Clifton Cathedral

Clifton Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul
Clifton Cathedral, opened in 1973
Clifton Cathedral Shown within Bristol
51°27′35″N 2°36′59″W / 51.4597°N 2.6163°W / 51.4597; -2.6163Coordinates: 51°27′35″N 2°36′59″W / 51.4597°N 2.6163°W / 51.4597; -2.6163
Location	Bristol, Bristol
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.cliftoncathedral.org.uk
History
Consecrated	1973
Architecture
Architect(s)	R. Weeks, F.S. Jennett and A. Poremba of Percy Thomas Partnership
Years built	1970-1973
Specifications
Capacity	1000
Administration
Diocese	Clifton (since 1973)
Province	Birmingham
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Declan Ronan Lang
Dean	Bosco MacDonald
Laity
Director of music	Richard Jeffrey-Gray
Organist(s)	Stephen Bryant

The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English city of Bristol. Located in the Clifton area of the city, it is the seat of the Diocese of Clifton and is known as Clifton Cathedral. It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 2000.^[1]

History

Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles

Clifton cathedral was built to replace the previous diocesan seat of Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles in Bristol (1850-1973). The pro-cathedral had a history of problematic construction work. It was built as a church on a challenging hillside site, making work there difficult. Building started in 1834, stopped a year later, started again in 1843, stopped shortly after and the building lay abandoned until 1848 when a roof was placed on the half-completed building so that it could be used as a church.^[2]

Two years later, in 1850, Clifton was made an episcopal see and the church became the Pro-Cathedral, intended to act in this capacity until a more fitting cathedral church could be constructed.^[2]

Move to Clifton

In 1965, architects were commissioned to undertake the design of a new cathedral on a different site in Clifton. The design was primarily by R.J. Weeks,^[3] working with F.S. Jennett and A. Poremba of the Percy Thomas Partnership.^[4]

Construction began in March 1970 and completed in May 1973 by John Laing & Son Ltd,^[5] also the main contractor at Coventry Cathedral. That same year, on 29 June, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the new cathedral was consecrated and opened and the pro-Cathedral was closed.

In 2011, it hosted the filming of 'Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol' an S4C television programme, that translates as 'Start Singing Start Praising'. The Cathedral hosted musicians, singers, cameramen and crew filming for the faith and music programme.^[6]

Construction

The interior design has been seen as unusual.^[7] Its internal shape is due to the architect's innovative response to the requirements set down by the Second Vatican Council. It was decreed in the Council that the congregation should all have a good view of the altar.;^[7] accordingly, the sanctuary is Hexagonal to allow the 1,000 capacity congregation a close and clear view of the altar, and there are no windows within the congregation's line of sight of the altar. Daytime lighting is provided by natural roof lights, so that the light from outside comes from the ring beam walls. This ensures that the sanctuary area remains the focus of the cathedral.^[8] The baptistery is situated close to the entrance, whilst the seating is around the lectern and altar space, reflecting a person's sacramental journey within the Catholic Church.^[8]

The mathematical form of a triangle ^[9] is important in the design of the building. The architect used this to determine the spacings of the furnishings within the cathedral. The votive candelabrum hanging in the Lady Chapel was designed by the architect and is constructed of twenty such triangles and was made by Brother Patrick of Prinknash Abbey.^[8]

Facts

The interior of Clifton Cathedral. The walls are made from reinforced white concrete

A copper tube containing plans of the cathedral and other items was buried under the foundation stone.
The cathedral is constructed from reinforced concrete clad with panels of Aberdeen granite.
The narthex contains two stained glass windows constructed from over 8,000 pieces of glass collected from England, France and Germany.
On 14 July 2016 Clifton Cathedral was featured in a BBC Two documentary in the UK, "The Hairy Builder", presented by Dave Myers.^[10]

References

↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1271209)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
1 2 General History, Clifton Cathedral site
↑ S.M. Weeks, family archives
↑ Burrough, THB (1970). Bristol. London: Studio Vista. ISBN 0-289-79804-3.
↑ Clifton Cathedral Guide
↑ Top Historical TV Show Filmed in Clifton Cathedral, Clifton Diocese
1 2 Clifton Cathedral, About Bristol
1 2 3 History Tour, Clifton Cathedral site
↑ http://www.cliftoncathedral.org.uk/history/architect
↑ "Clifton Diocese webpage 'The Hairy Builder'". Retrieved 19 July 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clifton Cathedral.

Cathedrals of the Catholic Church in Great Britain and Ireland

England
and
Wales

Province of Westminster	Brentwood Norwich Northampton Nottingham Westminster

Province of Birmingham	Birmingham Clifton Shrewsbury

Province of Liverpool	Lancaster Leeds Liverpool Middlesbrough Newcastle-upon-Tyne Salford Sheffield

Province of Southwark	Arundel Plymouth Portsmouth Southwark

Province of Cardiff	Cardiff Swansea Wrexham

Other dioceses	Bishopric of the Forces Ukrainian Eparchy

Scotland

Province of St Andrews & Edinburgh	Aberdeen Ayr Dundee Edinburgh Oban

Province of Glasgow	Glasgow Motherwell Paisley

Ireland

Province of Armagh	Armagh Belfast Cavan Derry Letterkenny Longford Monaghan Mullingar Newry

Province of Cashel	Cobh Cork Ennis Killarney Limerick Skibbereen Thurles Waterford

Province of Dublin	Carlow Dublin Enniscorthy Kilkenny

Province of Tuam	Ballaghaderreen Ballina Galway Loughrea Sligo Tuam

Lists of cathedrals in Ireland
England and Wales
Scotland
Catholicism portal

Culture of Bristol

Venues	Bierkeller Theatre Bristol Arena (proposed) Bristol Hippodrome Bristol Old Vic Colston Hall list of artists Cube Microplex O2 Academy Bristol QEH Theatre Redgrave Theatre St George's, Brandon Hill The Thekla Tobacco Factory Victoria Rooms Watershed Whiteladies Picture House Wickham Theatre Winston Theatre

Festivals	Bristol Festival of Ideas Bristol Festival of Nature Bristol Harbour Festival Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Bristol International Kite Festival Bristol Shakespeare Festival St Pauls Carnival

Museums, galleries, archives and public art	Arnolfini Blaise Castle Blaise Hamlet At-Bristol Banksy Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery Bristol Harbour Railway Bristol Archives Bristol Zoo Georgian House Glenside Museum Kings Weston Roman Villa M Shed Clifton Observatory Red Lodge Museum Royal West of England Academy See No Evil SS Great Britain

Parks	Parks of Bristol Ashton Court Blaise Castle Brandon Hill College Green The Downs Redland Green Queen Square Snuff Mills St George Park

Creative industries	Bristol record labels

Past attractions	Ashton Court Festival British Empire and Commonwealth Museum Industrial Museum

Churches	All Saints' Church Bristol Cathedral Bristol Community Church Buckingham Baptist Chapel Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne Christ Church, Clifton Down Christ Church with St Ewen Church of Holy Trinity, Hotwells Church of Holy Trinity, Stapleton Church of the Holy Trinity with St Edmund Church of St John the Baptist City Road Baptist Church Cotham Church Counterslip Baptist Church Clifton Cathedral Crofts End Church Holy Trinity Church, Kingswood Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym New Room Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles St Mary Redcliffe Redland Chapel St. Augustine's Church, Whitchurch St Augustine the Less Church St George's Church St James' Priory St John the Baptist St Luke's Church St Mark's Church St Mary le Port Church St Mary on the Quay St Mary's Church, Henbury St Matthew's Church St Michael on the Mount Without St Nicholas St Peter and St Paul St Peter's Church, Bishopsworth St Peter's Church, Castle Park St Philip and St Jacob St Stephen's Church St Thomas the Martyr St Werburgh's Church St Paul's Church Temple Church Trinity Centre Whitefield's Tabernacle, Kingswood Whitefield's Tabernacle, Penn Street Woodlands Christian Centre

Pubs	Black Castle The Lido Hatchet Inn King William Ale House Llandoger Trow Mauretania Public House Nova Scotia Old Post Office Palace Hotel Printers Devil Pump House Seven Stars Shakespeare Inn Shakespeare Public House Stag and Hounds Public House The Coronation Tap The Crown The Famous Royal Naval Volunteer The Old Duke

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