Hi, at the moment I am going to start a series of posts of some interesting places in Newcastle and Gateshead. Today, I am going to start off with St. Mary's Cathedral,
I love this Cathedral as it has a very usual interior, which incorporates Victorian medieval and Gothic revival styles. It's stunning to sit in and appreciate the glorious décor. I found I was lost in time in its beauty, despite the mismatching color scheme and different use of materials, such as wood and tiles. The contrasting interior scheme magnanimously works in the celebration of God and the followers of the Catholic faith. Personally, I am not religious, but I took great delight in walking around and admiring the building.
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| This the outside of St.Mary's |
St Mary's Cathedral is the only Catholic Cathedral in Newcastle. It was built by the prominent Victorian Architect Augustus Welby Pugin, who is famous for designing the interior of the House of Parliament at Westminster. The Church was built in the early 1840's, . In Later years, the Dunn family contributed donations; that has paid for several stained glass windows and the steeple.
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| Augustus Welby Pugin |
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| Church interior |
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| Interior of the church |
Here is a more in depth history of the church, in 1838, the local Catholic population in Tyneside held a meeting about building a second church, for the expanding Catholics population. In 1842, Fr. James Worsick and Fr. Williams raised £6,500 from the poorest of The Tyneside immigrant community, who donated halfpennies. Augustus Welby Puginn (b.1821- d.1852) was commissioned to oversee the building work. In 1844, Bishop William Riddel along with the parish priest, performed a Ponitfact High Mass to celebrate the new church's opening.
After the reformation in the 16th Century, England and Wales Catholic churches were overseen by a temporary council of four Apostolic vicars governed a lot of the country. In in 1850, the system of parishes and dioceses were reinstated. In 1850, the church was made into the Cathedral for the New Dioceses of Hexham and renamed the Diocese of Newcastle and Hexham in 1861.
In 2002/ 2003 there was extensive renovations this included building the new cloister, bookshop and cafe are undertaken. The spires floor was lifted up, the Crypt was rediscovered. The Crypt was built in 1844 and was closed off in 1848; it contains the bodies of Bishop Ridell and Father William Fletcher, who died in chorea epidemic.
It was composed of the clergy house, the public memorial garden dedicated Cardinal Basil Hume, the cloisters, the coffee shop.
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The Cardinal Hume, public memorial Garden.
I loved the composition of the pigeons and white pigeon sitting on top the statue's
head. I found this picture amusing.
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The Cathedral is most noted for its:
The needle work Spire, was built by Donations from Elizabeth Dunn, to build the tower and the steeple, designed by Dunn and Hansen.
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| St Mary's spire |
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| St. Mary's tower. |
Walls and floor tiles in the Gothic revival style
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| Gothic revival style |
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| One of the plain window with the wall tiles. |
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| Some of the wall tiles |
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| Floor tile next to the Sanctuary |
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| More beautiful floor tiles. |
The declaratory carved alter.
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| The alter |
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| The monument in the sanctuary |
The stained glass windows were funded from bequeaths of the Dunn's family. In 1944, during a bombing raid to place on the city; resulting in the the stained glass windows being damaged and replaced.
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| Stained glass of local saints |
Stained glass of local saints
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This was one of my favorite stained glass window
The Assumption of Our Lady |
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One of the new stained glasses windows,
I loved this one as it represent Newcastle's history |
The fantastic organ and choir gallery,The Organ was installed in March 2013, by Keith Tickwell and Comapany; the pipes were carved by Keith German. The design accompanied Pugin's church deign. It sit in choir balcony found above the main entrance of the church.
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| The organ and choir gallery . |
All the information was provided and researched by the St, Mary's Cathedral organisation
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