Originally a collegiate church, founded by the Lord of the Manor Thomas de la Warre in 1421 (the state of Delaware is named after a later branch of his family), it was raised to cathedral status in 1847.  The external appearance is largely a result of 19th century additions.  Internally the most interesting feature is the remarkable elaborately carved choir stalls dating from c.1500.  Although severely damaged during the second world war they were painstakingly restored to an exceptionally high standard by James Brown of Wilmslow.  During the 19th century boom years the commercial centre of Manchester moved further south and left the cathedral isolated.  Following the IRA bomb of 1996 the new urban plan attempts to integrate this medieval fragment into the contemporary centre, focused on a newly created open space, Cathedral Gardens, which you see in the foreground.  Another post-bomb development and one of Manchester's newest buildings is 'No.1 Deansgate', consisting of prestige stores and luxury apartments, seen here nearing completion in Aug 2002.  It is the UK's tallest all-steel residential building and the first building in Manchester to house a £2m property, a duplex penthouse on the 16th & 17th floors.