Norwich - St. John the Baptist RC Cathedral
The Roman Catholic cathedral is located on the site of the former Norwich City gaol on Unthank Road, this location proved to be problematic, for it stood above extensive medieval chalk mines, and it took two years of work to make the mines secure. It was not until 1884 that the foundation stone was laid.
The building constructed as a parish church, dedicated to John the Baptist, was designed by George Gilbert Scott, Jr. Two years into the build, Scott suffered a complete mental breakdown and was certified insane. Keeping things in the family, Scott's work was carried to completion in 1910 by his brother, John Oldrid Scott.
The funds, approximately £230,000, for its construction were provided by Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th. Duke of Norfolk, as a gesture of thanksgiving for his first marriage, to Lady Flora Abney-Hastings in 1877. Lady Flora died young from Bright's Disease in April 1887, aged 33. Norfolk remained unmarried for nearly seventeen years, until on 7th. February 1904, when he married his second wife, Lady Gwendolen Herries, who paid for the north transept chapel, with stained glass telling the story of Our Lady of Walsingham's shrine.
The buildings design is cruciform, with aisles and an octagonal chapel projecting from the north transept. The structure is dominated by a 125 ft. (38 m) crossing tower and a massive east front with flanking turrets rising above a peaked gable. The striking tower is so distinctive that during WWII it was used as a turning beacon by RAF pilots returning from bombing raids in Europe.
The material used is ashlar combined with varieties of stone from famous English quarries at Beer in Devon, and Ancaster and Clipsham, both in Lancashire. The original design called for Beer stone to be used throughout, but after a decade of work it was obvious that the Beer stone was too soft and was weathering quickly, so the church was finished using limestone from Clipsham and Ancaster.
At this point, the Duke discovered that he did not actually have the planning permission he needed to build the church to its full length, and he had to undertake negotiations with Norwich City Council to get his plans approved.
In 1976, the building was consecrated as the cathedral church for the new Diocese of East Anglia and the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia.
The cathedral gained Grade: I listed building status on 26th. February 1954. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 229040).
Norwich - St. John the Baptist RC Cathedral
The Roman Catholic cathedral is located on the site of the former Norwich City gaol on Unthank Road, this location proved to be problematic, for it stood above extensive medieval chalk mines, and it took two years of work to make the mines secure. It was not until 1884 that the foundation stone was laid.
The building constructed as a parish church, dedicated to John the Baptist, was designed by George Gilbert Scott, Jr. Two years into the build, Scott suffered a complete mental breakdown and was certified insane. Keeping things in the family, Scott's work was carried to completion in 1910 by his brother, John Oldrid Scott.
The funds, approximately £230,000, for its construction were provided by Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th. Duke of Norfolk, as a gesture of thanksgiving for his first marriage, to Lady Flora Abney-Hastings in 1877. Lady Flora died young from Bright's Disease in April 1887, aged 33. Norfolk remained unmarried for nearly seventeen years, until on 7th. February 1904, when he married his second wife, Lady Gwendolen Herries, who paid for the north transept chapel, with stained glass telling the story of Our Lady of Walsingham's shrine.
The buildings design is cruciform, with aisles and an octagonal chapel projecting from the north transept. The structure is dominated by a 125 ft. (38 m) crossing tower and a massive east front with flanking turrets rising above a peaked gable. The striking tower is so distinctive that during WWII it was used as a turning beacon by RAF pilots returning from bombing raids in Europe.
The material used is ashlar combined with varieties of stone from famous English quarries at Beer in Devon, and Ancaster and Clipsham, both in Lancashire. The original design called for Beer stone to be used throughout, but after a decade of work it was obvious that the Beer stone was too soft and was weathering quickly, so the church was finished using limestone from Clipsham and Ancaster.
At this point, the Duke discovered that he did not actually have the planning permission he needed to build the church to its full length, and he had to undertake negotiations with Norwich City Council to get his plans approved.
In 1976, the building was consecrated as the cathedral church for the new Diocese of East Anglia and the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia.
The cathedral gained Grade: I listed building status on 26th. February 1954. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 229040).