Manchester Guide

Manchester Guide

Manchester may be England's third city after London and Birmingham but this former industrial and commercial giant considers itself a step ahead of its rivals.

Manchester may now be better known for its football teams than its manufacturing but that is where the story begins.

Peveril of the Peak Pub, Manchester, UK.
Peveril of the Peak Pub, Manchester
Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, UK.
Manchester Cathedral

Manchester History

Manchester as a city dates back to Roman times and the city still has a few remnants of Georgian and even Medieval architecture, but it was in the Victorian era that Manchester really took off.

From the middle of the 1750s for around a century and a half, Manchester or "Cottonopolis" exploded as a center of cotton manufacture, a product that was then shipped around the world. For 150 years Manchester and its surrounding towns were the world's most important manufacturing zone, powdered first by water and later steam power.

For the few rich entrepeneurs, engineers and factory owners the rewards were astronomical, for the thousands of workers that were drawn to the area for employment, often a life of toil and misery.

British capitalism, free trade and laissez-faire were forged in Manchester and a concordant growth of the labour movement and political and economic reform begun by the writings of Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx on the city and its workers.

Manchester, during this period of rapid economic growth, was at the cutting edge of industrial development and innovation. The Bridgewater Canal or Duke's Canal, was the first canal of Britain's industrial era when it was finished in 1761. Manchester boasted one of the world's first bus networks (initially drawn by horses from the 1820s), the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first steam passenger railway in 1830, and the city's telephone exchange lays claim to being the first to open in Britain in 1879.

Manchester and its weather.
Manchester Weather

The opening of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, linking the city to Liverpool and the sea, helped to secure the area its competitive edge but post-war the city was soon in steep decline as its manufacturing industries were lost to overseas competitors.

But Manchester has re-invented itself, especially since the huge IRA bomb of 1996 at the Arndale Centre, forced the city's authorities to recreate the city centre.

Manchester's new creative energies include its vibrant music scene based loosely around the seminal and now defunct Hacienda Club. Bands such as Joy Division, New Order, Magazine, The Smiths, Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and Oasis helped create a "Manchester Sound" and a reputation for the city as the "party capital of the UK."

The Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester, Manchester, UK.
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester

Manchester Attractions

Many of Manchester's main attractions focus on its industrial heritage. The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) celebrates the history of the world's first industrial city: power, machinery, factories and transport. The rightly lauded Royal Exchange Theatre is housed in the city's former Corn Exchange.

The Greater Manchester Police Museum in the nearby Northern Quarter is an informative museum on the history of law and order in the city.

Out at the redeveloped Salford Quays area, The Lowry holds a permanent collection of the works of local artist L S Lowry (1887-1976), known for his paintings of industrial scenes of Salford. Salford Quays is also home to the Imperial War Museum North and MediaCityUK. Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium is also close to Salford Quays and the stadium tour is one of Manchester's biggest draws. Take the Metrolink from Piccadilly Station to get to both Manchester United's Theatre of Dreams (Exchange Quay or Old Trafford stations) as well as Manchester City's Etihad Stadium & Sport City (Etihad Campus).

John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester.
The interior of the John Rylands Library is designed like a church with stained glass windows with the side chapels as study spaces

The John Rylands Library is a classic example of Victorian Gothic architecture and holds a fascinating collection of rare books and manuscripts. Manchester Cathedral and Chetham's School of Music are located in the city centre close to the more modern Arndale Centre, the National Football Museum, near Victoria Station and the Urbis Centre.

Albert Square with its monument to Prince Albert is adjacent to Manchester Town Hall with its ornate interior and classic cafe. The circular Central Library dates from 1934 and is a lovely building and the nearby Radisson Edwardian Hotel maintains the facade of the original Free Trade Hall.

Back towards the Piccadilly Station are Manchester University, Manchester's small but lively Chinatown and the thriving Gay Village along Canal Street.

Fans of classical music should try to catch a performance by one of Manchester's celebrated orchestras - the Hallé resident at Bridgewater Hall, the BBC Phiharmonic and the Manchester Camerata chamber orchestra.

See a list of museums in Manchester.

Manchester Shopping

Manchester's main shopping areas include the upmarket Deansgate area and King's Street for trendy designer outlets, mainstream shopping at the Arndale Centre, one of the largest malls in Europe out of town malls at The Lowry Outlet Mall and the Trafford Centre.

Salford Quays, Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Salford Quays, Manchester

Manchester Hotels

Manchester's hotels are congregated around Piccadilly Station, Deansgate and Oxford Road. Accommodation options in Manchester are many and varied, from budget backpackers to lap-of-luxury boutique hospitality establishments - and everything in between. The following is a list of recommended accommodation options for a stay in Manchester that you'll remember for its good value, hospitality and convenience.

Standout names for luxury accommodation in Manchester include the Edwardian Midland Hotel and Principal Manchester (formerly The Palace until 2016). The Manchester Hilton is housed in the city's now second tallest skyscraper the Beetham Tower.

Other recommended places to stay in Manchester include the five star Lowry Hotel, the four star, city center Holiday Inn Manchester, the Holiday Inn Hotel Media City and the Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

The Dakota Manchester, with its restrained, stiff-upper-lip exterior, is the ultimate in understated loungy comfort. The sophisticated decor is of subtle wooden and metallic tints and shades, and the rooms and premises are as spacious as an English country home. The artistic good taste of this establishment is matched by the warm professional service. The dining is superb, room service is prompt and attentive, and the hotel is accessible for guests with all needs. Centrally located, next to the Rochdale Canal, a 3-minute walk from Piccadilly train station, and a 10-minute walk to Cotton Field Park. Gets consistently top marks for cleanliness, comfort, and great staff - plus free, reliable Wi-Fi.

The Cow Hollow Hotel in Manchester's Northern Quarter is a fascinatingly decorated boutique hotel that offers superb value for money. The staff here get consistently rave reviews for their impeccable hospitality, and the rooms are some of the best equipped you'll find anywhere, with king-size Hypnos beds, the finest cotton bedding, and smart TVs with complimentary Netflix access. The continental breakfast is as generous and delicious as it is healthy, and morning tea and coffee is delivered to your room. Enjoy the rich, artful decor with its rough-edged suaveness and an altogether luxuriously idiosyncratic vibe that will substantially contribute to your best holiday memories. Cocktail lovers will be delighted with the bar. Just 500 meters from Piccadilly Station.

The Staycity Aparthotels Manchester Piccadilly is clean, comfortable, stylish minimalism in as good a location as you could hope for. And very affordable! This centrally positioned, spic-and-span accommodation offers a clean and quiet apartment stay with kitchen facilities (oven, plates and glasses, etc.), bathroom/toilet, bedroom and kitchen/dining room. Bright and hygienic, with comfortable beds, and good staff service. Located in an area of numerous restaurants, and a short walk from Piccadilly Station. Secure carpark. One of Manchester's best on a budget.

See here for a listing of accommodation in Manchester to suit all budgets.

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Manchester Access - Getting To Manchester

Manchester Piccadilly is linked to London Euston by rail with frequent trains between the two. Piccadilly Station also has intercity services to Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central.

Other local and mainline services from Manchester Piccadilly Station include trains to Altrincham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bristol Temple Meads, Buxton, Cardiff, Chester, Crewe, Hadfield, Hazel Grove, Huddersfield, Leeds, Levenshulme, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester Airport, Marple, New Mills Central, Northwich, Nottingham, Preston, Rose Hill, Sheffield, Southport, St Helens Junction, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Wigan, Wolverhampton and York Station in York.

Manchester Airport, UK.
Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport, a short train journey from the city center, has flights to North America (USA & Canada), Asia (Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar) and many European and North African destinations including Agadir, Alicante, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Alexandria, Athens, Banjul, Barcelona, Bastia, Bodrum, Brussels, Calvi, Chambéry, Cologne/Bonn, Copenhagen, Corfu, Cork, Dalaman, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Faro, Funchal, Geneva, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Grenoble, Hamburg, Heraklion, Helsinki, Istanbul-Atatürk, Kefalonia, Kos, Lanzarote, Lourdes, Málaga, Malta, Marrakech, Menorca, Minsk, Munich, Nice, Olbia, Paphos, Paris, Pisa, Plovdiv, Ponta Delgada, Prague, Reykjavík-Keflavík, Reus, Rhodes, Sal, Salzburg, Sharm el-Sheikh, Sofia, Split, Taba, Tenerife and Zürich.

Domestic flights from Manchester fly to Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Exeter, Heathrow, Gatwick, Guernsey, Newquay, Plymouth).

Hire a car at Manchester Airport. Compare the biggest brands in UK car hire to get the cheapest deal on a variety of vehicles from compact cars to estates to SUVs.

Canal lock in Manchester, UK.
Canal lock 92 in Manchester where the Rochdale Canal joined the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield Canal Basin
Salford Quays.
Salford Quays

Related Manchester Resources

Manchester Attractions

Map of Manchester & North West England

Manchester map.
Manchester is 336 km north west of London on the M1 and M6 motorways
Manchester's nickname is Cottonopolis.
Manchester's nickname is Cottonopolis © De Vere Hotels

Hotels in the North West of England

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Lake District Day Trip from Manchester with Windermere Cruise, Steam Train Ride, and World of Beatrix Potter Visit

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