric tracery and a statue of St Peter in a canopied niche. Along the aisles are three-light windows with Decorated tracery, while the south transept holds a ten-light wheel window. Inside, six-bay arcades lead to chapels and confessionals, with the Lady Chapel at the northeast. Visitors enter through the west doorway into a nave with oak pews and a west gallery on marble piers. The high altar’s reredos is a triptych of paintings and carvings by Giles Gilbert Scott. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel occupies the former sanctuary, its walls painted and marble floor laid in 1909. The baptistry contains a central marble font and stained glass by Shrigley and Hunt, with more windows by the same firm throughout the building. The organ, first installed in 1889, is currently being restored.