Henry Clutton started work on Westminster Cathedral in 1867, taking the plans to Rome in 1868 to consult with the Pope himself, and then constantly revised the designs until they reached a state in 1875 of being "finished".
The building appears to have been based in a large part on that of Cologne Cathedral in Germany, not just in detail but also in height and length. The scale was such it was to be the tallest church in the United Kingdom.
The cathedral was to begin construction but the costs of just the first phase of building work would have been £80,000 and the archdiocese was unable to afford this. An appeal for benefactors saw one come forward, who insisted he would fund it but only if he picked the architect and thus Henry Clutton was sacked and replaced with John F Bentley who came up with the Byzantine inspired design that stands today.
Companies
If your company has been involved with the Design/Build, Supply or Maintenance of this building please submit your details.
