Cathedral and the surrounding buildings today
Dedicated to St Mary, St George and St Denys, the Cathedral is a notable example of the perpendicular-Gothic style of architecture. Its present form owes much to the gradual rebuilding of the original church in the 15th and 16th centuries following its dedication in 1421 by Sir Thomas de la Warre, the Lord of the Manor of Manchester, as a collegiate Church.
The choir and the aisle were erected between 1422 and 1458 by the addition on either side of the original nave of a series of chapels the largest of which being the one dedicated to John the Baptist, constructed to celebrate the return of Sir John Stanley from the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. The nave itself holds the distinction of being the widest of any church in England - 114 feet (York Cathedral 104' wide).
The Church was extensively reconstructed and further enlarged following the creation of the Diocese of Manchester and its attainment of Cathedral Status in 1847. The height of the West Tower was increased during rebuilding in the 1860's. The original south porch was demolished and rebuilt and a new north porch erected as part of J. S. Crowther's extensive restoration work in the 1880's. The Victorian porch and vestries overlooking Victoria Street were designed by the Architect, Basil Campreys and constructed in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.