Very Catholic Church, looking far more modern than it is from the outside…read more It's pocketed in the midst of tall office blocks, and you can pop in for a wander- the carved altar is rather spectacular, and frankly looks like it's been swiped out of York minster. Other bits other than the stations of the cross are on the plainer side. I was expecting something more along the lines of the beautiful paintings at st Giles, so it didn't quite hold the same punch for me.

The Hidden Gem is something of a misnomer as it is signposted, not as 'St Mary's Church' but as…read more'The Hidden Gem'. Not really so hidden any more, is it? Canon Denis Clinch describes the church as 'an oasis of peace in the heart of the City's life', which is certainly true due to the church's location among huge office buildings and sandwich shops. It looks like this quote has always been true, as when the church was first opened in 1794 the Deansgate area was full of newly built poor quality housing. It is worth having a wander around the church to have a look at the stations of the cross which are commonly regarded as works of fine art, as well as the ornately carved altar. So, I'd recommend a visit to the Hidden Gem. However, I wouldn't recommend going to a service unless you are a very very staunch Catholic. A few years ago my boyfriend and I went to Mass here and as a Catholic he said he has never been preached at so much. If you do want to be informed of the evils of sex before marriage etc then Mass times are 12.30pm on weekdays, noon and 5.15pm on Saturdays and 10.15am and noon on Sundays.

St Mary's is thought to be the first post-Reformation Catholic Church to have been built as a…read morechurch (as opposed to an adapted building) since the Reformation. It has had an interesting if rather chequered history, and is known as the 'Hidden Gem'. History The church was commissioned in 1792 by Father Broomhead, then priest at a small chapel dedicated to St Chad, to serve what was in the 1790s a rapidly expanding but poor area of Manchester. The church was completed in 1794. This first building was re-roofed in 1833, at the behest of the incumbent Father Henry Gillow, but the work was done poorly, and the roof collapsed just two years later, taking much of the rest of the building with it. Father Gillow himself died of typhus in 1837, so a decision was taken to rebuild the church on the existing site, and it is this we see today. The church was designed by the architectural partnership of John Grey Weightman (1801-1872) and Matthew Ellison Hadfield (1812-1885). The term the 'Hidden gem' was coined by Herbert Vaughan, the second Catholic Bishop of Salford, appointed in 1872, who said, "No matter on what side of the church you look, you behold a hidden gem". The church Although no longer surrounded by slums, the commercial architecture around the building still rather crowds it, and it still feels very much in a back street. In particular, it is not possible to get a good view of the front façade, which can be accessed via a low but wide passageway from the square in Brazennose Street, as well as along Mulberry Street. The exterior is in the Romanesque style, executed in red brick with sandstone dressings. The most prominent feature is the tower, of three stages topped with a "Rhenish Helm" spire, but the main stone entrance portal, of two orders in the Romanesque style and with a carved tympanum, is perhaps the most attractive feature. Inside, the interior is compact and darkly atmospheric: the short nave has arcades of 6 bays of narrow rounded arches, supported on marbled columns with elaborately carved capitals, each different. The nave roof is broken to form a high cupola, which provides most of the light. However, attention is drawn to the elaborate reredos of Caen stone, which almost fills the Sanctuary. It is carved with Saints and angels, and decorated with columns, roundels and inlay of green, dark brown and yellow marble. There are chapels to the left and right of the sanctuary, at the east end of the aisles. The rest of the interior is whitewashed, but the aisle walls are covered by vibrantly painted Stations of the Cross, commissioned from Norman Adams RA and installed in 1995. They have received much critical acclaim from the artistic world, although they are very different in style from the rest of the church's decoration, and for some visitors are something of an acquired taste. The church today is the centre of a very busy and active city centre ministry: it's website proudly proclaims: "The attendance at daily Mass is uniformly excellent".

Gorgeous church inside and out in the city centre. Beautiful to stop into, or to attend a service…read morein, particularly when the Christmas markets are on. It's really lives up to its nickname of 'the hidden gem'. It's a quiet space to contemplate everything, or get involved with the worship. Well worth a visit if you're around the Brazenose Street area.

I must agree with the other reviewers and say that this church really is a lovely piece of…read moreManchester, sitting quietly majestic at the top of St Anne's Square. When I was doing the temp job from Hell nearby, I would spend my lunchtimes eating my Design A Sandwich on the steps of one of the doorways facing out into St Anne's Sq, quietly regaining my patience for life, before heading back to the office. It's a great spot for people watching, as you're sort of tucked away. Plus, it gets nice and warm in the summer with the sun shining on it all day. So, there's my review of this lovely church. Now you've got it all. Elliot's told you about the music, Sarah-Jane let you know about prayer times, and me, well I just gave you another option for your lunch break.

Just like everyone else who has reviewed St Ann's Church, my appreciation of this great church is…read morepurely architectural. St Ann's Church is truly beautiful inside, and is to me actually more impressive than Manchester Cathedral. I've always found the vicar to be an extremely friendly fellow, who greets everyone looking around the church with a warm smile and a nice "hello." Go and look around the inside and out of St Ann's Church, it's absolutely stunning.

A beautiful old church in the heart of Wigan (in more ways than one!). It is, as you might expect,…read moresteeped in history -- almost as much as the old rectory, Wigan Hall, a fantastic historic building tucked away on the other side of the bus station. When it's open, it's well worth wandering in, admiring the architecture, or just sitting to reflect or pray -- there's something very powerful about doing so in a place where so many people done the same for hundreds of years in the past. All in all, therefore, well worth a visit if you're in Wigan.

I have fond memories of this chuch from when we used to go with school. It is a beautiful church…read moreboth inside and out. I dont go as often as I should these days but I walk through the grounds frequently and they are always perfectly cared for.

I was very privileged to attend the wedding of my good ski friend and fellow Yelper Lesley B to her…read morefiance Andrew at St Peter's church last Saturday. St Peter's has been her local church since living in the area and I've attended Sunday services here - I've always been made to feel welcome by the local congregation. The church building is postcard perfect for what you imagine a pretty English parish church would look llke. The Lord was smiling on Lesley on Saturday - the rain cleared up and the sun came out just as the service ended and it was time for photos. The inside is lovely too with exposed wooden beams. The wedding service was a joyful occasion shared with friends and family. The cupcake reception immediately after the service was a novel idea and helped to keep the guests entertained, fed and watered as the photos were taking place. The electric keyboard was of good quality. I was lucky to be asked to provide some piano music when the when register was signed. The regular members of the church made us guests feel most welcome. It feels like an active local church. Congratulations to Lesley and Andrew!

Wow. St Peter's Church is actually incredibly awesome. I think it's actually maybe called St Peter…read moreBolton-Le-Moors Church. I don't know. This is a huge, majestic church just on the edge of Bolton's town centre. It's a fantastic contrast to the tackiness of the town centre just a few metres away. The church is surrounded by a pleasant graveyard and grassy area. Inside, the church is fantastic. The roofing is all wooden, with exposed beams. It's bursting with character and actually better than Manchester Cathedral in my opinion. Great church. So big that I kept having to go back and back and back to take a picture of it.

St Mary's church has always been a great church for weddings, christenings and sadly funerals too…read moreof which I have been to many. The size of the church internally is ideal for weddings and seats hundreds of people. It stands proud on the outskirts of the shopping area and is always nice in the summer months with a clock you can see for miles. Bell ringing can always be heard across the valley and functions, services and clubs use the church on a regular basis.

OK, let me declare an interest: I attend this church regularly and have done for many years. But I…read moreknow I'm not alone in saying this is a good church, a welcoming family, a vibrant, worshipping community, and a place where it is easy to belong. There are actually four worship centres in the parish -- at St Peter's itself and on Johnson Fold, in Barrow Bridge and in Smithills -- and there are three services on Sundays at St Peter's (a family-friendly service at 9:30, a quieter service at 11:00 and a longer service at 6:30). If think that's a lot, you'd be right: this is one of the biggest Anglican churches (if not the biggest) in Manchester, and organising everything that happens is a major task! There's a big, smart Parish Centre just down the road from St Peter's -- a very useful resource for the local community -- and as you might expect, there's a lot going on both during the day and in the evenings. In particular there's a good deal of Youth Work -- indeed, the church has just appointed a Youth Minister to oversee what's going on. Worship at the church itself is fairly low with modern songs very much the order of the day at most services; and the theology is unashamedly evangelical. All in all, I'm very happy to be involved here; if you're looking for a busy, family church you could do a lot worse than see whether St Peter's might be what you're looking for.

Residents of fashionable Marylebone could be forgiven for doing a double-take driving east out of…read moreManchester when, tucked away, close to the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the University of Salford, they see the double of their own church of St Mary's, Wyndham Place. They will not, however, have teleported home. The church they see is in fact St Philip's Chapel Street, in Salford. Both were Commissioner's churches, both built around 1822-24, and both were given the same design by Sir Robert Smirke, in a flagrant example of architectural recycling. The design is Greek Revival: an impressively handsome semi-circular portico of Ionic columns is surmounted by a classic 'pepper-pot' bell tower. Behind, the church has a conventional rectangular plan, with tall round headed windows above a row of smaller straight-headed windows. It is a wonderful addition to the local streetscape, and a Grade II* listed building. Inside, the church was designed as a classic preaching box: large galleries on three sides would have allowed seating for a congregation of 1,000. However, the interior was re-ordered in 1895 by J Medland Taylor, to provide a larger square sanctuary, to provide for more ritualised worship (although the galleries survived). An interesting feature is that it retains it original organ, made by Renn & Boston in 1829. The church is now home to a new partnership, with a 'plant' from the New Wine network of churches, with a charge to reinvigorate the mission of the church in the area for the 21st Century. The church provides services in both traditional and more lively charismatic evangelical styles.

The church dedicated to St Philip was erected in this spot in 1825. The architect was Sir Robert…read moreSmirke who went on to design the Bank of England and the British Museum. The church's purpose was not limited to the spread of gospel. It was one of the so-called "Waterloo churches" intended to prevent the dissemination of the dangerous ideas of the French Revolution. Bizarrely, it was consecrated on St Matthew Day, and it didn't go without a few hiccups. One notices the imposing design of the church, and it is a particularly fine site, if seen from Chapel St. The commissioners wanted Smirke to place the grand porch and circular tower in the south end of the church, rather than the western end. In his turn, Smirke wanted his church in classical style. All in all, this is one of the most original buildings in Greater Manchester, and apparently boasts a copy on Leonardo's Last Supper.