Metropolitan Cathedral guide

A cathedral with an unusual backstory

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, universally known by its affectionate local nickname “Paddy’s Wigwam,” is one of the most distinctive religious buildings in Britain — a circular, conical structure topped by a crown-like lantern tower, built between 1962 and 1967 to a design by Frederick Gibberd. The name references both its tent-like shape and Liverpool’s substantial Catholic Irish heritage, and it’s used so widely (including in local tourism material) that many visitors never learn the formal name at all. What most first-time visitors don’t realise is that the cathedral sits directly above an entirely different, much grander building that never got finished.

Where	Hope Street, city centre, next to the Knowledge Quarter
Cost	Main cathedral free; Lutyens crypt around a few pounds
Time needed	30-45 minutes for the cathedral; add 30-45 minutes for the crypt
Getting there	Around 15-20 minutes’ walk from Lime Street station
Best time	Weekday mornings, outside of service times

The Lutyens crypt — the cathedral that almost was

In the 1930s, celebrated architect Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to design a vast domed Catholic cathedral intended to rival St Peter’s Basilica in Rome — a project of enormous ambition for a British city. Construction began, but only the crypt was completed before the Second World War halted work, and by the time post-war reconstruction priorities were weighed, the sheer scale and cost of Lutyens’ full design (which would have been one of the largest cathedrals ever built) proved unaffordable.

Rather than abandon the site, the diocese commissioned a smaller, more achievable design from Frederick Gibberd, which became the cathedral standing today — built directly on top of the completed Lutyens crypt. The crypt itself, a paid separate visit for a few pounds, is well worth the detour: it’s an atmospheric, cavernous brick space that gives a genuine sense of the scale Lutyens originally intended, along with a small exhibition on the cathedral’s two-stage construction history.

Inside the current cathedral

The building’s circular plan centres worship around a single altar visible from every seat, a deliberately modern approach to liturgical space compared with the long processional naves of traditional cathedrals. The lantern tower above is filled with abstract stained glass by artists John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, and the effect on a sunny day is striking — shafts of blue, red, yellow and green light shift across the interior as the sun moves, quite different in character from the more traditional figurative glass found at the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral a short walk away. The building also holds important works of religious art and a set of side chapels worth a slower look if you’re not rushing between the two cathedrals in a single afternoon.

What to look for inside

Beyond the stained-glass lantern, take time over the ring of side chapels around the circular nave, several of which hold notable modern religious art from the cathedral’s 1967 build, and the high altar itself, a single block of white marble visible from every seat in the building. The exterior is worth a slow circuit too: the aluminium “crown” spire is the cathedral’s most photographed feature, and the bronze entrance doors carry relief work that’s easy to miss if you walk straight in. If you enjoy this kind of modern ecclesiastical architecture, our Liverpool architecture guide puts the cathedral in context alongside the city’s Georgian and Victorian landmarks.

A short history timeline

• 1930s — Edwin Lutyens begins designing a vast domed cathedral intended to rival St Peter’s in Rome.
• 1941 — Construction halts after the crypt is completed; the Second World War and post-war costs make the full design unaffordable.
• 1960 — Frederick Gibberd’s smaller, modern design is chosen to sit above the finished Lutyens crypt.
• 1967 — The current cathedral opens, quickly earning the nickname “Paddy’s Wigwam.”

Comparing the two cathedrals

	Metropolitan Cathedral	Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican)
Style	Modern, circular, 1967	Gothic Revival, built 1904-1978
Denomination	Roman Catholic	Church of England
Standout feature	Stained-glass lantern tower	Tower views and vast Gothic nave
Typical visit	30-45 minutes	45-60 minutes
Location on Hope Street	Northern end	Southern end

Full detail on the Anglican side is in our Liverpool Cathedral guide — most visitors doing both in one day find 2.5-3 hours comfortable including the walk between them.

Combining both cathedrals

The Metropolitan Cathedral sits at the northern end of Hope Street; the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral sits at the southern end, roughly 10-15 minutes’ walk apart along a street lined with Georgian townhouses, independent restaurants and the Philharmonic Hall. Visiting both cathedrals in one outing is one of the most popular half-day routes in the city — start at whichever end suits your day’s logistics, and treat the walk itself as part of the sightseeing rather than a gap between two stops. Our Georgian Quarter guide covers the neighbourhood between them, including where to eat along the way.

How to pace a visit to the cathedral

The most rewarding way to see the building is to resist the urge to photograph everything in the first two minutes. Walk in, find a seat, and let your eyes adjust. Because the plan is circular, the whole space reads at once, and the coloured light from the lantern tower changes the mood of the interior depending on the weather and the hour. On a grey day the glass glows softly; when the sun breaks through, the colours move across the floor and walls. Many visitors find it worth coming back to the same spot after exploring the side chapels, simply to see how the light has shifted.

If you’re travelling with children or with someone who isn’t an architecture enthusiast, the building works well because it is easy to understand. There is no long nave to trudge along, and the unusual shape gives younger visitors something to talk about. For more ideas on keeping a family entertained between sights, see our Liverpool with kids guide.

Seeing the exterior properly

Many people photograph the cathedral from the front steps and move on, but the exterior rewards a slower circuit. The building’s shape changes as you walk around it: the crown of the lantern tower, the sweep of the roof and the broad approach all read differently from each side. Early or late in the day the light is kinder to the structure, and a clear sky shows off the crown best. Our best Liverpool photo spots piece has more ideas for framing the city’s landmarks, and the Liverpool street art guide is a good companion if you want to wander off the main route afterwards.

Why the site matters to Liverpool

The story of this cathedral is bound up with the story of the city. Liverpool’s Irish connections run deep, and the nickname the building carries is a reminder of that history; our Irish Liverpool heritage guide explores how successive waves of arrivals shaped neighbourhoods, churches and everyday speech. The cathedral also sits within a wider story of ambition and compromise: a grand scheme abandoned, a smaller one delivered, and a city that has long had a habit of reinventing itself. For the bigger picture, our Liverpool history guide places the building in context.

Planning a Hope Street day

Because the two cathedrals are linked by a single street, it’s easy to build a full day around them without needing transport. A sensible shape is to start at one cathedral in the morning, stop for lunch somewhere along Hope Street, and finish at the other in the afternoon. If you’d rather turn it into a longer cultural outing, add a gallery or museum from the nearby Knowledge Quarter, such as the Victoria Gallery & Museum. Our two-day culture itinerary shows how this kind of stop fits into a wider trip, and the Liverpool in a day guide helps if time is tight. If the weather turns, the rainy day itinerary is useful too, since the cathedral is a good indoor stop.

Guided tours

If you’d like context on both the cathedral’s design and the abandoned Lutyens original woven together by a guide, the Liverpool heritage, history and culture walking tour typically covers the Hope Street cathedral quarter as part of a wider architectural and historical walk through the city centre. For a broader day of sightseeing that includes a stop near the cathedral, the hop-on hop-off bus is a practical option if you’re also covering the waterfront or Anfield the same day.

Practical visiting tips

The main cathedral is free and open daily outside of service times, though as an active place of worship it’s worth checking the schedule before a Sunday visit, when parts of the space may be reserved. The Lutyens crypt has its own separate opening hours that don’t always match the main cathedral’s, so check both before planning a combined visit. Photography is generally allowed in the main space; flash and tripods may be restricted during services. The cathedral sits at one of the higher points in the city centre, so the walk up (particularly from the waterfront) involves a genuine incline — worth knowing if you’re combining this with a full day of walking elsewhere.

Respecting the space

The cathedral is a working place of worship as well as a landmark, so a little courtesy goes a long way. Keep your voice low, avoid walking in front of people who are praying, and put your phone on silent. If a service is under way, wait quietly or come back later rather than trying to squeeze past. Dressing comfortably is fine, but visitors generally find it more pleasant to arrive in sensible layers, since large stone and glass buildings can feel cooler than the street outside. If you’re unsure about anything, staff and volunteers are usually happy to point you in the right direction. For wider advice on getting the most out of a trip, see our Liverpool travel tips.

Getting there

The Metropolitan Cathedral is about a 15-20 minute walk from Lime Street station, mostly along Mount Pleasant and up toward Hope Street’s northern end. It sits close to Liverpool John Moores University and the Knowledge Quarter, making it easy to combine with a visit to the World Museum or Walker Art Gallery on the same outing, or with St George’s Hall on the walk back down toward the city centre.

Frequently asked questions about the Metropolitan Cathedral

Why is the Metropolitan Cathedral called “Paddy’s Wigwam”?

The nickname comes from its distinctive conical, tent-like shape, combined with a nod to Liverpool’s large Catholic Irish community (“Paddy” being an informal, sometimes cheeky term for an Irish person). It was coined affectionately by Liverpudlians shortly after the cathedral opened in 1967 and has stuck ever since, used even in official tourism material despite sounding informal.

Is the Metropolitan Cathedral free to visit?

Yes, the main circular cathedral space above ground is free to enter. The Lutyens crypt beneath the building, part of an abandoned earlier design, has a separate paid entry (typically a few pounds) since it functions partly as a small exhibition and heritage space.

Why does the cathedral look unfinished or different from a typical crypt-topped building?

Because it is, in a sense, a second attempt. Architect Edwin Lutyens designed an enormous domed cathedral in the 1930s intended to rival St Peter’s in Rome, but only the crypt was completed before the Second World War and post-war costs made the full design unaffordable. The current cathedral, designed by Frederick Gibberd and completed in 1967, sits directly on top of that unfinished Lutyens crypt.

How long does a visit take?

30-45 minutes for the main cathedral space, or an hour or more if you also visit the Lutyens crypt, which has more to read and explore than its size initially suggests.

What’s the significance of the stained glass?

The central lantern tower is filled with vividly coloured stained glass by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, flooding the circular interior with coloured light that shifts through the day — widely considered one of the most striking modern stained-glass installations in the UK, and very different in tone from the traditional glass at the nearby Anglican cathedral.

Is it connected to the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral?

Only by geography and the shared name “cathedral” — they’re different denominations (this one is Roman Catholic, the other Anglican) built by entirely separate architects and dioceses. They sit at opposite ends of Hope Street, about 10-15 minutes’ walk apart, and visiting both together is a popular half-day route.