Westminster Cathedral
byzantium hiding behind victoria
England's principal Catholic cathedral, a soaring Byzantine fantasy of striped brick and shimmering mosaics, free to enter.
Free to visit · Victoria · Victoria · SW1P 1QW
Opening: Daily · respect services
Often confused with the Abbey, Westminster Cathedral is something else entirely, the mother church of Catholic England, built in a wildly exotic Byzantine style of candy-striped red brick and white stone that looks transported from Istanbul or Ravenna. It is free to walk into, and the contrast with the bright street outside is startling.
Inside, the lower walls glow with marble and gold mosaics, while the upper reaches remain deliberately dark, bare brick blackened by candle smoke, the decoration left unfinished for over a century. Eric Gill's celebrated Stations of the Cross line the nave, stark and modern.
It is one of London's most atmospheric free interiors, hushed and incense-scented. A lift up the campanile tower charges a small fee for the view, but simply stepping inside the cathedral costs nothing and is the real wonder.
Getting there: On Victoria Street, a couple of minutes from Victoria station.
Best time to go: A weekday when it is quiet, with sun catching the gold mosaics.
Insider tip: Walk right up to the front to see the glittering mosaics in the side chapels and Eric Gill's stark Stations of the Cross. The bare brick of the unfinished upper walls is part of the drama, not a fault, so look up.
Official site: https://westminstercathedral.org.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide