Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

mrsmollyc

07 Apr 2026

Incredible design

4

4

Date of visit: November 2025

I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.

I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, wheelchair

Overall Rating

Good

I was really pleased I was able to visit this cathedral and was one of the places at the top of my list to visit in Liverpool. The architecture draws your eye from quite far away but the design is stunning once you reach the inside. The accessible entrance was via an area that seemed to be having some renovations done. So at first it wasn’t quite so picturesque. But once I’d made it inside and up in the lift, I was able to see the real beauty of it. I really recommend a visit, this was a beautiful spot to take a moment of peace. The design of the cathedral really seems to encourage you to take some time to be at peace and reflect. The design of the lift gave me a bit of a fright as I came out of it for the first time. As I reversed out at the upper level, my brain registered the large drop on either side of me and it gave me quite a fright! There are railings there but it is quite disconcerting, especially in a seated position. It almost felt a bit like vertigo. This is the only reason I haven't given this review top marks!

Disabled Access In and Around

The accessible entrance is located just to the side of the entrance to the car park. The accessible entrance has automatic sliding doors and leads into a lobby that has toilets, including an accessible toilet, a door leading to the car park and a lift. The main entrance has some large flights of stairs up to it. The lift that travels up to the main cathedral area looks circular from the outside, which I hadn’t seen before, but it’s a small square on the inside. The lift had a mirror at the back, a grab rail and the buttons were tactile. Because the lift was so small, I had to reverse out of the lift when I reached the main level. As I reversed, there were some railings that were blocking an open space where you could see straight back down to the floor I had come from. The bizarre design meant I wasn’t expecting to see a drop on either side of me as I reversed out of the lift and it gave me quite a jump! The railings do stop any risk of falling, but my brain didn’t register the railings before it panicked about the drop! Once inside the main space, it was incredibly peaceful and the architecture was absolutely beautiful. An altar sat at the centre of the room with lots of pews on all sides of it. You are able to freely explore this space and all the features around the edge when there are no services or other events on. The flooring was all really smooth and the lighting was quite dim and muted. There were some stained glass features and because it was a nice sunny day, there were some parts where it was creating a lovely glow.

Accessible facilities: Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals, Step-free access to most areas, Lift to some areas

Parking & Transport

Good

I travelled to this place by walk or wheel

There are some bus stops on the roads around the cathedral: On Mount Pleasant, around 30 metres from the cathedral entrance is the Metropolitan Cathedral stop where you can get the bus 699 On Brownlow Hill, around 350 metres from the cathedral entrance, is the Mount Pleasant stop where you can get the buses 6, 7, and 79 The cathedral is around 1km away from the Liverpool Central metro station. This station is on both the Northern and the Wirral lines and has step-free access from the street right onto the trains. There is a small underground car park attached to the cathedral. There are some accessible parking spaces available. The car park is open 7:30am - 6:00pm, and has a height restriction of 7 feet and 6 inches. Cars cannot be left overnight and parking charges apply.

Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking

Accessible Toilets

Good

There was an accessible toilet on the level below the main cathedral, by the accessible entrance and car park. The door opened outwards and was a standard push/pull door, without handles. On the inside was a simple twist lock. The room itself was really spacious and quite long. It was decorated in a pink, peach colour. There was a coat hook mounted on the wall on the left-hand side as you entered. The toilet was at the back of the room on the right and had a lid, a cushioned back rest and lots of grab rails, including a height-adjustable one. There was space for a left-side transfer, although a large bin was also in this area. The flush was a standard lever with a rounded end and it was mounted on the cistern. It was placed on the same side as the transfer area so you did not have to reach across the toilet to use it. In front of the toilet was a small sink with a single tap in the centre. The tap was manually operated and had a long handle with an upturned end which seemed like it could be operated with a fist or elbow. The tap twisted to control both the temperature and flow of the water. There was a vertical grab rail on either side of the sink and above it was a manual soap dispenser. Quite a way to the right was a hand dryer. The red emergency cord was hanging freely next to the toilet but it had been shortened so it didn't hang all the way to the floor.

Facilities: Accessible toilet