Things to do in Greater Manchester
Things to do in Greater Manchester
Days out in Greater Manchester
Places to visit in Greater Manchester
The County of Greater Manchester is situated in the north west of England. It comprises two cities and eight Metropolitan Boroughs. This was one of England's largest manufacturing areas; at one time the main source of cotton weaving and textile manufacturing in Britain.
Over the centuries the area has undergone periods of prosperity and decline.
With them came huge growths in population.
A tour of Greater Manchester usually starts in the city of Manchester itself, where the tourist information centre can be found at the Town Hall extension off St Peter's Square.
Manchester has the largest number of theatres outside London and great leisure and sporting amenities.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, Manchester has over 100 parks and gardens to explore and many children's play areas.
Here are a few of Manchester's attractions:
- Manchester Art Gallery
- People's History Museum
- Whitworth Art Gallery
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Manchester Museum
Best Villages near Manchester
| Name | Highlight | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Uppermill | Moorland setting | 3,500 |
| 2. Worsley | Beautiful canal walks | 1,035 |
| 3. Adlington | Half-timbered hall | 1,081 |
| 4. Styal | Quarry Bank Mill | 5,014 |
The Boroughs of Greater Manchester
Bolton
The Borough of Bolton comprises the towns of Blackrod, Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Lever, South Turton and Westhoughton.
Within the borough today are good shopping centres, restaurants and leisure facilities.
Attractions in Bolton include Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium and the historic Smithills Hall and Estate which dates from the 14th century.
Bury
The borough encompasses the towns of Bury, Prestwich, Tottington, Ramsbottom, Radcliffe and Whitefield.
The main town of Bury was the birth-place of Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police Force and Prime Minister of Britain.
On Holcombe Hill outside the town is Peel Tower, a commemorative monument to Sir Robert. When the tower is open you can climb the 148 steps to enjoy fine views of the County.
The borough has many urban parks, gardens and walks.
Bury Museum and Art Gallery shows displays of local history and the art gallery exhibits the Wrigley collection of Victorian paintings and contemporary works of art.
Prestwich is the home of Heaton Hall, a wonderful, neo-classical country house set amidst rolling parkland.
Oldham
The borough is named after its largest town and includes the towns of Chadderton, Failsworth, Lees, Royton and Shaw and Crompton as well as the Saddleworth area - an old parish of Yorkshire. The tourist information office for this area can be found in Albion Street, Oldham.
The town thrived during the industrial revolution and the boom time of the textile industry in Britain. Oldham is home to Tommyfield,
one of the north of England's largest markets.
Gallery Oldham is a progressive gallery,
where workshops and events take place. It also includes an impressive collection of works by Constable,
Turner and Lowry.
Rochdale
The Borough was named after the town of Rochdale - here you will find Rochdale Art Gallery, Museum and Local Studies Centre, which is well worth a visit.
Other towns in the borough include Middleton,
Heywood,
Littleborough,
Castleton,
Milnrow and Wardle. Rochdale can trace its history back to the Doomsday Book. It has been an important area in the woollen,
cotton and silk industries since Tudor times.
Rochdale was the birth-place of the Co-operative Movement,
begun in the mid 1800s.
The Rochdale Way is a circular walk around the borough, some 50 miles long, which can be tackled in shorter sections. Healy Dell is a Nature Reserve and wildlife sanctuary.
The town of Rochdale was the birth-place of the singer Gracie Fields.
Salford
Salford is Greater Manchester's second city. Older and larger than Manchester, Salford was one of Britain's first industrial cities and as such was often associated with poverty and poor living conditions.
Today after much regeneration and development, the city is transformed into a very interesting place for tourists to visit. Salford Museum and Art Gallery, is well worth visiting to get an insight into the city's past.
The Quays area has been redeveloped and now offers designer shopping, river cruises, water sports and attractions such as The Lowry, a complex with two theatres, a studio for performing arts, galleries showing the works of L.S. Lowry and contemporary artists.
Ordsall Hall, is one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in the area. Salford is a historic city with several historic buildings of interest. The University city is a bustling centre for shopping, where you will find many quiet parks and gardens in which to relax.
Stockport
This Borough is named after its largest town and includes the towns of Cheadle, Chedle Hume, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley.
The borough is near the borders of the Peak District National Park, which offers outdoor pursuits in stunning scenery.
The town of Stockport has through the centuries manufactured rope,
muslin and silk, but even today is best known for its creation of hats. Stockport has many interesting features from the impressive 27 arch railway viaduct,
built in 1840,
to the modern Mersey Shopping Precinct built on enormous stilts over the River Mersey.
Some must-visit attractions are:
- Stockport Museum - home to many interesting artefacts.
- Stockport Art Gallery.
- Hat Works - Britain's only museum dedicated to hats and the craft of the hatter.
- Bramall Hall - dating back to Medieval times it's set in 70 acres of parkland.
- Staircase House - a Medieval merchant's town house famous for its 17th century cage newel staircase.
Tameside
This borough encompasses the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Longdendale, Mossley and Stalybridge.
Places of interest in Tameside include:
- Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-under-Lyme.
- Ashton-under-Lyme Town Hall is home to Museum of the Manchesters, devoted to the Manchester Regiment. Also in the same building is Setantii, telling the story of the people of the Tameside area through the ages.
- Hartshead Pike is a favourite destination for walkers, with views over several counties.
- Buckton Castle, an Iron Age hill fort in Mossley.
- St Lawrence's Church, Denton.
Trafford
Trafford includes the towns of Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Urmston. It is home to the famous Trafford Centre, the most comprehensive shopping complex in north west England. Situated at Old Trafford, are the grounds of Manchester United and Lancashire County Cricket Club. Trafford Park is home to Imperial War Museum North.
Wigan
The tourist nformation office for this Borough can be found in Wigan on the famous Wigan Pier. The borough also includes the towns of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield and Leigh.
Wigan was an old coal mining town, resembling George Orwell's description in his novel "The Road toWigan Pier". Wigan Pier has been restored and is now home to the Wigan Pier Experience.
Today it is a much cleaner town than depicted in times gone by, offering modern shopping and leisure facilities.
The Leeds Liverpool Canal links country parks at Haigh and Pennington Flash, in Leigh.
Canal enthusiasts should visit the famous 'Wigan Flight' a series of 23 locks in a two mile stretch between Ince and Aspull.
The borough of Wigan encompasses 22 ancient woodland sites, home to many species of wildlife.
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Days out in Greater Manchester
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Haworth Art Gallery
Originally called Hollins Hill, the Gallery is a Tudor-style Edwardian house designed and built for William Haworth and his sister Anne in 1909 by Walter Brierley, FSA of York. It is now Accrington's art gallery.
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Heaton Hall
A magnificent neo-classical country house with beautifully restored 18th century interiors, set in 650 acres of rolling parkland.
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Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North tells the story of how war has shaped people's lives from 1900 to the present day. With the story still unfolding, the Museum will continue to develop and change over time.
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Manchester Art Gallery
The gallery's amazing collection of art is displayed in an innovative and imaginative way. An undoubted highlight is the outstanding collection of 19th century Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
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Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest museum in Manchester, housed in five historic industrial buildings on a huge site.
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Ordsall Hall
Ordsall Hall, once home to the wealthy Radclyffe family, is one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in North West England.
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People's History Museum
The People's History Museum tells the dramatic story of the British working classes struggle for democracy and social justice - told at the only national museum in Manchester city centre, the radical city where it belongs.
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Salford Museum & Art Gallery
Museum of Salford's local history and art, including a recreation of a typical northern street scene from the beginning of the 20th century featuring many original shop fronts.
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Whitworth Art Gallery
The Gallery is home to an impressive range of watercolours, prints, drawings, modern art and sculpture, as well as the largest collections of textiles and wallpapers outside London.
Places to Visit in Greater Manchester
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Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town with barely defined boundaries as it is an upmarket suburb of Greater Manchester.
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Birch
Birch-in-Heywood is a small village situated on the road between Hopwood, Heywood and Rhodes. It's believed to have been formed around the mill which is now used for industrial purposes. -
Bolton
The historic mill town of Bolton is on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, 10 miles northwest of Manchester.
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Bury
Bury is a market town in Greater Manchester, about 8 miles north west of Manchester on the River Irwell.
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Chadderton
Chadderton is a town of 34,000 people lying at the foot of the Pennines with the town of Oldham to the East, Middleton to the West and the City of Manchester to the south, it has lots to offer the visitor.Chadderton is blessed with 5 park
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Cheadle
Cheadle is situated between Stockport and Manchester. It is a suburb of the Borough of Stockport and blends seamlessly into the larger metropolis without any real defining boundary.
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Diggle
Diggle is one of the quieter villages in terms of trans-pennine traffic noise and pollution, it is situated in Saddleworth, traditionally a West Yorkshire community.
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Heywood
The town of Heywood, three miles west of Rochdale, has its origins in the 13th century, but the area owes much of its charm and character to Robert Peel, (the father of Sir Robert Peel, originator of Britain's first police force).
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Lees
Although the village of Lees dates back to the 14th Century it wasn't until the 19th Century that the village gained recognition due to its mineral springs. Eleven cotton mills were built in Lees which totally changed its character.
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Littleborough
Despite its name, Littleborough is one of the larger settlements in the borough, yet retains its village atmosphere. It gained importance, because it stood at the junction of two ancient routes over the Pennines.
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Manchester
Manchester is an exciting cosmopolitan city with hundreds of excellent museums, tourist attractions and places to shop, eat and stay - you're guaranteed a great time when you visit this vibrant city.
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Middleton (Gt Mcr)
Middleton is more than just another 19th century industrial Lancashire town; it is an ancient place and has much that remains from an illustrious past.
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Milnrow
Junction 21 on the M62 is where you will find Milnrow. Although Milnrow's history goes back to the Norman Conquest it is remembered for wool and the weaving of wool.
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Moorside
Moorside, Oldham, is indeed beside the moors. Only a cockstride away (meaning: adjacent to) are the Saddleworth moors and the beautiful Saddleworth villages, five in all.
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Oldham
Oldham sits high on the Pennines, surrounded by hills and offers many vantage points for viewing many miles around. Oldham can be dated back to 865 A.D. when Danish invaders settled here.
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Prestwich
Prestwich is simply a leafy, residential suburb to the north of Manchester city centre. For many years,along with its sister suburb of Whitefield,just to the north, it remained North Manchester's best kept secret
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Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a Victorian mill town, on the south side of the West Yorkshire Moors, where there has been a settlement since 4000BC.
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Rochdale
Visit the borough of Rochdale and you will find a wealth of fascinating heritage and beautiful countryside that makes this a great area to explore.
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Saddleworth
The area of Saddleworth encompasses several villages, they are Denshaw, Delph, Diggle, Uppermill, Greenfield and Grasscroft, these villages were in the area known as the West Riding of Yorkshire.
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Sale
The town of Sale is part of the Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, five miles south west of Manchester city centre. -
Salford
Salford is a city of 72,750 inhabitants in the larger Borough of Salford in Greater Manchester. It is located on a bend of the River Irwell and is three miles west of Manchester city centre.
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Shaw
Shaw is a delightful little town which borders the very scenic Saddleworth villages in one direction and borders Oldham in the other. It was once known as the Golden Town as it had the largest number of mills in the whole of England. -
Stockport
Stockport is a large town approximately 6 miles south of Manchester city centre. The main road through Stockport is the A6. There is much to see in Stockport, visitors will find plenty to occupy their time.
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Stretford
Modern Stretford is a town built mainly on the community forged by the workers of former Trafford Park stalwart GEC. Though not always noted for its picturesque views, Stretford boasts many public parks which are enjoyed by local residents. -
Uppermill
The small town/large village of Uppermill is on the northeast side of Greater Manchester, tucked away in a valley of the Pennines.
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Wigan
Wigan is Lancashire's oldest town - of Celtic and Roman origin, Wigan stands on high ground above the River Douglas. During the late 1800's Wigan had over 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles of the town centre.
