The Victorian Gothic Revival at Saint Johns
Cathedral House, Unthank Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2PA
The nineteenth century saw a movement that revived the Gothic style of architecture across the world. Both the Catholic Church and the Anglo-Catholics in the Church of England realised that the marvellous beauty of the Gothic style is a superb way to bring people into contact with God. Combined with beautiful liturgy, the gorgeous interior of a Gothic church provides a superb environment for faith to grow.
In designing the Catholic Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, the architect, George Gilbert Scott Junior, and the Fifteenth Duke of Norfolk, the Cathedral's founder, produced a stupendous Victorian re-interpretation of the medieval Gothic style. The Cathedral is a masterclass in how to build in the Gothic tradition, taking inspiration for its plan, elevations and details from buildings of the first half of the thirteenth century, but copying nothing. The result is a unique and majestic building that uses stonework, glass, and light to tremendous effect and with a tower that has been described as ‘one of the finest achievements of late Victorian ecclesiastical architecture’.
This 50-minute tour of the building will discuss how the stonework, stained-glass, and structure of the building were brought together to create a sacred space for the celebration of the Mass and for worship and prayer.
Cathedral House, Unthank Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2PA