In the wake of the devastating Manchester Arena attack - which saw 22 people killed - the city's cathedral sat within the exclusion zone. Now, almost five years later, a memorial has opened alongside the towering place of worship, dedicated to those who lost their lives. 

Aptly named the 'Glade of Light', the memorial features a white marble halo which reads the name of those killed in the attack in May 2017. Loved ones made memory capsules to sit inside the halo, and were offered the opportunity to visit the memorial ahead of the official opening. 

The space - which opened to the public on Wednesday - is a "fitting" reminder for the importance of prayer, Manchester Cathedral sub-dean Canon David Holgate told Premier.

“We’re just glad to have the memorial beside the Cathedral," he said. "It’s a beautiful memorial and fitting, I think, as a way of remembering those who lost their lives, and also a place that draws the people of Manchester together.

“It’s a constant reminder for us to be praying for those who lost their lives and for their families. We’ve got a number of ways in which we remember them - we’ve got little bees attached to the new choir stalls remembering each of the victims and we have been having an annual memorial service.

"In the aftermath of the bombing the school and the cathedral were all in the exclusion zone so we’ve been touched by it since day one, and we’ve also been engaged with ministering to the victims of the bombing, and the next of kin, and those who were affected long-term.”

Construction began last March but visitors are only just being allowed to enter the glade, which sits between Manchester Cathedral and the Chetham's School of Music.