Manchester Historic Buildings and Landmarks

Victoria Baths,  Hathersage Road, Victoria Park, Manchester, M13

this striking red brick and terracotta building is now famous as the 2003 winner of the BBC's Restoration series.  Opened in 1906, the public baths were the finest municipal baths in the country.  The interior, with its extensive stained glass, Art Nouveau wall tiles, wrought iron balustrades and decorative mosaic floors was 'a water palace of which every citizen of Manchester is proud'.  Pure, clean water was provided via the site's own well and pumping system.  The Victoria Baths operated from 1906 as a public baths, Turkish bath, wash baths and public hall and as a sports hall from the mid-1980s.  In 1993 the baths closed. The Manchester Victoria Baths Trust was set up to try and save the building.  It is estimated that £15 million is needed to restore the baths to their former condition and the BBC Restoration Fund has provided £3 million towards that figure.
Open days: first Sun of each month from Mar-Sept: 12:00-16:00 Tel: 0161 224 2020

Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester

completed in 1877, the Town Hall is Manchester's greatest monument. - an iimposing neo-Gothic building designed by Alfred Waterhouse, a leading Victorian architect, who was also responsible for the Natural History Museum in South Kensington.  he pale stone building stands on a triangular site with its frontage dominating Albert Square. This is symmetrical with a 280 feet clock tower and over the main entrance stands the statue of the Roman Governor Agricola (later Emperor) who founded the original fort of Mamucium from which the city developed.  The interior reveals the same Gothic detailing.  The Great Hall, designed in the fashion of a Flemish weaving hall, has 12 murals showing moments in the city's history of the city, by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Ford Madox Brown.  Some of the mosaic floors have images of 'bees', the symbols of Manchester's industry. The Extension, joined to the main building by bridges, was created in 1938 by Vincent Harris between the Town Hall and the Central Library and was designed to link the two architectural styles. The Council Chamber has a Art Deco ante room.
Open: Mon-Fri: 09:00-16:30  Guided tours ( charge) Sat at 14:00 pm from the Manchester Visitors Information Centre in the Town Hall Extension. Visitors can explore on their own but must sign in at a reception desk and obtain a security passt.  Call for permission to visit the Town Hall Extension. Tel: 0161 234 500.

Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD

designed by London architect E Vincent Harris (who also created the Town Hall Extension), this circular neo-Classical building was opened by George V in 1934.  Clad in Portland Stone, the steel-framed building was influenced by the Pantheon in Rome. Two lower storeys are rusticated and above these are two storeys concealed behind Doric columns. The southern front has a 5 bay portico of Corinthian columns.  Covering the central reading room is a domed glass roof.  One of the largest libraries outside London, it has a extensive collection for lending and reference.  Café and basement theatre.
Open: Mon-Thur: 10:00-20:00, Fri and Sat: 1000-17:00 Tel:  0161 234 1900

Chetham's School of Music & Library, Long Millgate

the oldest complete structure in the city. Made of red sandstone the buildings were erected in 1421 as dormitories and quarters for the cathedral clergy grouped around a central courtyard with an entrance gate. After the Reformation the buildings were purchased in 1653 by Sir Humphrey Chetham, a textile merchant.  His will of 1653 made provision for the foundation of a charity school together with a free public library, and he left money to stock the 'chained' library and to establish other libraries in the area. The Library is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world with over 70,000 books.  In 1845 Frederick Engels spent hours studying here with his friend Karl Marx.  In other buildings is the Chetham's School of Music ( 'Chets') taking pupils from  8-18 years of age.
Open: Lunchtime concerts on Wed and can be combined with a tour of the school and library Tel: 0161 834 9644.  Library only: Mon-Fri: 9:30-12:30, 13:30-16:30  Closed Bank Holidays Tel: 0161 834 7961

The Edgar Wood Centre (formerly First Church of Christ Scientist),  Daisy Bank Road, Victoria Park, Rusholme

designed by Edgar Wood, in 1903, this striking building was the first purpose-built church in Britain for Christian Scientists.An outstanding example of the Arts and Crafts style but some parts influenced by Art Nouveau.  Closed in 1971 the building was looted by vandalsuntil purchased by the Manchester Corporationand restored and re-opened as an educational facility. Although most of the original furniture was lost, some can be seen at the Whitworth Gallery
Tel: 0161 929 7799.

Free Trade Hall (now Radisson Edwardian Manchester Hotel), Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5GP

in the heart of the city - one of Manchester's great landmarks.  In 1838 politicians and mill owners joined protestors to form the Anti-Corn Law League and a wooden building was erected to hold meetings. The Free Trade Hall stood near the site of the St Peter's Fields Massacre of 1819 (popularly known as Peterloo). In 1856 a stone building designed by Edward Walters was built with a.neo-Classical facade. The carved stone work and ornamentation was a masterpiece of 19th century design.  In World War II it was bombed - reopened in 1951 with a new interior.  It became a concert hall and the home of the Hallé Orchestra.  Bob Dylan played here in 1966 and was heckled as a 'Judas' for playing an electric guitar!  In 1996 the Orchestra moved to the Bridgewater Hall and was converted into the hotel, preserving the Italianate frontage.    

Friends' Meeting House, Quakers Religious Society of Friends,  6 Mount Street, Manchester

built by Richard Lane in 1828, this Manchester landmark, was completed at the height of the 'Classical Revival' period.  The main building is brick, its Neo-Classical facade is stone with four Ionic pilasters. The Grade II listed building is reached by a flight of steps the full width of the building. Since its opening in the early 19th century it has been in continuous use by the Quakers.
Tel: 0161 834 5797.

The Hidden Gem  St Mary's, Mulberry Street (off Brazennose Street), Manchester

the first Catholic church in any major centre of population in England after the Reformation.  Following the Relief Act of 1791 (which permitted Catholic churches to be built again) work began in 1792 and completed in 1794.  The present building was designed in 1848 by Weightman and Hadfield.  Known locally as the 'Hidden Gem'.  The nationally acclaimed 'Stations of the Cross' paintings, by Norman Adams, were installed in1995
Open: 8:00-16:00 Tel:  0161 834 3547

John Rylands University Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH

houses a collection of rare books and manuscripts and important Manchester archives.Founded by Mrs Enriqueta Augustina Rylands, in memory of her late husband John Rylands of Rylands & Sons, the largest cotton enterprise in Britain. Mrs Rylands commissioned Sir Basil Champneys to create the Library, one of the neo-Gothic buildings in Europe.  In 1972 the Library merged with the Manchester University Library to form the John Rylands University Library of Manchester (JRULM).  The largest non-legal-deposit academic library in the country and supports all the subjects taught by the University. Exhibitions held.
Open: to the general public Mon-Fri: 10:00-17:30, Sat 10:00-13:00 Tel: 0161 834 5343

Manchester Aquatics Centre, 2 Booth Street East, Ardwick, Manchester

this purpose-built complex hosted the Swimming, Diving and Synchronised Swimming events at the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002. The only complex in the UK with two 50 metre pools.  Separate diving pool and leisure waters, with flumes and bubble pools, fitness and workout studios and a health suite.
Open for swimming: Mon-Fri 6:30-22:00, Sat 7:00-18:00, Sun 7:00-22:00 Tel: 0161 275 9450.  

Old Wellington Inn and Restaurant, 4 Cathedral Gates, Manchester, M3 1SW

dating from 1552, the Old Wellington Inn is the oldest public house in Manchester. The black and white Tudor building in Shambles Square is its third location, beingmoved twice to make way for new buildings. It was first moved when the Arndale Centre was built over 'The Shambles', its original rundown location.  In 1996 the IRA bombing of Manchester city centre devastated buildings around it but fortunately it was protected by another building and suffered minor damage. With the rebuilding and the creation of Exchange Square, the pub was moved to its present position.  Extensively refurbished and has an à la carte restaurant.  Next door is Sinclair's Oyster Bar, another survivor of 'The Shambles'. 
Tel: 0161 830 1440.

The Portico Library & Gallery, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester

designed by Thomas Harrison of Chester, an elegant building erected in 1806 at the height of the Classical Revival period.  The Greek-style portico is supported by slender Ionic columns.  The Portico Library and Newsroom was built by a group of Manchester businessmen inspired by Thomas Harrison's Liverpool Lyceum. Until the Public Libraries Act of 1850 it was the only circulating library in Manchester and it is probably the oldest subscription library in the country.  Famous members include the novelists Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Brontë. Today the private library occupies the first floor and the ground floor houses a bar. The private library contains 25,000 volumes, most of which were published in the 19th century, and is home to the Manchester Literary and Philisophical Society.Art exhibitions are held and certain areas are open to non-members.
Open: Mon-Fri: 9:30-16:30 plus third Sun of each month 13:00 16:00. Entrance from Charlotte Street (press intercom for access).  Tel: 0161 236 6785

The Printworks, Withy Grove, Manchester, M4 2BS

this well-loved landmark has been part of the Manchester skyline for over a century. On the corner of Withy Grove and Corporation Street, the building was occupied by many years by Withy Grove Press, the largest press plant in Europe.  In the 1980s the building was acquired by the newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell and his publications, including The Mirror, were produced here.After Maxwell's death the premises closed and stood derelict and was devastated in 1996 when the IRA bombed Manchester city centre.  After a refurbishment programme, marking the final phase of the rebuilding of Manchester after the bombing, the site reopened as The Printworks - Europe's first urban entertainments and leisure complex with a range of venues including 36 cafés and bars, 16 restaurants, IMAX cinema, multiplex cinema, a book shop and a health centre. Tel: 0871 230 5556

St Ann's Church, St Ann's Square, Manchester

an elegant neo-Classical church, built of pink sandstone, dates from 1712.  Its tower was once crowned by a wooden spire.  The Grade I listed building is often attributed to Sir Christopher Wren or one of his pupils.  St Ann's tower is said to mark the centre of Manchester and surveyors often used its platform to make measurements. This is the only one of 19 city centre churchs built in the 18th century to have survived.  In 1891 it was restored by the architect Alfred Waterhouse (designer of Manchester Town Hall).  Free musical performances and recitals are often held at lunchtime.  

The Triangle (formerly the Corn Exchange)

built in 1903, the Corn & Produce Exchange handled regional trading in agricultural produce.  The building's vast hall had tiered side offices and was dominated by a central glass dome.  In World War II the building suffered heavy bombing but many of its features survived including its entrances, decorated with bronze and wrought ironwork. In the 1980s it was used as a market offering New Age and 'alternative' products.  In 1986 the Corn Exchange was damaged in the IRA bombing of Manchester's city centre.  The Grade II listed facade was restored and in 2000 the building re-opened as The Triangle, a state-of-the-art shopping mall.  In front of The Triangle is the new Exchange Square, home of the world's largest Marks and Spencer store. 
Tel: 0161 834 4645

Urbis - Manchester's Centre for Urban Culture, Corporation Street, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG

adjacent to Victoria Station, the museum of modern Manchester, the world's first industrialised city.  Interactive exhibits let visitors explore urban life in Manchester and other cities focusing on Los Angeles, Paris, Sao Paolo, Singapore and Tokyo. Lcated in the recently named Cathedral Gardens, a new green space in Manchester's Millennium Quarter.  Urbis, set in a dramatic all-glass structure designed by the Ian Simpson Architects, follows the contours and curves of the existing streets.  The unusual ramp-shaped building has 6 floors, with exhibition space on the first 4 levels. On levels 5 and 6 is Le Mont Restaurant, boasting panaramic views of the city.  At ground floor level is the public foyer, café and shop. Access to all exhibition levels is by a funicular glass lift known as the 'MEN Glass Elevator'.  Visitors take a one minute ride up to the 4th level and then brouse the cascading levels at their own pace.  On Level 4 interactive exhibitons explore the shock of entering an exciting and chaotic city for the first time. On Level 3 visitors can discover the history of the people and places that have helped Manchester evolve into the 21st century. Also on this level is the award-winning interactive exhibition 'Imagining the City' which examines how art, music and film have been inspired by the urban experience.  On Level 2 the exhibitions explore the issues that cities create.  Level 1 and the ground floor project space are used to host a range of exhibitions.
Open: Tue- Sun and Bank Holidays 10:00-18:00.  Last admission 90 minutes before close. Visitors must book in to the museum well in advance - online at www.urbis.org.uk, by phone on 0161 907 9099, by post or in person. Information line 0161 605 8200.