Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port of Spain (must see)

At the time of the British takeover in 1797, the Christian population of Trinidad and Tobago was mostly Roman Catholic. Something had to be done! Anglican priests received royal appointments to establish the Anglican Church in the islands. Until the cathedral opened, the Spanish-built Moorish-style town council building harbored the congregation.

The present Cathedral stands on the site of a much earlier church that burned in the Great Fire of 1808. The new church was consecrated in May 1823. The style of the Cathedral mixes Gothic Revival with elements of the Victorian age. It was designed by British architect and colonial secretary Phillip Reinagle.

The Cathedral design stresses the idea of altitude. The structure features buttresses with pinnacles. An overly tall bell tower and steeply angled pitched roofs are over the nave and chancel. The Gothic Revival finds further expression in the lancet stained-glass windows and pointed arch double doors.

Construction materials included blue limestone from the Laventille Hills, lime mortar and yellow brick transported from the Hollington quarries in England. The roof is supported by hammer beams of carved mahogany. The wooden pews are also carved in mahogany. There are eight flags in the apse for each of the islands.

The Cathedral is surrounded by well-tended lawns and gardens guarded by a wrought iron fence. It is not such a roomy structure, but it offers a tranquil refuge from the madding crowds of downtown Port of Spain.