The Anglican cathedral, made of brown brick, is a looming solid structure that impresses its viewers with its sheer majesty and size. Visible for miles around, it is the largest cathedral in Britain. It took seventy-four years to complete, its construction interrupted by war and post-war inflation. Tall thin stained glass windows break up the mass, their colors reflecting in a rainbow on the interior bricks. The Lady Chapel features a ceramic statue of the Virgin by Giovanna della Robbia from fifteenth-century Florence. Her sweet gaze is a focal point for this tranquil place of worship
The Catholic Cathedral is also imposing, but in a different manner. After the Irish potato famine of 1847, Irish immigrants to Liverpool created a demand for a grand place of worship. After several interim buildings and plans interrupted by the necessities of World War II, in 1960, the Archdiocese announced a competition to design the Catholic Cathedral. Sir Frederick Gibberd’s futuristic design, which was seen in keeping with the reforming spirit of the Second Vatican Council, was chosen, and the cathedral was built in 1967. On a central plan, the circular nave is awe-inspiring, with the Bishop’s chair raised on a dais. It is also a place of contemplation and peace.
Explore: After your spiritual explorations, the Sefton Park area and Lark Lane of Liverpool offer delightful secular journeys. Lark Lane is a bohemian outpost at the edge of Sefton Park, chock-a-block with ethnic restaurants (Thai, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Moroccan, and French), and funky galleries. There is also a monthly farmer’s market that offers such delicacies as vegetarian black pudding, herbed Lancashire cheese, marinated olives, and organic vegetables. An artist’s colony “on the lane” runs the only International Festival of Street Art, and a short distance away is the Beatles’ iconic Penny Lane.
Adjacent to Lark Lane is Sefton Park, one of the largest green spaces in the city, and in England for that matter. The jewel in the crown is the restored Victorian Glass House, featuring tropical palms and flowers, a wonderful place of warmth, light, and color on a rainy grey day. Dotting its outside are sculptures of famous naturalists and explorers like Captain Cook and Darwin, and along the garden path is an iconic statue of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Grand Victorian homes surround the perimeter of the park, each a unique testament to Liverpool’s past wealth and influence, and many serve as boutique hotels.
Exhale—National Wildflower Centre and Formby Point
Along the motorway 62 and about five minutes from the city center, the National Wildflower Centre in the spring offers a stunning place to relax and contemplate. Demonstration areas show you what you can do with your own garden, there is a working nursery, and a plant center. Daisies, poppies, corncockles, evening primrose, red campion, and foxglove provide a lovely display, and meadowsweet exudes a lovely perfume.
