England’s modern cathedrals tend to be “creations of the eras in which they were conceived”, – from the Gothic revivalism of Liverpool’s Edwardian cathedral to the “austere art deco” of Guildford’s 1930s-era structure. But the Roman Catholic cathedral in Brentwood, Essex, which was only completed in 1991, was built to a classical design – the first such cathedral in England since Wren’s St Paul’s. Although resolutely unfashionable at the time, it has just been “granted listed status at Grade II*”. The accolade is well deserved. Designed by the architect Quinlan Terry, known for Prince Charles’s Poundbury development, it is “a modern masterpiece of English baroque” that “evokes Wren at his most ambitious”, complete with “portico, Palladian windows, Doric pilasters and airy interior”. It is “a worthy and unique addition to the long list of great cathedrals that reflect ancient and modern England”.
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