Manchester Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, has a rich history that dates back to the medieval times. The cathedral originally served as a parish church but was rebuilt and promoted to collegiate status in the 15th century. It was later designated as a cathedral in 1847 when the Diocese of Manchester was established. The church boasts of an imposing edifice with reputedly the widest nave of any medieval church in England.
The church underwent several restorations and renovations, the most significant of which were after bomb damage in World War II. The Lady Chapel screen narrowly escaped complete destruction when the chapel immediately behind it was demolished. The screen was damaged but pieced back together with new structural elements, while the most important carved elements escaped mostly unharmed. The cathedral lost all pre-war stained glass during the bombing, but today it is adorned instead by some very vibrant examples of contemporary stained glass, including the sequence of five windows at the west end by Anthony Holloway, providing bold splashes of colour in their abstract expressionism.
Despite all the restoration and renewal the cathedral still has much to offer, with much medieval woodwork remaining in the roofs and furnishings. The outstanding feature here are the early 16th century choir stalls, some of the very finest in the country, with enjoyable misericord seats set beneath wonderfully rich canopies, some of the best late medieval wood carving to have survived.
Manchester Cathedral is one of the most successful of the ‘parish church cathedral’ upgrades, and it possesses the scale, interest, and dignity of a cathedral. It welcomes visitors daily, inviting them to explore its rich history and enjoy its breathtaking features.
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2019-09-03 19:11:24