Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral stands on Victoria Street beside the River Irwell and the Medlock confluence area at the historic heart of Manchester, England. The present building dates largely from the Perpendicular Gothic period of the fifteenth century, when the medieval rector Thomas de la Warre secured permission in 1421 to refound the parish church as a collegiate church. It was raised to cathedral status in 1847 when the Diocese of Manchester was created, reflecting the rapid growth of the industrial city. The nave is among the widest medieval parish naves in England, with a timber roof carried on carved angels, and the church holds an unusually large set of late medieval wooden choir stalls, made around 1500 and richly carved with misericords, animals, saints and fantastical figures. The screen between nave and choir, the Fraser window, and a fine collection of Victorian and later stained glass add to the interior. During the air raids of December 1940 the cathedral lost most of its stained glass and suffered major damage to the roof and the Lady Chapel area, and rebuilding stretched over many years, with the surviving medieval fabric carefully repaired and new work added in the 1950s and later. A major refurbishment and a new visitor centre, completed in 2016, improved access and interpretation of the building's thousand-year story. The building is still a working cathedral with daily services and a notable choral tradition, so access can be restricted during worship. Visitors can walk the nave, see the choir stalls and memorials, and learn about the cathedral's role in the city's civic life, including its involvement in the response to the 1996 IRA bombing and the 2017 arena attack. The cathedral sits close to the National Football Museum, Chetham's Library and the Corn Exchange, making it an easy stop on a heritage walk.