DESTINATION:
Manchester
Manchester ranks as one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, justifying its status as capital of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’. The city has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with splendid public institutions often founded by generous local benefactors who amassed great fortunes and wished to leave a visible legacy to the city. A trip to Manchester will explore museums, art galleries and libraries that owe their existence to the munificence of individual philanthropists. Discover magnificent municipal buildings erected to express pride in local achievements and optimism about the future and view some of the masterpieces of Pre-Raphaelite art.
Recommended duration: 4 nights/5 days (but can be done in 3 nights/4 days)
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- CHETHAM’S SCHOOL LIBRARY – many of the original furnishings can still be seen in the rooms of this glorious medieval building which houses a vast array of over 100,000 books, along with manuscripts, letters, journals, periodicals, prints and deeds.
- MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL – the Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George; it is an imposing Perpendicular Gothic structure which once stood at the epicentre of medieval Manchester. The interior is home to some fine treasures, including beautiful woodwork, intricate stonemasonry, highly acclaimed 16th century carved misericords in the choir stalls, and stunning modern stained glass.
- BRIDGEWATER HALL – the city’s iconic multi-million-pound, state-of-the art concert venue is a feat of modern architecture. Opened in 1996, it is home to the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester Camerata.
- WHITWORTH ART GALLERY – the gallery was originally founded in 1889 thanks to a donation from Sir Joseph Whitworth and has been part of Manchester University since 1958. It houses some of the country’s finest artworks, watercolours, textiles, sculptures, prints and wallpapers. An extension carried out by the Glasgow-trained architectural practice, MUMA, won the prestigious Museum of the Year award for 2015.
- JEWISH MUSEUM – housed in a former Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, the museum traces the history of Jewry in the city from the late 18th century. The collection includes letters, photographs and documents, together with a reconstruction of a table set for a Sabbath meal.
- MANCHESTER ART GALLERY – houses over 25,000 objects of fine and decorative arts spanning six centuries, including a seminal collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings and important English ceramics.
- THE LOWRY CENTRE – dedicated to the life and works of Salford’s most famous artist. Affords visitors an opportunity to discover more about the magnificent architecture and history of The Lowry complex.
- JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY – commissioned by Enriqueta Rylands as a memorial to her late husband and designed by the architect, Basil Champneys. Built in an elaborate neo-Gothic style with Arts and Crafts details, it contains a wonderful collection of illuminated manuscripts, and early printed works, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible.
- MANCHESTER TOWN HALL – a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1887. The sumptuous interiors contain some wonderful sculptures of eminent sons of the city such as John Dalton and Sir John Barbirolli, as well as the Great Hall with its decorative murals by Ford Maddox Brown illustrating the history of the city.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM NORTH – one of five branches of the Imperial War Museum in the United Kingdom. The Manchester collection focuses on 20th and 21st century conflicts, and exhibits include paintings, letters, diaries, film clips, documents, sound recordings, photographs, negatives, maps and memoirs. The spectacular building was designed by Daniel Liebeskind and symbolically the three striking shards which make up the modern building are said to represent Air, Earth and Water, to stand for wars which Britain and the Commonwealth have fought in the air, on land and at sea.
- CASTLEFIELD – a key area during the Industrial Revolution, packed with mills, railways and warehouses, and the site of Britain’s first man-made canal. Over the last 30 years an ambitious project has breathed new life into Castlefield and the area has been designated an ‘Urban Heritage Park’.
FURTHER AFIELD
- QUARRY BANK MILL – a former Georgian Mill founded by Samuel Greg and dating back to 1784. The mill has been fully restored as a working cotton mill, with a huge powerful waterwheel.
- APPRENTICE HOUSE – once housing over 60 children from poor families, orphanages and local workhouses, who were imported (or ‘bought’) by Samuel Greg and used as cheap labour. The house has been restored to show how conditions were at the time.
- LYME PARK – more recently famed for its role in the television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, in which it provided the setting for Mr Darcy’s home, Pemberley. The house deserves attention, however, for its own considerable architectural heritage and for the family that owned it for over 600 years, the Leghs of Lyme. The architecture is a magnificent example of an Elizabethan structure subsequently modified into an elegant Palladian villa by Giacomo Leoni, the Venetian architect responsible for introducing Palladian architecture to Britain.
- KNOWSLEY HALL – the magnificent country house of the Earls of Derby. This fascinating stately home has grounds laid out by ‘Capability’ Brown, one wing designed by Robert Adam and a boathouse by William Burn.