Visit Manchester city centre Places

Welcome to Visit Manchester city centre Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Manchester city centre

  

Manchester city centre Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Manchester city centre

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Manchester city centre history

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Manchester evolved from the civilian vicus associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium. It was established c.AD 79 on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. The castle was first mentioned in 1184 and recorded in 1215 as belonging to the barons of Manchester.

Manchester city centre economy & business

Leisure

There is a gay village around the Canal Street area in the east of the city centre, which plays host to an annual Gay Pride Festival, and a large Chinatown with numerous far eastern style restaurants. The city centre also has many bars, mostly located in the Northern Quarter, regarded by some as the central district’s creative hub. There are two major theatres, the Palace Theatre (opened 1891) and the Manchester Opera House (opened 1912)

Manchester city centre geography / climate

Manchester city centre is the commercial heart of Greater Manchester and with adjoining parts of Salford and Trafford is defined as its Regional Centre for urban planning and public transport purposes. Many of these distinctive areas are covered in 14 city centre conservation areas which are defined by Manchester City Council.

Castlefield

Castlefield is an area in the extreme southwest between Deansgate and the River Irwell with the sites of the Roman fort and Liverpool Road Railway Station. Notable structures include Manchester Liverpool Road station which was the first inter-city railway station on the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830.

Northern Quarter

The Northern Quarter is known as a hub for alternate and bohemian culture in Manchester. Previously the area was the retail heart of the city centre but with the opening of the Manchester Arndale in the 1970s patronage gradually dwindled and vacant buildings were commonplace.

Central Retail District

Manchester Arndale opened in 1975 and is the largest city centre shopping centre in the UK. Area has been extensively redeveloped after the IRA bomb of 1996. Includes Manchester Cathedral, Shambles Square, Exchange Square and Exchange Square.

Spinningfields

Spinningfields is an area in the west adjoining the middle part of Deansgate and the main business district of the city centre. The proposal to create a designated central business district originated in 1997. The area is noted for glazed, modern buildings – many of which are offices.

Piccadilly

Piccadilly is the transport interchange of the city centre with rail, tram and bus services all within a five-minute walk. The area has a dedicated tram station and bus station which has over 20 stands. For over 150 years Manchester Royal Infirmary was located on the site.

Peter’s Fields (Civic Quarter)

The Square is famous for the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 that had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation on what was previously known as Peter’s Fields. The square has been redeveloped with new high-rise office buildings, One St Peter’s Square and Two St Peter’s Square.

Chinatown

Chinatown is the second largest Chinatown in the United Kingdom and the third largest in Europe. Manchester’s first Chinese restaurant, Ping Hong, opened on Mosley Street in 1948, on the eve of a Chinese immigration wave that would commence during the 1950s. Manchester did not have a significant Chinese population, reaching only about 2,000.

Canal Street

Canal Street, known as the Gay Village, is a part of the centre east of Portland Street and west of Whitworth Street. It contains many bars, clubs and other facilities – many of which are focused towards the LGBT community. The area has long been associated with the gay community with links going back to the early 20th century when homosexuality was still illegal.

You can visit Manchester city centre places with Walkfo Manchester city centre to hear history at Manchester city centre’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Manchester city centre has 471 places to visit in our interactive Manchester city centre map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Manchester city centre, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Manchester city centre places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Manchester city centre & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 471 audio facts unique to Manchester city centre places in an interactive Manchester city centre map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Manchester city centre Places Map
471 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Manchester city centre historic spots	Manchester city centre tourist destinations	Manchester city centre plaques	Manchester city centre geographic features
Walkfo Manchester city centre tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Manchester city centre

  

Best Manchester city centre places to visit

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Manchester city centre has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Manchester city centre’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Manchester city centre’s information audio spots:

Longsight Electric TMD Longsight Electric TMD is an AC electric railway locomotive traction maintenance depot situated in Longsight, Manchester, England . The depot code is LG (9A 1950 – 1973). It is one of the largest train depots in the United Kingdom and can hold 179 carriages at one time .

Victoria Baths Victoria Baths opened to the public in 1906 and cost £59,144 to build . Manchester City Council closed the baths in 1993 and the building was left empty . A multimillion-pound restoration project began in 2007 and is on English Heritage’s Heritage at Risk Register .

Edgar Wood Centre Edgar Wood Centre was designed by Edgar Wood in 1903 . Nikolaus Pevsner considered it “the only religious building in Lancashire that would be indispensable in a survey of twentieth century church design in all England” Grade I listed building is on Heritage at Risk Register .

Victoria Park, Manchester Victoria Park is a suburban area of Manchester, England . Victoria Park lies approximately two miles south of Manchester city centre . It is located between Rusholme and Longsight .

Dalton-Ellis Hall Dalton-Ellis Hall is a hall of residence complex at the University of Manchester . It is situated in the south of the city on Conyngham Road in Victoria Park, next to St Chrysostom’s Church . It has 279 male and female residents in catered accommodation .

Ardwick Ardwick is a district of Manchester in North West England, one mile south east of the city centre . The population of the Ardwick Ward at the 2011 census was 19,250 . Historically in Lancashire, by the mid-nineteenth century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a wealthy suburb of Manchester . By the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised .

O2 Apollo Manchester The O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert venue in Ardwick Green, Manchester . It is a Grade II listed building with a capacity of 3,500 (2,514 standing, 986 seats)

Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) is part of the Manchester Pharmacy School, in the University of Manchester . In May 1991, CPPE was created as a direct response to the perceived lack of continuing professional development support given to community pharmacists .

Appleby Lodge Appleby Lodge is a set of three-storey 1930s blocks of flats with eight entrance doors . The blocks are in a U-shape around a central garden in Rusholme, Manchester .

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Manchester is one of the oldest earth and environmental science departments in the UK . The Department takes roughly 100 new undergraduates and 140 postgraduates each year .

Visit Manchester city centre plaques