Manchester Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, was originally a parish church before being promoted to collegiate status in the 15th century. It was later designated as a cathedral in 1847 when the diocese of Manchester was created. Despite its relatively recent history as a cathedral, the building is an imposing edifice, with a reputation as having the widest nave of any medieval church in England.
The church’s architecture is largely late Perpendicular and includes a Victorian addition in the upper half of the west tower. During World War II, the Lady Chapel screen narrowly escaped destruction when a bomb damaged the chapel behind it. The screen was rebuilt with some new structural elements, but the carved elements were largely unharmed. The cathedral also lost all its pre-war stained glass during the bombing, but today it boasts vibrant examples of contemporary stained glass, including a sequence of five windows by Anthony Holloway.
Despite the restoration work that was necessary after the bombing, much of the cathedral’s medieval woodwork, including the early 16th century choir stalls, remained intact. These stalls are considered some of the finest in the country, with misericord seats and wonderfully rich canopies. Today, Manchester Cathedral retains the scale, interest, and dignity of a cathedral, despite its origins as a parish and collegiate church.
Posted by Aidan McRae Thomson on 2019-09-03 19:11:23