London Photo Gallery - Westminster Cathedral's Campanile

Westminster Cathedral was a vision for a new Catholic church. Cardinal Vaughan appointed the "best" Catholic architect in the country for the job, John Bentley. He set off in 1894 on a Grand Tour of Italy to seek inspiration, but Hagia Sophia in Constantinople won him over.

The cathedral was completed in 1903 with Byzantine influences in the architecture. The red stripes on the outside are still eye-catching today, and surrounded by beautiful residential blocks of similar colours.

Rising 284 feet, the Campanile has a viewing deck with elevator access so you don't have to walk 300 steps unless there is an emergency. The views are quite nice on all sides even though there are taller, more modern buildings across the street. There are large openings on the metal grills installed so you can poke your phone or camera through for an unobstructed shot. At 10 pounds, the price is reasonable and the vantage point is quite unique.

Looking south, there are no obstructions and I could see all the way to the new towers at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.

Looking east, I could only see a part of Parliament and the Canary Wharf skyline in the distance.

There are a few tall buildings to the north but there are breaks and I could still see parts of Green Park.

Looking west, it is mostly residential and you can also spot Victoria train station.