Last updated: 09/10/2020
Discover Manchester Cathedral, a beautiful church full of history located in the amazing city of Manchester in England. Here are some reasons to include it in your itinerary.
MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Manchester Cathedral is known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denis and St George. It is believed that, originally, there was a Saxon church dating from the 7th century and that was destroyed by Danish invaders in the year 923. In 1215, the current church was built on the outskirts of Baron's Court, next to the Greslet family mansion, which today , is part of the Chetham School of Music. It was this family that began to build the first buildings for a parish we now know as Manchester Cathedral.
During the years 1421 and 1882 Manchester Cathedral was built in a perpendicular Gothic style. Over the years, the medieval church has been extensively renovated, restored and extended, mostly in the Victorian period, and again after bomb damage during World War II. The current cathedral was built of three types of stone and has an imposing tower over 40 meters high.
MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Manchester Cathedral has 30 mercies (small wooden bookcase at the bottom of the choir seat) carved in wood, which are among the most beautiful in Europe.
- You Original stained glass windows were destroyed in 1940 during a bombing in World War II and new ones were installed in the following decades.
- You 10 bells of the cathedral's tower date from 1925 and the largest of them weighs about 1.3 tons.
- O Visitor Center in the south area of the cathedral there is a small shop and an exhibition room. The main attraction of this space is the The Hanging Ditch Bridge, an ancient monument from 1421, which was buried for more than 100 years after work carried out in the 1880s. The site was rediscovered and re-exposed in 2002. Although most of it is hidden by modern buildings, there is an area that can be seen on the lower floor of the Visitor Center.
- During the restoration processes inside the cathedral, it received a organ mounted on the medieval pulpit, but it was destroyed during World War II. The organ was eventually replaced in 1952, and in 2016 it was replaced again with an entirely new instrument.
- The nave's ceiling supports are supported by 14 angel sculptures, each playing a different late medieval instrument.
WHERE TO EAT IN MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Manchester Cathedral has a restaurant known as Altered Cafe or Café at the Cathedral, which is a modern British tea room. The place serves a selection of teas, traditional homemade meals (which include stews, salads and sandwiches), artisan cakes, confectionery items, among others.
- Schedules: from sunday to friday from 9 am to 5 pm | Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm
Read more: England: What to do in Manchester – 1, 2 or 3 day itinerary
HOW TO REACH MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Who is in London and wants to take the opportunity to get to know Manchester, nothing better than the train! The Virgin Trains company provides very fast and comfortable trains! Trains leave the station London Euston and go to Manchester Piccadilly, completing the journey of more than 320 km in just 2 hours! My top tip is: buy well in advance because the prices are quite steep if the tickets are bought in the same week of the trip. To buy train tickets, I recommend the website TrainLine. See all the information about using trains in England in the post: Tips for traveling by train in England. The Cathedral is about a 20-minute walk away, but you can also reach it by public transport by bus or by getting off at Manchester Victoria train station, which is very close to the cathedral.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Manchester Cathedral
- Address: Victoria St, Manchester M3 1SX, England
- Schedules: daily from 9 am to 5 pm
- Entrance: free, but a £3 donation is suggested
- Tours: The Cathedral offers tours lasting 30 minutes, usually from Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. While there is no charge for these tours, the Cathedral suggests a donation of £3 per person. It is not possible to book in advance, as they are offered subject to the availability of volunteers.
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Read more about Manchester:
- England: What to do in Manchester – 1, 2 or 3 day itinerary
- Football: Museum and Tour at Manchester United Stadium
- England: National Football Museum in Manchester
- England: Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
