Search churches in Liverpool
Find churches across Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside.
The two cathedrals
- Liverpool Cathedral: the largest cathedral in Britain and one of the largest church buildings in the world, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and completed in 1978 after 74 years of construction. The scale is overwhelming, the choral tradition strong, and the tower offers panoramic views over the Mersey. Entry is free; the tower has a charge.
- Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King: the Catholic cathedral at the other end of Hope Street, a bold circular design by Frederick Gibberd crowned with a lantern of coloured glass, built above Lutyens' remarkable brick crypt. Daily Mass draws students, workers and visitors.
- St Luke's, the bombed-out church: left roofless after the May Blitz of 1941 and kept as a memorial and arts space at the top of Bold Street, one of the city's best-loved landmarks.
- Our Lady and St Nicholas: the sailors' church at the Pier Head, Liverpool's original parish church, still ministering to the waterfront.
Church life across the city
Liverpool's Catholic community, rooted in 19th-century Irish migration, remains one of the largest in England, with parishes across the north and east of the city. The Anglican Diocese of Liverpool pioneered ecumenical partnership here; the friendship between Bishop David Sheppard and Archbishop Derek Worlock in the 1980s became a national symbol of churches working together. Methodist and Baptist chapels recall the city's Welsh heritage, while newer congregations flourish too: Pentecostal and Black majority churches in Toxteth and Kensington, church plants and student congregations around the universities, and Chinese Christian fellowships serving Europe's oldest Chinese community. Frontline Church and other large evangelical congregations meet in converted spaces across the suburbs.
Browse Liverpool churches in the directory
See every church we list in Liverpool, or look across the water and beyond on our Merseyside county page, covering Birkenhead, St Helens, Southport and more.
Practical notes for visitors
- Both cathedrals are open daily and free to enter. Choral evensong at Liverpool Cathedral and sung Mass at the Metropolitan are the best ways to hear the buildings at work.
- Sunday services across the city typically start between 10am and 11am, with Catholic vigil Masses on Saturday evening.
- Hope Street is a ten-minute walk from Lime Street station; walking between the two cathedrals takes about five minutes.
- Merseyrail makes churches in Crosby, Birkenhead and Southport easy day trips.
Frequently asked questions
Which Liverpool cathedral should I visit first?
Do both; they are five minutes apart and utterly different. The Anglican cathedral impresses by sheer scale and stone, the Metropolitan by light and colour. Many visitors find the contrast the whole point of Hope Street.
Is Liverpool more Catholic or Protestant?
Historically the city held large communities of both, and rivalry once ran deep. Today the story is one of cooperation, and alongside the two big traditions a wide range of free, Pentecostal and international churches shares the city's Sundays.