Manchester is in the news, but even though United is included in this Top 10, believe it or not there’s a lot more than football in this superb city. Once derided as little more than an industrial wasteland, the vibrant city now attracts visitors with a dynamic combination of arts, culture, nightlife and sport along with a burgeoning events calendar. Here’s the Top 10 things to do in Manchester:
Coronation Street the Tour
The cobbles of Coronation Street are once again open to the public for a limited time only, until autumn. With the main set recently relocated to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays, fans can now take a guided tour behind the scenes of the former site, have a picture taken at the bar of the Rovers Return, hear stories about some of the Street’s best loved characters and learn fascinating facts behind the making of the world’s longest running soap.
Picture: Anthony McCarthy
Walking tours
You can probably say this about most cities, but there is no better way of getting to know somewhere new than to spend a couple of hours pounding the pavement with an official tour guide. Expect tales of heroes and villains, stunning architecture and a bit of unexpected history on an easy 90-minute walk around the city centre.
Tours depart from the Visitor Information Centre at Piccadilly Gardens and there are various specialist tours touching on subjects as varied as Victorian gangsters and football pubs to the role Mancunian women played in WWI and even a tour of the city’s most interesting toilets (above). See Manchester Guided Tours and New Manchester Walks
Northern Quarter
The Northern Quarter is the creative heart of the city – an intriguing mixture of independent cafes, bars, galleries and boutiques combined with vibrant street art, music and fashion scenes. It is hipster heaven but don’t let that stop you visiting the likes of Afflecks and the Craft and Design Centre. The former is an emporium of eclecticism where you can shop for anything from top hats to tattoos, whilst the latter is at the forefront of the British ‘buy handmade’ movement and offers bespoke, one-off gifts. Away from the shops you should pitch up at Teacup on Thomas Street for delicious tea and cakes then pop next door for beers supplied by local brewery Marble Beers.
The John Rylands Library
Gifted to the city in the 1890s by the wife of its philanthropic namesake, the John Rylands Library is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful gothic libraries in the world. Both the building and its collections are of outstanding international significance and a number of free tours, events and exhibitions on offer each month ensure that it is always worth a return visit.
East Lancashire Railway
If the combination of stunning countryside, tucked away villages, hidden gems (and pubs), fascinating history and a ride on an heritage steam train isn’t enough, the team at East Lancashire Railway has teamed up with some of the city’s official tour guides to create the now infamous Rail Ale Trail.
Go on a journey to discover some of the Irwell Valley’s most beautiful locations and exceptional pubs, all linked together by the railway. Whether you are an ale lover, cider aficionado or cream soda supporter, you will find something to suit your taste buds at every station along the route.
National Football Museum
Since moving from Preston the best football museum in the world has become even bigger and better. Presenting exciting moments, unforgettable memories, legendary players, ‘hands-on’ fun for all the family and enough objects to fill a football pitch – from the 1966 World Cup Final ball to Maradona’s “Hand of God” shirt – the National Football Museum offers plenty to see and do whether you’re a football fanatic or not.
United or City?
We wouldn’t dream of telling you which football club to visit given how divisive the beautiful game can be. You have a choice between the long-standing favourites Manchester United who offer tours of Old Trafford every 30 minutes most days of the year with a compulsory visit to the museum to check out the silverware, or the current title holder Manchester City who offer their own tour at the impressive Etihad with a section at the start dedicated to their future plans for football domination.
Picture: National Trust Robert Thrift
Dunham Massey: Sanctuary from the Trenches
Visitors to the ever-popular Dunham Massey Hall will be part of a unique experience taking place there between now and November 11. Marking the centenary of the First World War, Dunham Massey has been transformed back into Stamford Military Hospital – the convalescent hospital in which 282 soldiers were treated between April 1917 and January 1919 – revealing the personal and highly emotive stories of some patients, their injuries and how their conditions were treated 100 year ago. ‘Sanctuary from the Trenches’ will return to Dunham Massey for the same dates (March-November) in 2015.
Band on the Wall
Manchester is very well known for its nightlife with something suited to absolutely every type of person. Band on the Wall is somewhat lesser known than many other venues in the city, but offers something a little bit more special. It’s a not-for-profit venue and exists solely to present the best music from around the world and support a dynamic education programme. So whether you’re in the mood for a funk and soul night, experimental jazz or a gig by an up and coming band, there is something for everyone at Band on the Wall.
IWM North
One of the most celebrated Museums in Britain today, IWM North – part of the Imperial War Museum Collection – is about people and their stories, about how lives have been and still are shaped by war and conflict.
The award-winning building by international architect Daniel Libeskind is a symbol of the world torn apart by conflict and stands proudly at Salford Quays. Over the next four years the IWM North will present a number of key exhibitions to mark the First World War centenary, starting with From Street to Trench: A War that Shaped a Region (until March 2015).
Tourist Board: visitmanchester.com
