Self-guided Sightseeing Tour #1 in Manchester, United Kingdom

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Tour Facts

Number of sights 10 sights
Distance 4.2 km
Ascend 105 m
Descend 80 m

Experience Manchester in United Kingdom in a whole new way with our self-guided sightseeing tour. This site not only offers you practical information and insider tips, but also a rich variety of activities and sights you shouldn't miss. Whether you love art and culture, want to explore historical sites or simply want to experience the vibrant atmosphere of a lively city - you'll find everything you need for your personal adventure here.

Individual Sights in Manchester

Sight 1: River Irwell Railway Bridge

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The River Irwell Railway Bridge was built for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway (L&MR), the world's first passenger railway which used only steam locomotives and operated as a scheduled service, near Water Street in Manchester, England. The stone railway bridge, built in 1830 by George Stephenson, was part of Liverpool Road railway station. The bridge was designated a Grade I listed building on 19 June 1988.

Wikipedia: River Irwell Railway Bridge (EN)

849 meters / 10 minutes

Sight 2: Manchester Opera House

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The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the main theatres in Manchester. The Opera House and its sister theatre the Palace Theatre on Oxford Street are operated by the same parent company, Ambassador Theatre Group.

Wikipedia: Manchester Opera House (EN)

489 meters / 6 minutes

Sight 3: St Mary's - The Hidden Gem

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St Mary's - The Hidden GemTim Green from Bradford / CC BY 2.0

The Hidden Gem, officially St Mary's Catholic Church, is a church on Mulberry Street, Manchester, England. The parish dates back to 1794, with devotion to St Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption, and the present church, rebuilt in 1848, is a Grade II*-listed building which includes the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Manchester.

Wikipedia: The Hidden Gem (EN)

390 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 4: St. Ann's Church

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St Ann's Church is a Church of England parish church in Manchester, England. Although named after St Anne, it also pays tribute to the patron of the church, Ann, Lady Bland. St Ann's Church is a Grade I listed building.

Wikipedia: St Ann's Church, Manchester (EN), Website

125 meters / 2 minutes

Sight 5: Cross Street Chapel

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Cross Street Chapel is a Unitarian church in central Manchester, England. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians.

Wikipedia: Cross Street Chapel (EN)

258 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 6: Albert Memorial

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Albert Square is a public square in the centre of Manchester, England. It is dominated by its largest building, the Grade I listed Manchester Town Hall, a Victorian Gothic building by Alfred Waterhouse. Other smaller buildings from the same period surround it, many of which are listed.

Wikipedia: Albert Square, Manchester (EN)

257 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 7: Albert Hall

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Albert HallTim Green from Bradford / CC BY 2.0

The Albert Hall is a music venue in Manchester, England.

Wikipedia: Albert Hall, Manchester (EN)

418 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 8: Cenotaph

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Manchester Cenotaph is a war memorial in St Peter's Square, Manchester, England. Manchester was late in commissioning a First World War memorial compared with most British towns and cities; the city council did not convene a war memorial committee until 1922. The committee quickly achieved its target of raising £10,000 but finding a suitable location for the monument proved controversial. The preferred site in Albert Square would have required the removal and relocation of other statues and monuments, and was opposed by the city's artistic bodies. The next choice was Piccadilly Gardens, an area already identified for a possible art gallery and library; but in the interests of speedier delivery, the memorial committee settled on St Peter's Square. The area within the square had been purchased by the City Council in 1906, having been the site of the former St Peter's Church; whose sealed burial crypts remained with burials untouched and marked above ground by a memorial stone cross. Negotiations to remove these stalled so the construction of the cenotaph proceeded with the cross and burials in situ.

Wikipedia: Manchester Cenotaph (EN)

266 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 9: Manchester Art Gallery

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Manchester Art Gallery, formerly Manchester City Art Gallery, is a publicly owned art museum on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre, England. The main gallery premises were built for a learned society in 1823 and today its collection occupies three connected buildings, two of which were designed by Sir Charles Barry. Both of Barry's buildings are listed. The building that links them was designed by Hopkins Architects following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions. It opened in 2002 following a major renovation and expansion project undertaken by the art gallery.

Wikipedia: Manchester Art Gallery (EN), Website

1117 meters / 13 minutes

Sight 10: Smithfield Market Hall

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Smithfield Market HallTim Green from Bradford / CC BY 2.0

Smithfield Market Hall is a renovated market hall on Swan Street in Manchester, England, which houses a food hall known as Mackie Mayor. The hall reopened in 2017 after years of dereliction.

Wikipedia: Smithfield Market Hall (EN)

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Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.

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