Manchester Cathedral

As a visit, Manchester Cathedral is odd. This is a working church, so access is erratic. But—a strange statement, but true—the cathedral is a venue, where an unforced community spirit hosts many events; concerts (everyone loves the cathedral for music), reading and mini‐opera, art‐festivals, installations, a drinks fair… If you’re not for an event, there is the building. Dating back to who‐knows‐when, the cathedral, perhaps foreshadowing later Manchester development, has been rebuilt age after age. Most is in a brown‐purple local stone, perpendicular style, chiselled with column and passage extensions until it became a maze wide not high, which makes for a subdued atmosphere unlike any other Anglican church you are likely to stroll. If you tire of the ornate carving and the many, many artefacts, there are leaflets, an exhibition room, friendly people and sometime guides. Across the road, a cafe, the Hanging Ditch excavation, and an arresting statue of Gandhi. If not attending an event, the cathedral is not a day out but, if you have any interest, this is a must‐visit destination.