BUY THE STUNNING NEW 336 PAGE GUIDEBOOK TO MANCHESTER BY JONATHAN SCHOFIELD HERE
Gift vouchers and a gift every weekday
These times will end and normal life will resume in one way or another. If you have a special event coming up why not prepare for that joyous day with a gift voucher for one of my huge selection of tours later in the year. You’ll also get a free gift with every voucher bought every week day of the lockdown.
These are just some of the tours coming up: Chetham’s Medieval Buildings, The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (formerly The Principal Hotel), Ghosts, Pubs, Halle St Peters, Engels & Marx, Mayfield Abandoned Station, Manchester & the Easter Rising, The Pan-African National Congress, Women & the City, Didsbury, Chorlton, Incredible Interiors, Irk Valley, Death & Beer, The Quays & MediaCityUK, Platt Fields, Secret Tunnels, Whalley Range, The Day the World Got Smaller, Kersal Moor and Bombed & Besieged.
What is the extra gift?
Well, anybody buying a voucher will receive a daily fact or story about Manchester and the North West and a little quiz question for you have a go at answering. Should be fun, especially if you think you have people in the house who think they know all about the city.
Click here for a couple of examples.
Otherwise, thank you so much for your time in reading this and all the very very best at this difficult time,
2020 PUBLIC WALKS CALENDAR
These are the confirmed tours so far: there's always a new tour on the way.
They can all be converted to bespoke private or corporate tours.
Saturday 21 March
3pm Architecture & Planning: why does Manchester look like it does?
POSTPONED
A look at the architecture and planning of the city, how it evolved and what forces, industrial, commercial and social created its ‘look’ and ‘feel’. Also, what does the future hold?
Sunday 22 March
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Friday 27 March
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
POSTPONED
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 28 March
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
5pm The Death & Beer Tour for the Not Quite Light Festival
POSTPONED
A tour around Weaste cemetery with Salford’s noble dead, finishing off in a beer tap with Marble’s noble beers.
Sunday 29 March
12noon The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
3pm Secrets of the Universities and the Oxford Road Corridor
POSTPONED
FREE
25 Nobels and counting. This tour looks at the achievement of this beautifully landscaped part of the city but also the human stories, the fine architecture and the secrets.
Tuesday 31 March
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Wednesday 1 April.
12noon The Dark Side of Spinningfields
POSTPONED
FREE
A trip around the dark history of Spinningfields, tales of crime, prostitution and strangely enough, of world revolution.
6pm The April Fools Day Tour
POSTPONED
The most ridiculous tour in the city. There are twenty three absurd Manchester stories but only three are false. Can you identify which ones and win a prize. The tour finishes in a pub.
Thursday 2 April
1pm The Incredible Interiors of Oxford Road Corridor
POSTPONED
FREE
Some of the most spectacular interiors in North can be seen on this tour.
Saturday 4 April
10.30am Halle St Peter's Tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A beautiful space, a beautiful new addition, an exclusive opportunity to visit a superb building rarely open to the public.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Saturday 11 April
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Sunday 12 April
3pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Tuesday 14 April
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Thursday 16 April
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pubs. Lots of stories, lots of laughs and even a ridiculous and tiny quiz.
Saturday 25 April
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 25 April
3pm The Didsbury Tour: the surprising Manchester series
A tour around a suburb filled with rich history, great buildings and human stories.
Tuesday 28 April
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Saturday 2 May
3pm Engels & Marx in Manchester
The story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology. Fascinating, entertaining and important tales of the two Germans in this city.
Tuesday 5 May
6pm Engels & Marx in Manchester - on the anniversary of Marx's birthday
The story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology. Fascinating, entertaining and important tales of the two Germans in this city.
Wednesday 6 May
12noon The Hardest Worked River in the World
FREE
A stroll around the River Irwell and Leftbank as far as the Victoria & Albert, Le Meridian, Hotel at St John's, looking at the extraordinary story of the river with two cities.
Saturday 9 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 9 May
3pm Irk Valley & Angel Meadow Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Sweet air, scuttlers, cholera, lost churches, the impossible bridge and the improbable hill.
Sunday 10 May
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 16 May
3pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Saturday 16 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 16 May
3pm The Chorlton Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
From love stories to murders via pigs and pop music, learn about Chorlton’s fascinating story.
Saturday 23 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Saturday 23 May
3pm The Quays and MediaCityUK Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Two days after the 126th anniversary of the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal, here’s a tour of the life and times of a fascinating part of the city.
Wednesday 3 June
12noon John Rylands Library and the People's History Museum
FREE
Two buildings, two incredible collections: A tour that explains the architecture and the significance and the stories.
Saturday 6 June
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Sunday 7 June
10am The Bicycle Magical Mystery Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Three and half hours of fun on a route around the city centre that is full of surprises and full of green spaces.
Saturday 13 June
3pm Platt Hall, Birch Fields and Rusholme Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
A remarkable set of buildings, remarkable stories, handsome parks and an entertaining tour around some of the more influential districts of Manchester, and as with the bike tour, there is plenty of sweet green space to enjoy.
Sunday 14 June
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 20 June
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Wednesday 1 July
12noon Bright lights, big plans and a world-famous University is born
FREE
The south side of Spinningfields into St John's Gardens is full of great stories and unlikely sights, it's lights, action...death
Thursday 9 July
3pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pubs. Lots of stories, lots of laughs and even a ridiculous and tiny quiz.
Sunday 12 July
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 18 July
3pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Sunday 26 July
8am The Secret Tunnels Tour
An early start for a crazy and wet tour under the city streets. This is weather dependent but nonetheless a glorious tour.
Wednesday 5 August
12noon Deansgate and Spinningfields tour
FREE
A tour taking in stories of pubs, Romans, composers and musicians.
Saturday 8 August
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
3pm Whalley Range & Alexandra Park Tour
This tour covers an area rich in history and filled with surprising tales of politics, art and architecture.
Sunday 9 August
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Saturday 15 August
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Irk Valley & Angel Meadow Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Sweet air, scuttlers, cholera, lost churches, the impossible bridge and the improbable hill.
Sunday 16 August
11am Peterloo: The Reality & Drama: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The last chance in the 200th anniversary year to tour the epic & dramatic events in the struggle for democracy.
Sunday 30 August
8am The Secret Tunnels Tour
An early start for a crazy and wet tour under the city streets. This is weather dependent but nonetheless a glorious tour.
Thursday 3 September
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 12 September
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Day the World Got Smaller: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
Three days before the 190th anniversary, this tour looks at the day the Railway Age began in speed, smoke and blood.
Sunday 13 September
1pm Kersal Moor and the River Woods: The Surprising Manchester (and Salford series)
An urban yet rural tour crossing over one of the oldest continuously used sporting grounds in the UK, and one full of curious human stories, a richly populated graveyard and a pretty and antique building.
Friday 18 September
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 19 September
10.30am Halle St Peter's Tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A beautiful space, a beautiful new addition, an exclusive opportunity to visit a superb building rarely open to the public.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Friday 25 September
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 26 September
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Bombed and Besieged Manchester at War: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The Civil War siege of Manchester began in September 1642. This tour covers the siege but other conflicts and outrages since that date plus the surprise 1939 arrival of Picasso’s Guernica.
Thursday 1 October
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Friday 2 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 3 Oct
10.30am The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Sunday 4 October
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Friday 9 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 10 October
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Suffragettes, Women & the City: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
In October the Suffragettes raised their first ‘Votes for Women’ banner. This was an epic moment in the fight for equal rights, this tour marks that and so many other heroic moments.
Sunday 11 October
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Friday 16 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 17 October
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Tour of Uninteresting Objects
We pass lots of things in our city streets and inside our buildings that tell a rich story of the city that was, is and will be. This tour will delight you with what you've previously ignored.
Sunday 18 October
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Friday 23 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 24 October
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Pan-African Congress, Slavery, and Thomas Clarkson Tour: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The city was at the heart of the anti-slavery movements in the UK and Empire yet its mainstay product, cotton, was largely slave-picked. Epic history and a contradiction explored.
Saturday 31 October
3pm, 5pm HALLOWEEN The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Thursday 5 November
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 7 November
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Death & Beer Tour
A tour around Weaste cemetery with Salford’s noble dead, finishing off in a beer tap with Marble’s noble beers.
Saturday 14 November
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 28 November
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Engels & Marx in Manchester
On the occasion of Friedrich Engels 200th birthday we trace the story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology.
Thursday 3 December
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 5 December
10.30pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Saturday 12 December
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
More tours will be announced soon
Please check the website 24 hours before the tours
Your Paypal receipt is your ticket, the receipt may have gone into you spam folder so please check that if you can't find it in your main email inbox.
These times will end and normal life will resume in one way or another. If you have a special event coming up why not prepare for that joyous day with a gift voucher for one of my huge selection of tours later in the year. You’ll also get a free gift with every voucher bought every week day of the lockdown.
These are just some of the tours coming up: Chetham’s Medieval Buildings, The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (formerly The Principal Hotel), Ghosts, Pubs, Halle St Peters, Engels & Marx, Mayfield Abandoned Station, Manchester & the Easter Rising, The Pan-African National Congress, Women & the City, Didsbury, Chorlton, Incredible Interiors, Irk Valley, Death & Beer, The Quays & MediaCityUK, Platt Fields, Secret Tunnels, Whalley Range, The Day the World Got Smaller, Kersal Moor and Bombed & Besieged.
What is the extra gift?
Well, anybody buying a voucher will receive a daily fact or story about Manchester and the North West and a little quiz question for you have a go at answering. Should be fun, especially if you think you have people in the house who think they know all about the city.
Click here for a couple of examples.
Otherwise, thank you so much for your time in reading this and all the very very best at this difficult time,
2020 PUBLIC WALKS CALENDAR
These are the confirmed tours so far: there's always a new tour on the way.
They can all be converted to bespoke private or corporate tours.
Saturday 21 March
3pm Architecture & Planning: why does Manchester look like it does?
POSTPONED
A look at the architecture and planning of the city, how it evolved and what forces, industrial, commercial and social created its ‘look’ and ‘feel’. Also, what does the future hold?
Sunday 22 March
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Friday 27 March
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
POSTPONED
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 28 March
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
5pm The Death & Beer Tour for the Not Quite Light Festival
POSTPONED
A tour around Weaste cemetery with Salford’s noble dead, finishing off in a beer tap with Marble’s noble beers.
Sunday 29 March
12noon The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
3pm Secrets of the Universities and the Oxford Road Corridor
POSTPONED
FREE
25 Nobels and counting. This tour looks at the achievement of this beautifully landscaped part of the city but also the human stories, the fine architecture and the secrets.
Tuesday 31 March
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
POSTPONED
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Wednesday 1 April.
12noon The Dark Side of Spinningfields
POSTPONED
FREE
A trip around the dark history of Spinningfields, tales of crime, prostitution and strangely enough, of world revolution.
6pm The April Fools Day Tour
POSTPONED
The most ridiculous tour in the city. There are twenty three absurd Manchester stories but only three are false. Can you identify which ones and win a prize. The tour finishes in a pub.
Thursday 2 April
1pm The Incredible Interiors of Oxford Road Corridor
POSTPONED
FREE
Some of the most spectacular interiors in North can be seen on this tour.
Saturday 4 April
10.30am Halle St Peter's Tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A beautiful space, a beautiful new addition, an exclusive opportunity to visit a superb building rarely open to the public.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Saturday 11 April
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Sunday 12 April
3pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Tuesday 14 April
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Thursday 16 April
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pubs. Lots of stories, lots of laughs and even a ridiculous and tiny quiz.
Saturday 25 April
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 25 April
3pm The Didsbury Tour: the surprising Manchester series
A tour around a suburb filled with rich history, great buildings and human stories.
Tuesday 28 April
6.30pm The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
An early evening tour of Manchester most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Saturday 2 May
3pm Engels & Marx in Manchester
The story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology. Fascinating, entertaining and important tales of the two Germans in this city.
Tuesday 5 May
6pm Engels & Marx in Manchester - on the anniversary of Marx's birthday
The story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology. Fascinating, entertaining and important tales of the two Germans in this city.
Wednesday 6 May
12noon The Hardest Worked River in the World
FREE
A stroll around the River Irwell and Leftbank as far as the Victoria & Albert, Le Meridian, Hotel at St John's, looking at the extraordinary story of the river with two cities.
Saturday 9 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 9 May
3pm Irk Valley & Angel Meadow Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Sweet air, scuttlers, cholera, lost churches, the impossible bridge and the improbable hill.
Sunday 10 May
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 16 May
3pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Saturday 16 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 16 May
3pm The Chorlton Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
From love stories to murders via pigs and pop music, learn about Chorlton’s fascinating story.
Saturday 23 May
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Saturday 23 May
3pm The Quays and MediaCityUK Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Two days after the 126th anniversary of the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal, here’s a tour of the life and times of a fascinating part of the city.
Wednesday 3 June
12noon John Rylands Library and the People's History Museum
FREE
Two buildings, two incredible collections: A tour that explains the architecture and the significance and the stories.
Saturday 6 June
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Sunday 7 June
10am The Bicycle Magical Mystery Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Three and half hours of fun on a route around the city centre that is full of surprises and full of green spaces.
Saturday 13 June
3pm Platt Hall, Birch Fields and Rusholme Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
A remarkable set of buildings, remarkable stories, handsome parks and an entertaining tour around some of the more influential districts of Manchester, and as with the bike tour, there is plenty of sweet green space to enjoy.
Sunday 14 June
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 20 June
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
Wednesday 1 July
12noon Bright lights, big plans and a world-famous University is born
FREE
The south side of Spinningfields into St John's Gardens is full of great stories and unlikely sights, it's lights, action...death
Thursday 9 July
3pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pubs. Lots of stories, lots of laughs and even a ridiculous and tiny quiz.
Sunday 12 July
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
Saturday 18 July
3pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Sunday 26 July
8am The Secret Tunnels Tour
An early start for a crazy and wet tour under the city streets. This is weather dependent but nonetheless a glorious tour.
Wednesday 5 August
12noon Deansgate and Spinningfields tour
FREE
A tour taking in stories of pubs, Romans, composers and musicians.
Saturday 8 August
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature.
3pm Whalley Range & Alexandra Park Tour
This tour covers an area rich in history and filled with surprising tales of politics, art and architecture.
Sunday 9 August
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Saturday 15 August
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Irk Valley & Angel Meadow Tour: The Surprising Manchester Series
Sweet air, scuttlers, cholera, lost churches, the impossible bridge and the improbable hill.
Sunday 16 August
11am Peterloo: The Reality & Drama: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The last chance in the 200th anniversary year to tour the epic & dramatic events in the struggle for democracy.
Sunday 30 August
8am The Secret Tunnels Tour
An early start for a crazy and wet tour under the city streets. This is weather dependent but nonetheless a glorious tour.
Thursday 3 September
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 12 September
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Day the World Got Smaller: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
Three days before the 190th anniversary, this tour looks at the day the Railway Age began in speed, smoke and blood.
Sunday 13 September
1pm Kersal Moor and the River Woods: The Surprising Manchester (and Salford series)
An urban yet rural tour crossing over one of the oldest continuously used sporting grounds in the UK, and one full of curious human stories, a richly populated graveyard and a pretty and antique building.
Friday 18 September
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 19 September
10.30am Halle St Peter's Tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A beautiful space, a beautiful new addition, an exclusive opportunity to visit a superb building rarely open to the public.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Friday 25 September
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 26 September
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Bombed and Besieged Manchester at War: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The Civil War siege of Manchester began in September 1642. This tour covers the siege but other conflicts and outrages since that date plus the surprise 1939 arrival of Picasso’s Guernica.
Thursday 1 October
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Friday 2 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 3 Oct
10.30am The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Sunday 4 October
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Friday 9 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 10 October
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Suffragettes, Women & the City: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
In October the Suffragettes raised their first ‘Votes for Women’ banner. This was an epic moment in the fight for equal rights, this tour marks that and so many other heroic moments.
Sunday 11 October
10.30am The Mayfield abandoned station tour EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A stroll around Manchester's most spectacular abandoned building. Not to be missed. Limited availability.
Friday 16 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 17 October
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Tour of Uninteresting Objects
We pass lots of things in our city streets and inside our buildings that tell a rich story of the city that was, is and will be. This tour will delight you with what you've previously ignored.
Sunday 18 October
1pm Manchester's 'Boldest Building' Tour, The Edgar Wood Centre EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A flamboyant architect, an incredibly advanced 1903 building. Features Daisy Bank Road associated with Emmeline Pankhurst, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Halle and Juana Maria de los Delores Leon Smith. Of course.
Friday 23 October
6pm The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Saturday 24 October
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Pan-African Congress, Slavery, and Thomas Clarkson Tour: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
The city was at the heart of the anti-slavery movements in the UK and Empire yet its mainstay product, cotton, was largely slave-picked. Epic history and a contradiction explored.
Saturday 31 October
3pm, 5pm HALLOWEEN The Ghosts of Manchester – spooks guaranteed
A rip-roaring and fascinating tour of the haunted areas of Manchester, finishing in a dark place for a surprise.
Thursday 5 November
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 7 November
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm The Death & Beer Tour
A tour around Weaste cemetery with Salford’s noble dead, finishing off in a beer tap with Marble’s noble beers.
Saturday 14 November
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
Saturday 28 November
12.30pm Chetham's Library and Medieval Buildings EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
Buildings from 1421, the best of their type and date in the country: charm, beauty, wizards and great literature
3pm Engels & Marx in Manchester
On the occasion of Friedrich Engels 200th birthday we trace the story of two men and Manchester’s role in creating a world ideology.
Thursday 3 December
6pm The Rollicking Pub walk
A funny and moving excursion around some classic Manchester pub.
Saturday 5 December
10.30pm The Incredible Interiors Tour
The most beautiful, significant and curious interiors in the city centre. Some may be familiar, but there is always one guaranteed to surprise.
Saturday 12 December
10.30am Kimpton Clocktower Hotel EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
A festival of terracotta in one of the most ambitious commercial buildings in the country, we see places where most people never venture.
More tours will be announced soon
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Here's my favourite quote about Manchester in its nascent industrial days from Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society in 1875. Its meaning is self-evident and although it refers to science the sentiment applies to every other field of endeavour.
‘Men, however great their learning often become indolent and unambitious to improve in knowledge for want of associating with others of similar talents and improvements. But science, like fire, is put in motion by collision. Where a number of such men have frequent opportunities of meeting and conversing together, thought begets thought, and every hint is turned to advantage. A spirit of enquiry glows in every breast.’
‘Men, however great their learning often become indolent and unambitious to improve in knowledge for want of associating with others of similar talents and improvements. But science, like fire, is put in motion by collision. Where a number of such men have frequent opportunities of meeting and conversing together, thought begets thought, and every hint is turned to advantage. A spirit of enquiry glows in every breast.’