# Welsh Presbyterian Church - Liverpool - Jan 2010



## The Cat Crept In (Mar 15, 2010)

The Welsh Presbyterian Church Princes Avenue.

This is a grade 2 listed building designed by the Audsley brothers, William and George in 1865.
The pair are considered masters of Victorian design and the church is one of a number of outstanding landmarks they created in Liverpool.

Other examples of their work include the nearby Grade I-listed synagogue and the Grade II-listed Streatlam Tower, in Princes Road, and the Grade II-listed Christ Church, in Kensington.

The building, which is known as Toxteth Cathedral or the Welsh Cathedral, has had a torrid recent history, and suffered vandalism after being left vacant in the early 1990s. It was bought by the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in 1982, which had to be taken to court by the council to recover £380,000 spent on urgent repairs.

Now the Brotherhood has agreed to sell the building for £50,000 – the amount it would cost the council in legal fees to acquire it under a compulsory purchase order.

But because an additional £19,000 is still owed to the council, it will only hand over £31,000.
The Heritage Trust For The North West and Merseyside Building Preservation Trust, both not-for-profit developers, will then buy the building for £1 due to the huge costs in renovating it.

The building is in a terrible state.
Explored with (WIMR).


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Thank You.


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## Foxylady (Mar 15, 2010)

Blimey, there's not much left to restore. What a shame it was allowed to get so bad. There's still some nice features remaining, though.
I really like your photos. The close-up of the rose window is superb.


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## Kent-urbex (Mar 16, 2010)

this place reminds me of somthng that would be on grand designs if it got restored. looks like a lovely place


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## georgie (Mar 23, 2010)

spot on cat cracking pics there m8


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## jhluxton (Mar 26, 2010)

Great photos - pass this place regularly and wondered what it was like inside. 

Given that that the council works included removing part of the roof and then covering the remainder in plastic sheeting one wonders why they just didn't pay more and repair the whole roof!

On the subject of Welsh Churches in Liverpool it was reported in Thursday's Daily Post that the Bethel Chapel complex in Smithdown Place, near Penny Lane may be demolished this summer. 

The chapel now only has a very small congregation of 150 as opposed to the capacity of 750. Its structure is crumbling.

Apparently idea is to clear site, build small replacement and then sell the rest of the land. Attempts to sell the largest Welsh church in Liverpool intact have apparently failed.

John


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