Right in the heart of Manchester city centre there’s a stunning Catholic church that’s been hidden away for hundreds of years. Or it has been until now.
The scaffolding that’s long-marred Lincoln Square during its redevelopment has finally been removed to show St Mary’s Hidden Gem in its full glory, and glorious it really is.
Externally it’s comprised of the plain, red brick you see all over Manchester, but with a few special additions.
An ornate bell tower, stone-dressed windows and a carved stone doorway with a hand above forming the sign of the Ascension of Christ give visitors just the smallest hint of the beauty waiting to be discovered within.
Venture through its doorway, and you’ll be greeted by beautiful stained glass windows, a majestic Victorian carving and High Altar made of marble.
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Image: The Manc Group
Life-size statues of Our Lady, St Stephen, St Patrick, St Peter, St John, St Hilda, St Augustine and St Joseph, all of whom gaze down serenely from on high.
In the very centre of the Altar, above the Tabernacle, sits Christ himself bearing the Sacred Heart. Elsewhere, you’ll spy striking expressionist paintings of the Stations of the Cross – the handiwork of late British artist and professor of painting Norman Adams.
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The church dates all the way back to 1774 , when it was originally located on Rook Street (near to today’s Fountain Street).
Over the years it has been afflicted by fires and other acts of God, still it stands firm.
The roof is said to have spontaneously cracked and collapsed in 1833 after its Rector at the time, Father Henry Gillow, had (in folly) enlisted his congregation’s help to conduct repairs without the oversight of a master builder.
At other points in St Mary’s history, a number of fires have required it to be rebuilt several times.
First erected at its home on Mulberry Street in 1794 following a fire, the church was rebuilt again in 1848 after it was destroyed in similar circumstance once again – leading architects to redesign it in an eclectic mix of Norman, Byzantine and Gothic styles that horrified top architects of the day.
It was the first Catholic church to be built in the Uk for some 250 years, thanks to Henry VIII’s desire to remarry, which led the country to break away from the Catholic church in the 1530s, but its parishioners were very poor, and during the 17th century had to meet secretly to conduct services.
Inside St Mary’s. Credit: Filckr
During this time, catholics were treated as second class citizens and were banned from many privileges – such as owning a horse, serving the armed forces, practising law or teaching – incase they might decide to side with the Pope over the Crown.
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Thankfully this is no longer the case today, and it remains open for all to visit – religious or not – to soak up a moment of quiet away from the noise of the city.
Whilst over time the Manchester that exists outside it has changed beyond recognition, St Mary’s HIdden Gem remains an oasis of peace today just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Albert Square and Deansgate.
Well worth a visit for its stunning interiors alone, this charming piece of Manchester history is worth seeking out – and now, its easier to find than ever before.
Feature image – The Manc Group
City Centre
Greater Manchester officially launches five-year climate change action plan
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has officially begun its five-year climate change action plan, with the overarching goal of becoming a net-zero city region by 2038.
The comprehensive pledge put together over a number of years itself will see Manchester City Council and the nearby local authorities put into action a number of key measures that will help to reduce not only central carbon figures but, eventually, across the 10 boroughs in turn.
Over the last 15 years, emissions have been reduced by approximately 64%, saving an estimated 44,344 tonnes of carbon through cleaner building energy, street lighting and other electronics, as well as the increasingly green and over-growing Bee Network.
They have also insisted that it isn’t just about cutting down on greenhouse gases; the aim is to make the city region and the surrounding areas more sustainable, affordable and create a better standard of life.
Our five-year plan to tackle climate change launches today. 🌏
It details how we’ll continue to deliver dramatic reductions in the amount of carbon we emit (the biggest contributor to climate change). 🏙️
As per the summary on the Council website, in addition to creating more efficient homes, they’re hoping to provide more access to nature and good-quality green space, “public transport you can rely on”, and “better health and wellbeing for those who live, work, study and visit here.”
With a steadily recovering local and national economy (touch wood), they’re also hoping for an influx of new jobs, too.
Summarising the key bullet points leading up to the end of the decade, these are the next steps currently outlined by the Council:
Lower carbon emissions
Grow the use of renewable energy
Improve low-carbon travel in the city
Improve air quality
Grow the city’s natural environment and boost biodiversity
Improve resilience to flooding and extreme heat
Engage and involve our workforce and our city’s communities
Reduce waste and grow reuse, repair, sharing and recycling
Support a move to a more circular economy
Minimise the negative impact of events held in the city
Develop our knowledge of our indirect emissions and lower them
Create a green financing strategy and explore new funding models for the city
Influence the environmental practices of other organisations
As for emissions, the target is now to drop the present output by another 34%, which will prevent almost 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from being pumped into the atmosphere.
Having touched upon the continued expansion of the Bee Network infrastructure, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is also set to install multiple new travel links over the coming years, including both new tram stops and train stations – further
You can read the climate action plan in full HERE.
Manchester’s firework displays are ‘back with a bang’ as they return from 2026
Emily Sergeant
Council-organised firework displays in Manchester’s parks are set to return from next year, it has been confirmed.
You may remember that these once-popular events have not been held since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic initially prevented them from taking place from 2020 onwards, and then following that, they remained paused on a trial basis while the Manchester City Council sought to ‘reprioritise funding’ to support a wider range of free community events across the city.
But now, as it seems, the door was never shut on their potential return.
An ‘improved financial position’ now means that the Council is in a position to bring firework events back, while also still continuing to support other community events.
Papers setting out the Council’s financial position show that fairer funding being introduced by the Government next year will leave the Council better off than previously anticipated, he the reason firework displays have been brought back into the mix.
The Council has admitted that ‘pressures remain’ after so many years of financial cuts, but this new funding creates the opportunity to invest in the things residents have said matter the most to them.
“Manchester prides itself on free community events and we know many people have missed Bonfire night firework spectaculars,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“That’s why we are pleased to confirm they’ll be back by popular demand in 2026.
“We know that generations of Mancunians have enjoyed Council-organised displays and that free family events are a great way to bring people together… [and] now that this Government is actually investing in Councils like ours rather than the cuts we had since 2010, we can bring back Bonfire events.”
Georgina Pellant -
15th April 2022 
