The gorgeous Greater Manchester building named the world’s 'top hidden gem'

A church tucked away in the heart of Manchester’s city centre has been named the top ‘hidden gem’ in the world, according to a new study. St Mary’s Church topped a global list of ‘hidden gem’ tourist attractions, beating locations in the USA, Australia and France.

Nestled between Albert Square, Deansgate and John Dalton Street, the Catholic Church is even commonly known as ‘The Hidden Gem’. The parish dates back to 1794, although the church itself was rebuilt in 1848.

Surrounded by shiny office blocks and buzzing bars and restaurants, the picturesque red-brick church provides an oasis of calm for worshippers and visitors alike. With a breathtakingly ornate interior that’s even more impressive than the outside, it’s no wonder the church topped the list.

READ MORE: The hidden beach with incredible sunsets 90 minutes drive from Greater Manchester

It also features a nationally acclaimed work of art, the Adams Stations of the Cross. The abstract-style paintings aren’t what you’d usually expect from a church, adding to its unique character.

A staggering 49 per cent of reviews of the church on TripAdvisor described it as a ‘hidden gem’, according to research by Tour Operator Software Provider Bókun (which is part of the TripAdvisor family). The firm analysed over 1,000 local destinations using TripAdvisor reviews containing the phrase ‘hidden gem’.

Overall England ranked first the country with the most hidden gems, with 217, with St Mary’s Church being the top one. The US came second, boasting 203 hidden gems while in third place was Ireland with 40.

The data also revealed two other top hidden gems within Manchester. Clayton Hall came in second place behind St Mary’s Church with 14.5 per cent of reviews calling it a hidden