0:00:02 > 0:00:04Want to know about British history? You better get your hands dirty.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09Don't bury your head in a guidebook, ask a brickie,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11a chippy or a roofer.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Ever since I were a boy, I've had a passion for our past, so
0:00:15 > 0:00:20I'm going to apprentice myself to the oldest masonry company in the
0:00:20 > 0:00:23country. Mastering their crafts and
0:00:23 > 0:00:27scraping away the secrets of Blighty's poshest piles.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31From castles to cathedrals, music halls to mansions,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33palaces to public schools.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37These aren't just buildings,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41they're keys to opening up our past and bringing it back to life.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Today I'm in the Victorian beach resort of New Brighton,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07just a ferry ride across the Mersey from Liverpool,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12to visit this impressive church, nicknamed the Dome of Home.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13What a cracking view.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I'll be getting stuck in with the restoration work.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Zen and the art of pointing.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Discovering the amazing story behind the church's origins.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28He invested the money in the stock markets.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32So a priest is playing the stock market during the Depression.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And I'm finding out what secrets lie
0:01:35 > 0:01:38beneath Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Father Tony, you've got an incredible basement.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48In the 19th century, Liverpool was loaded.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It had a thriving port for trading connections across the globe.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Merchants flocked here, and one of them, James Atherton,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00decided the region could do with an upmarket seaside resort.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06So in 1830, he purchased a section of the Merseyside coastline.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The plan was to create a resort to emulate Brighton in the South.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And they called it New Brighton.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21The holiday resort was hugely successful and the town expanded rapidly around it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Amongst all the new developments was the spectacular new church of Saints
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Peter and Paul and Saint Philomena.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Built on top of a hill in the 1930s,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38the imposing building with its green copper dome dominates the skyline.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And inside the interior is just as striking.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47Grand and spacious,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52it was built to seat 1,000 people and its cathedral-like dome is an
0:02:52 > 0:02:54impressive 40 feet wide.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58With stunning marble altars shipped from Italy,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00it looks like no expense was spared.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Well, on the decor at least.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10For the fabric of the building, it's a different story.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Built during the great Depression,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16they came up with a state-of-the-art but lower cost concrete
0:03:16 > 0:03:18superstructure clad in brick.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25But 80 years on, this beautiful church, nicknamed the Dome of Home,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27is crumbling.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Construction firm William Adderley has the job of restoring it,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and I'm here to meet site foreman Gary Newton.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Ey up, Gary. Should I come up?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Yes, just come up, Dave, it's fine.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The current phase of works revolves around the southern end of the
0:03:45 > 0:03:47building.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49What a cracking view.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51It must be a great place to work, this.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It is, and you can see it from miles around as well.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57You can. You've got Liverpool's iconic skyline, Liver Building,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00the Catholic Cathedral, the Anglican Cathedral.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Anfield, and of course, this side of the Mersey,
0:04:04 > 0:04:05you've got the Dome of Home.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- And it's a lovely building.- It is.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I should imagine it's quite exposed here.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Yes. That's probably the main reason behind us doing the work on the
0:04:15 > 0:04:18building, the exposure to the elements and where it is.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21It's quite a new building to need so much restoration.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Is it that it was shoddily built?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26No, it's not the fact it's a shoddily built building,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30it's just the materials which they used when it was built.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33They are at the end of their life.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35This is one of the world's first concrete churches.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The building is built primarily in concrete instead of stone.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And with that, it can have its own set of problems, can't it?
0:04:42 > 0:04:43Yes.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Basically what happens is, once the concrete is exposed to water,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52then that is the problem because the reinforced steel will get rusty,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56the concrete starts coming away from your steel and your paintwork and
0:04:56 > 0:04:58your plasterwork blows,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- so then you're into a load of more problems there as well.- Yes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Moisture has been getting into the building,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07causing the steel and the pillars to rust and expand,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10which in turn has made the concrete
0:05:10 > 0:05:13crack and the plaster to peel off the walls.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The whole building needs weather proofing and damage repaired.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22The budget for the project is £290,000,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and scheduled to take around four and a half months.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30During that time, they will be fixing the porch roof,
0:05:30 > 0:05:31restoring the rose window,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35replastering and repairing the brickwork.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40But before I get stuck in with the renovations,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I want to know more about this intriguing building.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The construction was revolutionary, indeed a bit newfangled,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51but with its 100-foot dome, twin bell house and its marble altar,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54it's the finest example of Scouse baroque.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58But how did such a grand building end up being built on an obscure
0:05:58 > 0:05:59stretch of the Wirral?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It was the brainchild of Father Mullins,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07an Irishman who came to New Brighton in 1909.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13The seaside resort was developing into a commuter suburb and his
0:06:13 > 0:06:17church couldn't accommodate the booming population.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21So Father Mullins made it his personal mission to build a new,
0:06:21 > 0:06:22much grander one.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- Hello.- Hi.- I'm Dave.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- How do you do?- How are you? - Adrian?- Yep.- Hi.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Lovely to meet you. So this is it,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33this is almost like the birth certificate.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Something like that.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36One way of looking at it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41It's fantastic. You're the architect, what would you describe the style?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's Byzantine style.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Like Westminster Cathedral.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47It is neoclassical, baroque,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I think, is the official terminology of it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54But I think there's a bit of a mixture of all things in there,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56within the style of the architecture,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58but broadly, it's Byzantine.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03Mullins wanted to recreate the Basilica da Estrela in Lisbon,
0:07:03 > 0:07:04a church with a giant dome,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08which he had become enamoured with whilst studying in Portugal.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12So did Father Mullins have an easy time getting the building built?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Well, I think the Bishop didn't want a dome,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21but Father Mullins decided he wanted a basilica-like church and he told
0:07:21 > 0:07:24his architect, go ahead and do it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Fantastic.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30The Bishop didn't find out about the dome until it was too late.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34And when Father Mullins was asked why he'd ignored his wishes,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36he just said, well, if he hadn't,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38he would have ended up with a miserable church.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41There's one thing that fascinates me about this building,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43it was built right in the middle of a depression.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44How did he raise the money?
0:07:44 > 0:07:48He was very enigmatic,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53he was the kind of person who would stand at the back of church,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56as people went in, and as people were coming out with the plate,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59he made them put the money in.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01But it was crowded as well, the church was packed.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05And he invested the money in the stock market.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Which, yes... It raised a few eyebrows.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13So a priest is playing the stock market during the Depression.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15- That's got courage.- Yeah.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21Mullins' gambles paid off, and the church was completed in 1935.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And he paid for this building, £58,000.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27It was built free of debt in 1935, which is amazing.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It is amazing. Because that doesn't sound an awful lot of money.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I mean, even now, translated to nowadays,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36it's only something like £4 million.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39That doesn't sound a lot. He's got a lot of building for his money.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43He has. I think part of it was the method used in building,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48using the concrete frame which was part of the innovative style of the
0:08:48 > 0:08:51church at that time, it was still quite a new building process.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- The Empire State building was a concrete frame, at the same time. - Yes, indeed.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Father Mullins' faith in new technology meant he could afford
0:08:59 > 0:09:01the type of grand building he'd envisaged.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07But this listed building is long overdue some serious care and attention.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Builders are on site repairing the roofs,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and attending to the brickwork.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19The original cement mortar, innovative at the time,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21ended up storing problems for the future.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It sealed in the damp, causing major damage to the interior.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The builders are now having to remove all the cement from between
0:09:31 > 0:09:34the bricks and re-point them with a more appropriate mortar.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I think it's time I gave them a hand.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Right. The martial art of pointing.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45So this has all been raked out?
0:09:45 > 0:09:46This has already been raked out.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The old mortar what was in was...
0:09:49 > 0:09:51a cement-based mortar.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- That is wrong, isn't it?- Wrong on a traditional, old building.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Right.- It should be put back in a lime mortar.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Why is lime mortar better?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It helps your building to breathe, basically.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Right.- So any moisture that gets into your building,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07it allows it to escape.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- Right.- Whereas if you use a cement-based product,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15then what happens is it holds it in to your building.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18A keeps it inside and that is bad for the building.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- An unhealthy building.- You get an unhealthy building.- Yeah.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25If you think of a building as a person,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29we allow moisture to come out of us and it keeps us healthy inside.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- Yeah, yeah.- So it's the same with a building, really.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36If you allow the mortar to come out, your building'll be preserved and
0:10:36 > 0:10:38everything else inside.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It's funny though, isn't it. A lot of the old ways were better.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42- Correct.- Yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Before we put in the mortar, the wall is prepped.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Firstly by removing any dust and then by wetting it down.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52This is to stop the joints being too dry,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56which would cause the mortar to shrink and pop out.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57And that's your mortar board.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- And that's the mortar. - Hence your teacher's head.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Do you know what I mean? The mortarboard at school?
0:11:03 > 0:11:04This is a finger trowel.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- Right.- There's your board.- Thank you.- I will allow you to have a go.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Thank you. Don't you want to do a bit first and show us?
0:11:10 > 0:11:11- Do you want me to?- Yeah, go on.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Are you sure?- Yeah, of course. - I thought you'd done it before?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I have done it before, but only... flat.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18No, no, I want to do it right.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19That's all right, it's not a problem.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Basically, what we want is, we want it to be flush to the joints.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Oh, no. You don't want like...
0:11:26 > 0:11:27pigeon stuff all over there.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Exactly. So basically...
0:11:29 > 0:11:31That's a technical term you know?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34"Pigeon stuff". I wouldn't say stuff on the site.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- Snots, as we like to call them. - Snots, yes!
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's like welding, isn't it? They say "snotty".
0:11:39 > 0:11:40"We're welding, snotty."
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Basically what you do, you get your
0:11:42 > 0:11:43pointed iron,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- flatten the edge down...- Yeah.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51..and what you're looking to do is fill this in one...
0:11:51 > 0:11:52one swift movement.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54One neat, tidy...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- Tidy.- ..efficient sweep.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- You'll get it off...- Look at that.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And then you'll put it in the wall.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's such a therapeutic job, pointing, isn't it?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08It's relaxing.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12You're away with your thoughts, on your own, nobody to bother you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14It's all a bit Zen, isn't it?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Yeah! Would you like to have a go?
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- Yeah, thank you.- Away you go.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I see you're right-handed?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- Yeah.- So if you can start from the right and work your way left.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34As you can see, it's not as easy as you think.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36No. It's like juggling snot.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Oh, look at that. It's so satisfying.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49When you get a nice bit on there, like that,
0:12:49 > 0:12:54and it just fits right in the hole, you drag it across, put it in,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56mustn't mess with my snots.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57- Leave them alone.- I know, I know.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It's tempting, though, isn't it?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- It is, it is.- You know, because you want to...
0:13:03 > 0:13:06If you was working next to me, I would have told you off for that.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Right. Right.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Scoop, doop, push.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18It's great to be part of renovating this famous landmark but in 2008,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20its future wasn't looking so rosy.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Lack of maintenance due to rising
0:13:24 > 0:13:27costs rendered the building unsafe and it was closed to the public.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34A campaign was launched to save it with many locals rolling up their
0:13:34 > 0:13:37sleeves to make it habitable again.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I've come down to the rectory to meet some of the parishioners to
0:13:44 > 0:13:47find out why this building means so much to them.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Hello.- Hello.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55I've just been having a look at your wonderful church.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I mean, who remembers Father Mullins?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- Do you remember him?- Yes.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Yes?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04What was Father Mullins like?
0:14:04 > 0:14:10I remember him standing after mass at the main door,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12plate in hand.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14My mother used to say,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16"Pity help anyone who walks past
0:14:16 > 0:14:19"and doesn't put something in the plate!"
0:14:19 > 0:14:22He wanted a silver collection, you see, to build this church.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- Yes.- Which was at least sixpence or a shilling.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So everybody was scratching around
0:14:27 > 0:14:29for threepenny bits, which is silver.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And he'd say, "Don't be giving me threepenny bits!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34"They won't buy the lines on the bull's eyes."
0:14:37 > 0:14:39He seemed to be such a strong man.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I mean, to have that sense of will
0:14:41 > 0:14:46to build what's effectively a cathedral during the Depression.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50To keep everything going through the Blitz.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53They bombed here in March, April.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- Right.- And he wouldn't leave.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57At the height of the Blitz,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01he used to walk up and down the aisle of this church saying
0:15:01 > 0:15:04his rosary in his long johns.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09So was the church very badly damaged during the Blitz?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- I don't think it was. - It wasn't touched.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16They were always frightened, weren't they, Doctor, that the cross on the
0:15:16 > 0:15:19top would be hit by a stray piece of big shrapnel?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22You know, like the end cone of...
0:15:22 > 0:15:26a shell or something. But it was never hit, was it?
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The Dome of Home as the sailors called it.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Yeah. Yeah.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36The Church picked up its nickname the Dome of Home during the battle
0:15:36 > 0:15:38of the Atlantic in World War II.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46Convoys of ships filled with vital supplies of food, weapons and fuel
0:15:46 > 0:15:49were crossing the Atlantic from the US.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52The ships came into dock on the Mersey,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but in an effort to win the war,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56the Germans sent in U-boats to destroy them.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Scouser Pat Moran spent some time in the Merchant Navy.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Well, the main problem with the Mersey during the Second World War
0:16:06 > 0:16:10was mines. The U-boats used to wait for the slack water...
0:16:11 > 0:16:13..release the mines and then,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15when the tide flowed in,
0:16:15 > 0:16:20it used to carry the mines into the river and there would always be
0:16:20 > 0:16:23a number of ships anchored, waiting to go into port,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and they would be blown up.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28The U-boats were causing havoc,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31on average sinking four ships every day in the Atlantic.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And by March 1943, it was estimated
0:16:36 > 0:16:39the UK only had three weeks' supply of food left.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46With all looking lost, Churchill turned to Admiral Max Horton,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49who came up with high-risk tactics to search and destroy the German
0:16:49 > 0:16:51U-boats.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56One of the bravest things he did was to withdraw the escorts from
0:16:56 > 0:17:00the convoys and form them into hunter-killer groups,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and their idea from then on -
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and this is when we started winning the Battle of the Atlantic -
0:17:05 > 0:17:08instead of defending the convoys,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13he went out hunting the U-boats and the first idea was that he would go
0:17:13 > 0:17:14ahead of the convoys,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18force the U-boats down under the water and they couldn't go fast
0:17:18 > 0:17:21enough to keep up with the convoys then.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23But then he got more ambitious and thought,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25"I'm going to kill the U-boats!"
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And he didn't half kill them.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31The crucial battle for the Atlantic had been won and Britain was saved.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34For the sailors who survived,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38the church on the top of the hill became an important symbol.
0:17:38 > 0:17:44When they came up the river and they saw that green dome and they passed
0:17:44 > 0:17:47the green dome, nicknamed the Dome of Home,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50they knew they'd finally made it home.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52And they were OK.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57It was never the intention for just one dome
0:17:57 > 0:17:59to be overlooking the Mersey.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01They were meant to have two.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06At the same time plans for the Dome of Home were drawn up,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08across the river in the city of Liverpool,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11which was still hugely wealthy from shipping,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15the Catholic Church were developing their own monumental domed building,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19designed by world-renowned architect Edwin Lutyens.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26A model housed at the Museum of Liverpool shows it with a dome
0:18:26 > 0:18:29to rival Saint Peter's in Rome.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Work commenced in the 1930s,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38but the building finally completed 30 years later bears
0:18:38 > 0:18:40little resemblance to the plans.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Affectionately known as the Mersey Funnel,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50the Metropolitan Cathedral has a very modern
0:18:50 > 0:18:52and evocatively designed interior.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56But how did it end up so different
0:18:56 > 0:18:59from what the architect intended?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02To find out, I'm heading down to the crypt.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Hello, Father Tony.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I'm Dave, nice to meet you.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10- Hi, welcome.- I didn't know... - That this was down below?
0:19:10 > 0:19:15- No.- This is the original Lutyens design, a famous architect.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17It was going to be the biggest cathedral in the world,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20with a dome of the size of Saint Peter's.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21Why wasn't it built?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26They started to build in 1933,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and then of course that led up to the Second World War,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32then a lot of the construction workers were called up in the war
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and then following the end of the Second World War,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37there was really no appetite after that.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39The materials were not available.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Yeah, absolutely. So really, you've got the groundworks done,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46like the crypt and everything, of the world's biggest cathedral.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- That's right.- Do you wish that the cathedral would have been built,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54- the Lutyens one?- No, I think what we've got is a good mix, really.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- Yeah.- I think if this had been completed,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58we have been paying for it for ever.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- Yeah.- It would have been sort of hundreds of millions of pounds,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04which probably would have crippled the local community,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06trying to raise the funds to pay off the debt.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- But it's a wonderful place, really. - It is. It's well worth coming to.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The thing is, if you do come, the top bit's wonderful,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15but it's a bit of an iceberg, really.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17You need to go downstairs and see what's going on.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21And what an iceberg it is.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25It would have taken a titanic effort to create these stunning vaulted
0:20:25 > 0:20:27ceilings. This is incredible.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29I mean, the scale of the crypt!
0:20:29 > 0:20:33When you think this is one of the chapels below the main building,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37you know, it just gives you an idea of the size and scale of the design.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40There's about six million bricks here.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Good grief.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And all the other materials they used.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It's proper classical architecture,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50which we've got in the Dome of Home across the Mersey.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Across the Mersey, yeah. Which was going to probably mirror,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56in a smaller way, what was to be here on this side of the river.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Yes.- You had the Dome of Home on the other side.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Such is the power of... What a gateway to the Mersey!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Yes.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Father Tony, you've got an incredible basement!
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Back in New Brighton, the builders have another month left on site.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32With the vital weatherproofing works done,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34they can now get on with repairing the cracks
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and cosmetic damage on the inside.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43The compromised areas have been revamped with a lime-based plaster
0:21:43 > 0:21:45with added hemp for extra flexibility.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Matt Coleman is one of the plasterers.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55This is a three-to-one lime mortar with hemp.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58They've let the water out.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It'll stay dry.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05There'll be three layers of plaster to get the perfect finish.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It's tried and tested.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19You know it'll work.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22It's going to last another few hundred years.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Outside, there's still the delicate job of refitting the original rose window,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34which sits 15 metres above the porch at the front of the building.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The lead had taken a beating from the elements and the glass was
0:22:41 > 0:22:43perilously close to falling out.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Having painstakingly removed the whole window and restored it,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52the team now have the task of putting it all back together again.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- Hello, gents. - Hi. This is Dave and Andy.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Hi, nice to meet you. They're the glass specialists.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So, that's stating the obvious, you're putting a new window in.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Putting a new rose window.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08What sort of condition was the window in when you took it out?
0:23:08 > 0:23:14Poor. The seals had gone around the leads and they'd sealed them up with
0:23:14 > 0:23:16some sort of proprietary seal at some time in the past.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20The glass was all basically intact, so we were able to dismantle it,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24clean it all and reassemble it with new lead, put new cement in,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29so effectively it's a brand-new window but using the original glass.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31So, have you made a new frame?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33No, this is the original frame.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36We've taken it out, we've blast cleaned it,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40we've re-tapped all the holes and replaced the screws with stainless steel ones.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Today, it's ready for the glass to go back in.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- Can I give you a hand? - Yes, you certainly can.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Right, so we'll put this one in first, Dave.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- The big 'un?- Yeah, the big 'un.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- You could start with a big 'un. - Right.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56It's the original glass, so we'd really rather you didn't drop it.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- Absolutely.- So, it wants to go in that way.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- Yes.- So, should we walk back over and have a go at bobbing it in?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- Righto.- I'll carry it over. - All right.- You don't look so good on your feet.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- If we put it in between us.- Yes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15So, it's more difficult than, like, panel pins and putty?
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Well, it's just what it is.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It's not necessarily difficult but it's just a bit fiddly, really.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Now, is that tape double-sided? - Yes. That's exactly what it is.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Is it very sticky? - Sticky as sticky stuff.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30That's it. Now, we've got it in.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Look at that. It's almost like you knew what you were doing.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37The window is anchored into place using copper wires,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40which have been pre-welded onto the leaded window.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44So, this is what I would call a stained-glass window.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- Is that the right term?- No, really this is technically a leaded light.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50If you think about it, lots of windows are called lights.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53You've got roof lights, fan lights, copper lights.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55This is a leaded light and what it means is, literally,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57it lets light into a building.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01All this glass was cleverly coloured 80 years ago and given names like
0:25:01 > 0:25:06Cathedral Blue, Yellow Stippolyte and Ruby Flemish.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09We've got a stained-glass window that's been painted and fired and
0:25:09 > 0:25:13that's just a way of putting an elaborate mask onto a piece of
0:25:13 > 0:25:15glass, so you can get a face or whatever.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16- Yes.- Like you see in church windows.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20- Yes.- So, technically, that's a stained-glass window.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22This is a leaded light.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I notice you're making me wear gloves with this.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Apart from the fact that I'm looking after your window, is it, like,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- the lead?- Yes, you don't want to be eating lead.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I know you like eating things but you don't want to be eating lead.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- Not a lead sandwich? - No, no, it's bad for you.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35We've some little spring clips.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I'll tell you what, you can have a go at that.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- You'll like them.- All right.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41He doesn't let me do much, you know.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43He doesn't trust me! Before he says, how are you with glass?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I said, I don't know, I've never done it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- He went, "Oh!"- You'll like these, nobody can put these in.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50So, is this a bit of a swine to get in?
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It is a swine to get in, but you'll manage.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- You'll manage.- All right...
0:25:56 > 0:25:59So that's the filler. Hang on now, if I just lend you my knife.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01If you can just...
0:26:01 > 0:26:03poke that under there.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Yes, be careful.- That's it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06- That's it, look at that.- Is that it?
0:26:06 > 0:26:10That's it. But look how clever that is and that's holding that in.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Isn't it.- Nice and tight. Glazing springs, they call them.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14So, it's not your invention?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16No, unfortunately I didn't invent that.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20So, but it goes right back hundred years, does that sort of thing.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Wonderful, wonderful.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28There are six panels with over 150 individual pieces of antique glass
0:26:28 > 0:26:33being taped, clipped and sealed into their new resting place.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35The final piece of the jigsaw.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Aye, that's it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And then we just need to lift it up.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Bob's your auntie, Fanny's your uncle Jim.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44So, he's doing the copper wires.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- Aye.- Dave, do you get a sense of satisfaction now, you know,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50the icing on the cake, your work is now done?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Yeah, it's great. You've turned something that were passed it,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55that'd had one lifetime,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59you've brought it back and given it another lifetime's worth of service.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01People inside have seen it all their lives,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04most of them can't remember when it were clean and neat and tidy,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05so they're going to see it again.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's going to be new light through old windows.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Fantastic. One window.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- Yep, sound.- Brilliant.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Well done, Dave. Congratulations. - Thanks for coming and having a look.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18So, what are you doing next?
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Going home and having me tea or our lass'll kill me.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27It won't be long before the building is finished and normal service resumed.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Father Mullins had an ambitious vision for his church.
0:27:34 > 0:27:40His persistence and willingness to try new technologies allowed it to be built.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And now it's been restored,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46this important landmark will remain
0:27:46 > 0:27:49on the Wirral skyline for many years to come.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Next time, I'll be in Ampleforth, Yorkshire,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58at one of the country's best boarding schools,
0:27:58 > 0:27:59with a load of monks.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02When you're out and about on business, would you travel in your habit?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I think sometimes if people see you like this it can be a bit...
0:28:05 > 0:28:07They can get a bit freaked out.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I'll be restoring the Yorkshire equivalent of Hogwarts.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12I missed.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And learning an extraordinary tale of mice and men.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- It's Mouseman's greatest work, really.- Yeah.- Oh, there's a mouse.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- There we are. - See how many you can spot.