Manchester Walking Tour: A Guide to England’s First Industrial City

Journey into the heart of Manchester and get to know some of its distinct and dynamic neighbourhoods, including Chinatown, Gay Village, Northern Quarter and Ancoats. Each area has a unique look and feel and its own story to tell. On this walking tour, I’ll share them with you.

Our tour begins at Manchester Central Library, where you’ll see some striking architecture from the 1800s, when Manchester was booming and its industrialists were becoming incredibly rich. From there, I’ll show you how England’s first industrial city has grown over the years and become a master of reinvention. As you weave your way through the city’s neighbourhoods, you’ll hear about a man who ended up inspiring a cocktail while inventing a drink to replace alcohol, and about the tragedy of computer scientist Alan Turing, who spent a few years in the city. I’ll also show you an artwork dedicated to a dream about pets, tell you how pizza created some of the most desirable housing in the United Kingdom, and point out Newton’s Apple Tree, grown from the seeds of the very tree that birthed the theory of gravity.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Tuck into authentic Chinese fare in vibrant and colourful Chinatown
• Stroll down lively Canal Street, a thoroughfare that’s become synonymous with Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community, in the heart of Gay Village
• Take in the Portico Library, an iconic Manchester landmark that’s been at the forefront of intellectual and cultural life in the city for over two centuries
• Experience the eclectic Northern Quarter’s street art, boutique shops and bars
• Walk through Ancoats, the first industrial suburb where new life has been breathed into old mills
• See Mackie Mayor, once a fresh produce market and now a food hall
• Wander through Sackville Garden, home of the Alan Turing Memorial, and Picadilly Gardens, where you’ll find Queen Victoria’s Statue and the statue of the Duke of Wellington
• Gaze upon impressive buildings including the Manchester Art Gallery and Britannia Sachas Hotel Manchester
• Be intrigued by the Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives (only open on Tuesdays) where you can learn about Joseph Caminada, a real life detective who was one of the key inspirations for Sherlock Holmes

By the end of this 90-minute tour, you’ll be left not only with a collection of interesting stories and a love for the city, but also a Manchester swagger in your step.