“If you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life. If you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life. If you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life”. These were the famous words of Samuel Johnson in the 18th century which still ring true today. There is always something to do in London. Whether it be seeing the Queen’s Guards, splurging your hard-earned cash on Oxford Street or being entertained by street buskers, there are about as many things to do in London as there are people that live here. London is home to around 8 million people. Let’s put that into perspective. That’s more than 1.5 Finlands; that’s more than 3 Uruguays; that’s more than 14 Luxembourgs. In fact, London has more people than 132 countries around the world. And as a result, London is home to many nationalities. Indeed, we might even say London is a microcosm of the global community. So it is really true: if you are tired of London, you are tired of life. But despite the many things to do in London and people to meet, sometimes you need to take a break from it all and Westminster Cathedral is just the place to do it. No, not Westminster Abbey. Westminster Cathedral. Let’s do a head-to-head: Westminster Abbey is Anglican whilst Westminster Cathedral is Catholic, Westminster Abbey is designed in the gothic style of architecture whilst Westminster is designed in Byzantine, Westminster Abbey is closer to Westminster station whilst Westminster Cathedral is closer to Victoria station. And last, but not least, Westminster Cathedral is free to enter whilst the same can’t be said for Westminster Abbey. How’s that for irony given Martin Luther’s complaint about the Catholic Church selling spiritual stuff for money? Okay, maybe you didn’t get that. Never mind. But the issue of money was nevertheless one of the first things that had to be sought for, and it was in the memory of Cardinal Wiseman, the first Archbishop of Westminster, that initial grants were made. Worship among Catholics in England was altogether banned following King Henry VIII’s decision to split from Rome. Yeah, that guy. When Catholics were allowed to openly worship in England again, it was felt that perhaps a mother church is needed so, you know, Catholics could pray. That legacy stands to this day, as Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales. That’s apparent from looking at it. Take a look at the tower, which houses a bell nicknamed “Edward” after St. Edward the Confessor, stands at around 273 ft in height. If you take a look straight ahead you will notice really fancy words. No, that’s not a magic spell. It’s Latin for: “Lord Jesus, King and Redeemer, save us by your precious blood”. You see, construction for Westminster Cathedral started in 1895 under Cardinal Vaughan. It was also in that year that the Cathedral was consecrated to The Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. If you also look ahead, you’ll see Jesus Christ in the centre. On the left is the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mother, and St. Peter, believed by Catholics to be the first pope. On the right is St. Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, and St. Edward the Confessor. Together they are the patrons of Westminster Cathedral. But if you look below you’ll also see some of the secondary patrons of Westminster Cathedral. But enough of that – if you want more information be sure to visit churchmapped.com when we launch – let’s take a look inside! One of the things that instantly stands out when you visit Westminster Cathedral is the dangling crucifix, which like the façade of Westminster Cathedral, is also in the Byzantine style. What stands before it is what is called a baldachinno or baldachin. It is placed over the altar and it stands at around 38ft, making it one of the largest structures of its kind in the world. Let’s take a look at some of the chapels here. Before we look at our first chapel, what would a ChurchMapped episode be without a discussion on the cost of votive lights? To light a candle at Westminster Cathedral will set you back anywhere between 50p to £1. Our first stop is the Holy Souls chapel. This is the go-to place in particular at Westminster Cathedral if you have recently lost a loved one. The chapel itself takes from the design of John Francis Bentley, who was also one of the cathedral’s original architects. Adam appears in the chapel as does Jesus as the “new Adam”. Our next stop is the Chapel of St. George and the English Martyrs. This was actually finished relatively recently, in 2016. It is dedicated towards St. George as well as Catholics who died as a result of their faith in England. It also houses a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and St. John Southworth, a priest who was also killed for his faith in 1654 by being hung, drawn and quartered. Scary. Following on from the Chapel of St. George and the English Martyrs is the Chapel of St. Joseph. He is also seen at the front porch of Westminster Cathedral and here he is again together with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin. The back of the chapel represents tradesmen, of whom St. Joseph is their patron saint. They are portrayed here as Victorian builders building Westminster Cathedral. If you are a tourist you should definitely come here during the Christmas season to see the Nativity scene, which is almost always in the Chapel of St. Joseph. The last part of this cathedral is the Chapel of St. Thomas of Canterbury. He was killed in the 12th century, and the scene is also depicted in the mosaic. The chapel also contains the body of Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. He was featured earlier in this film. He was the third Archbishop of Canterbury and the founder of Westminster Cathedral. There are several other chapels here at Westminster Cathedral, such as the Chapel dedicated to St. Augustine. We won’t be reviewing them today but do be sure to visit churchmapped.com for more information. You’ll also learn other interesting facts about Westminster Cathedral, such as the fact that it has been visited by both the Queen and President John F. Kennedy, as well as Pope Benedict XVI. The last chapel we’ll be reviewing is the splendid Chapel of Our Lady. I think the beauty speaks for itself. That’s it folks! Thank you so much for touring with us to Westminster Cathedral. But before we go to our next destination, you might be wondering what churchmapped is? ChurchMapped is an upcoming technology company with a Christian outlook. Our travel website focuses on churches around the world, and we’ll be launching a games, dating and jobs service fairly soon. Do be sure to visit us on churchmapped.com when we fully launch, as well as subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking below. You can also visit us on Facebook and our Twitter handle is @ChurchMapped. Our next destination is across the Channel to Cologne, Germany to review Cologne Cathedral. We hope to see you there! If you haven’t already, do check out our review of The Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota United States. Until next time everyone!