The many chapters of Manchester’s story come together in Castlefield. Here you’ll find the remains of a Roman fort, Bridgewater Canal, and some of the mills which once generated incredible wealth for the city. In the background, Beetham Tower is a symbol of a city again on the rise.
Manchester’s crowning glory is its Town Hall, built to rival the great buildings of London. During the Industrial Revolution, Manchester’s merchants went on a spending spree, scouring the world in search of cultural treasures to fill their stately homes. Many of these treasures now reside in the Manchester Art Gallery and the Manchester Museum.
In 1653, the Chetham Library became the country’s first free public library and has been open to all ever since. Two hundred and fifty years later, one of the city’s greatest philanthropists, Enriqueta Rylands, unveiled the John Rylands Library, dedicated to the memory of her textile magnate husband.
Housed in a restored Edwardian pump house is The People’s History Museum, which celebrates those who challenged Britain’s rigid political and class systems. At the world’s oldest surviving railway station, you’ll find The Museum of Science and Industry, while the Imperial War Museum North reminds us of the human cost of warfare.
Explore the city’s musical heritage in the Northern Quarter, and check out Canal Street, which perfectly encapsulates the Mancunian ideals of tolerance and good times. Learn more about the city’s footballing history at the National Football Museum, or time your visit for a match at Old Trafford.
