Secrets of Knutsford
£20
11am Sunday 22 March 2026, 11am Sunday 6 September 2026, 11am Sunday 18 October
"Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close." John Ruskin, his words carved on a wall in Knutsford.
This town in north Cheshire is a gem. It is the embodiment of the lowland English market town with the added bonus of containing some of the most eccentric buildings in Britain. The town is grouped around King Street and Princess Street. On one side is the mere (lake), on the other is Knutsford Heath, a large semi-natural common.
King Street is a thoroughfare that has one of those splendid English haphazard harmonies of buildings from throughout the last 250 years. The northern end of the street leads into the vast rolling estate of Tatton Park and is a popular walk. Halfway along King Street is the swanky former Belle Epoque restaurant under the Gaskell Memorial Tower and King's Coffee House. This building introduces the visitor to Richard Harding Watt’s weird and wonderful buildings that almost make a Barcelona of Knutsford. We'll encounter more of them. One of which is the Ruskin's Rooms from which the quote at the head of this description derives from in inscription on the side of the building.
In short Knutsford is full of surprises from its crazy architecture, through its green spaces and its eccentric characters, very eccentric characters. There are dark deeds, tales of execution, sunny stories full of love and life and lots of laughs on this tour.
Meet: Knutsford Parish Church, Church Hill, Knutsford, WA16 6DH. Public transport: From Manchester city centre you can take the train to Knutsford from Manchester Piccadilly, or usually better, get the Metrolink tram to Altrincham and then the train.
Tickets:
£20 adults
Under 12s free
Duration: most tours last between ninety minutes and two hours
Fully accessible
Totally fascinating
This town in north Cheshire is a gem. It is the embodiment of the lowland English market town with the added bonus of containing some of the most eccentric buildings in Britain. The town is grouped around King Street and Princess Street. On one side is the mere (lake), on the other is Knutsford Heath, a large semi-natural common.
King Street is a thoroughfare that has one of those splendid English haphazard harmonies of buildings from throughout the last 250 years. The northern end of the street leads into the vast rolling estate of Tatton Park and is a popular walk. Halfway along King Street is the swanky former Belle Epoque restaurant under the Gaskell Memorial Tower and King's Coffee House. This building introduces the visitor to Richard Harding Watt’s weird and wonderful buildings that almost make a Barcelona of Knutsford. We'll encounter more of them. One of which is the Ruskin's Rooms from which the quote at the head of this description derives from in inscription on the side of the building.
In short Knutsford is full of surprises from its crazy architecture, through its green spaces and its eccentric characters, very eccentric characters. There are dark deeds, tales of execution, sunny stories full of love and life and lots of laughs on this tour.
Meet: Knutsford Parish Church, Church Hill, Knutsford, WA16 6DH. Public transport: From Manchester city centre you can take the train to Knutsford from Manchester Piccadilly, or usually better, get the Metrolink tram to Altrincham and then the train.
Tickets:
£20 adults
Under 12s free
Duration: most tours last between ninety minutes and two hours
Fully accessible
Totally fascinating
