The Northwest

Ask most Brits about northwest England and they’ll probably mention football and rain – stereotypes that don’t come close to summarizing this exciting region of dynamic urban centres, pretty countryside, iconic seaside resorts and historic towns. One of the world’s great industrial cities, Manchester has transformed its cityscape in recent decades to place itself firmly in the vanguard of modern British urban design, and complements its top-class visitor attractions with lively cafés and an exciting music scene. Just thirty miles west, revitalized Liverpool has kept apace of the “northern renaissance”, too, and is a city of great energy and charm.

The southern suburbs of Manchester bump into the steep hills of the Pennine range, and to the southwest the city slides into pastoral Cheshire, a county of rolling green countryside whose dairy farms churn out the famed crumbly white cheese. The county town, Chester, with its complete circuit of Roman walls and partly Tudor centre, is as alluring as any of the country’s northern towns, capturing the essence of one of England’s wealthiest counties.

The historical county of Lancashire reached industrial prominence in the nineteenth century primarily due to the cotton-mill towns around Manchester and the thriving port of Liverpool – although neither city is part of the county today. Resorts along the coast between Southport and Morecambe once formed the mainstay of the northern British holiday, though only Blackpool is really worth visiting for its own sake, a rip-roaring resort which has stayed at the top of its game by supplying undemanding entertainment with more panache than its neighbours. However, Morecambe, with its Art Deco Midland Hotel, is easily combined with a visit to the historically important city of Lancaster and its hilltop Tudor castle. Finally, the Crown dependency of the Isle of Man, just 25 miles off the coast, provides a rugged terrain almost as rewarding as that of the Lake District, but without the seasonal overcrowding.

Getting around: The Northwest

By train Both Manchester and Liverpool are well served by trains, with regular high-speed connections to the Midlands and London, and up the west coast to Scotland. The major east–west rail lines in the region are the direct routes between Manchester, Leeds and York, and between Blackpool, Bradford, Leeds and York. The Lancaster–Leeds line slips through the Yorkshire Dales and further south, the Manchester–Sheffield line provides a rail approach to the Peak District.

By bus The major cities, as well as Chester, are connected by frequent bus services.

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

Highlights

1 Manchester’s Northern Quarter Lose yourself in chic shops, café-bars and happening music venues in this vibrant warehouse district.

2 Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester An ambitious £15m transformation has created a light-filled gallery space that blends seamlessly with the surrounding park.

3 City walls, Chester The handsome old town of Chester is best surveyed from the heights of its Roman walls.

4 Culture in Liverpool From the artistic hub of the Baltic Triangle to Antony Gormley’s Crosby Beach statues, this dynamic city pulses with creative energy.

5 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Bright, bawdy and brash, Britain’s cheekiest resort is constantly reinventing itself.

6 Lancaster Castle From the dungeons to the ornate courtrooms, the castle is a historical tour de force.

7 Sunset across Morecambe Bay Drink in one of the country’s finest sunsets at the bar in the Art Deco Midland Hotel.

8 Sea-kayaking, the Calf of Man Taking to the water in a kayak allows you to view local seal colonies, seabirds, and the Isle of Man’s stunning rugged coast from a unique perspective.

< Back to The Northwest

Manchester

MANCHESTER has had a global profile for more than 150 years, since the dawn of the industrial revolution. But today’s elegant core of converted warehouses and glass skyscrapers is a far cry from the smoke-covered sprawl George Orwell once described as “the belly and guts of the nation”. Its renewed pre-eminence expresses itself in various ways, most swaggeringly in its football, as home to the world’s most famous and wealthiest clubs – Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively – but also in a thriving music scene that has given birth to world-beaters as diverse as the Hallé Orchestra and Oasis. Moreover, the city’s celebrated concert halls, theatres, clubs and cafés feed off the cosmopolitan drive provided by the country’s largest student population outside London and a high-profile LGBT+ community.

Manchester orientation

If Manchester can be said to have a centre, it’s Albert Square and the cluster of buildings surrounding it – the Town Hall, the Central Library and the Midland Hotel, originally built in the railway age to host visitors to Britain’s greatest industrial city. South of here, the former Central Station now functions as the Manchester Central convention centre, with the Hallé Orchestra’s home, Bridgewater Hall, just opposite. Chinatown and the Gay Village are just a short walk to the east, while to the northeast, the revamped Piccadilly Gardens provides access to the hip Northern Quarter. To the southwest is the Castlefield district, site of the Museum of Science and Industry, and flashy Spinningfields, incongruous home of the People’s History Museum. The central spine of the city is Deansgate, which runs from Castlefield to the cathedral and, in its northern environs, displays the most dramatic core of urban regeneration in the country, centred on the unalloyed modernity of Exchange Square.

There are plenty of sights, too: the centre possesses the Manchester Art Gallery, the National Football Museum and the fantastic People’s History Museum as well as the Museum of Science and Industry, while further south is The Whitworth Art Gallery, and, to the west, the revamped Salford Quays, which are home to the prestigious Lowry arts centre, complete with a handsome selection of L.S. Lowry paintings, the stirring and stunning Imperial War Museum North, and MediaCityUK, the new northern base of the BBC.

Brief history

Despite a history stretching back to Roman times, and pockets of surviving medieval and Georgian architecture, Manchester is first and foremost a Victorian manufacturing city. Its rapid growth set the pace for the flowering of the Industrial Revolution elsewhere – transforming itself in just a hundred years from little more than a village to the world’s major cotton centre. The spectacular rise of Cottonopolis, as it became known, arose from the manufacture of vast quantities of competitively priced imitations of expensive Indian calicoes, using water and then steam-driven machines developed in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Rapid industrialization brought immense wealth for a few but a life of misery for the majority. The discontent came to a head in 1819 when eleven people were killed at the Peterloo Massacre, in what began as a peaceful demonstration against the oppressive Corn Laws. Things were, however, even worse when the 23-year-old Friedrich Engels came here in 1842 to work in his father’s cotton plant: the grinding poverty he recorded in his Condition of the Working Class in England was a seminal influence on his later collaboration with Karl Marx in the Communist Manifesto.

The Manchester Ship Canal, constructed in 1894 to entice ocean-going vessels into Manchester and away from burgeoning Liverpool, played a crucial part in sustaining Manchester’s competitiveness. From the late 1950s, however, the docks, mills, warehouses and canals were in dangerous decline. The main engine of change turned out to be the devastating IRA bomb, which exploded outside the Arndale shopping centre in June 1996, wiping out a fair slice of the city’s commercial infrastructure. Rather than simply patching things up, the city council embarked on an ambitious rebuilding scheme, which transformed the face of Manchester forever. In 2017, the resilience of the city was demonstrated once again as performers took to the stage for One Love, a benefit concert for those affected by the tragic suicide bombing at Manchester Arena on May 22, which killed 22 people.

Albert Square

Most of Manchester’s panoply of neo-Gothic buildings and monuments date from the city’s heyday in the second half of the nineteenth century. One of the more fanciful is the shrine-like, canopied monument to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, perched prettily in the middle of the trim little square that bears his name – Albert Square. The monument was erected in 1867, six years after Albert’s death, supposedly because the prince had always shown an interest in industry, but perhaps more to curry favour with the grieving queen. Overlooking the prince is Alfred Waterhouse’s magnificent, neo-Gothic Town Hall (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; free), whose mighty clocktower, completed in 1877, pokes a sturdy finger into the sky, soaring high above its gables, columns and arcaded windows.

St Peter’s Square and around

Just south of the Town Hall is St Peter’s Square, home to the revamped Central Library. Footsteps away, over on Peter Street, the Free Trade Hall was the home of the city’s Hallé Orchestra for more than a century – until Bridgewater Hall was completed in 1996. The Italianate facade survived intense wartime bombing and is now a protected part of the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, whose modern tower block rises up behind at a (fairly) discreet distance.

Central Library

St Peter’s Square, M2 5PD • Mon–Thurs 9am–8pm, Fri & Sat 9am–5pm • Free • 0161 234 1983, manchester.gov.uk/centrallibrary • St Peter’s Square Metrolink

The circular Central Library was built in 1934 as the world’s largest municipal library, a self-consciously elegant, classical construction. After a four-year closure, it reopened, beautifully refurbished and extended, in 2014, with its showpiece domed reading room restored; check out the display case of sweet wrappers, found stuffed down the desks here over the last eighty years. The children’s library is modelled on The Secret Garden by local author Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Manchester Art Gallery

Mosley St, M2 3JL • Daily 10am–5pm, till 9pm Thurs • Free • 0161 235 8888, manchesterartgallery.org • St Peter’s Square Metrolink

Manchester Art Gallery, as well as attracting big-name exhibitions by contemporary artists, holds an invigorating collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art. Spread across Floor 1, these works are divided by theme – Face and Place, Expressing Passions and so on – rather than by artist (or indeed school of artists), which makes it difficult to appreciate the strength of the collection, especially when it comes to its forte, the Pre-Raphaelites. There’s much else – views of Victorian Manchester, a Turner or two, a pair of Gainsboroughs, and Stubbs’s famous Cheetah and Stag with Two Indians to name but a few. Floor 2 features temporary exhibitions and crafts, while the Ground Floor’s Manchester Gallery is devoted to a visual history of the city. The Clore Art Studio is fun for kids.

Petersfield

South of St Peter’s Square, on Lower Mosley Street, stands Britain’s finest concert hall, Bridgewater Hall, balanced on shock-absorbing springs to guarantee the clarity of the sound. The apartment block at the corner of Lower Mosley Street and Whitworth Street West bears the name of the site’s previous occupant, the infamous Hacienda Club, the spiritual home of Factory Records, an independent label that defined a generation of music through such bands as Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays before closing down in 1997. Across the road on Tony Wilson Place is Manchester’s glitzy new cultural hub, HOME, a merger between Manchester heavyweights Cornerhouse and the former Library Theatre Company. It comprises two theatres, five cinema screens, gallery space, and production and broadcast facilities; each of the three floors has a low-key bar or restaurant with additional outdoor seating for when the sun shines.

Turn left along Whitworth Street West and you’ll spot the string of café-bars and restaurants that have been shoehorned along the Rochdale canal’s Deansgate Locks, a pattern repeated along and across the street in the old railway arches abutting Deansgate Station. Look up and you’ll see the striking Beetham Tower, easily the tallest skyscraper in Manchester and home to a glitzy hotel.

Castlefield and St John’s

Just west of Deansgate Station, the tangle of railway viaducts and canals that lie sandwiched between Water Street, Liverpool Road and Deansgate make up pocket-sized Castlefield. It was here that the country’s first man-made canal, the Bridgewater Canal, brought coal and other raw materials to the city’s warehouses throughout the eighteenth century. By the early 1960s, the district was an eyesore, but an influx of money cleaned it up, and it now boasts cobbled canalside walks, attractive café-bars and the Castlefield Urban Heritage Park (always open; free), centred on the excavated and partially reconstructed Mamucium Roman fort, from which the name “Manchester” is derived.

Exciting changes are afoot west of Lower Byrom St around the old ITV Granada studios; newly labelled St John’s (stjohnsmanchester.com) is a neighbourhood to watch, particularly as Factory, an impressive arts space which will be a permanent home for the Manchester International Festival, is slated to open in 2020.

Museum of Science and Industry

Liverpool Rd, M3 4FP • Daily 10am–5pm • Free, but admission charge for special exhibitions • 0161 832 2244, msimanchester.org.uk • Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink

One of the most impressive museums of its type in the country, the Museum of Science and Industry mixes technological displays and blockbuster exhibitions with trenchant analysis of the social impact of industrialization. Key points of interest include the Power Hall, which trumpets the region’s remarkable technological contribution to the Industrial Revolution by means of a hall full of steam engines, some of which are fired up daily. There’s more steam in the shape of a working replica of Robert Stephenson’s Planet, whose original design was based on the Rocket, the work of Robert’s father George. Built in 1830, the Planet reliably attained a scorching 30mph but had no brakes; the museum’s version does, however, and it’s used at weekends (noon–4pm; £2, children £1), dropping passengers a couple of hundred yards away at the Station Building, the world’s oldest passenger railway station.

The 1830 Warehouse features a sound-and-light show that delves into the history of the city’s immense warehouses, and the Air and Space Hall, which barely touches on Manchester at all, features vintage planes, cutaway engines and space exploration displays.

Spinningfields

From the old to the uber-new, Castlefield blends into Spinningfields, a glitzy, corporate district that’s home to law courts, financial HQs, designer shops and a crop of see-and-be-seen bars and restaurants, including a swanky rooftop terrace bar as the cherry on the top of shiny corporate high-rise, No. 1 Spinningfields. There are also a couple of standout cultural attractions that bookend the district.

People’s History Museum

Left Bank, M3 3ER • Daily 10am–5pm, until 8pm second Thursday of the month • Free • 0161 838 9190, phm.org.uk • Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink

The superb People’s History Museum explores Britain’s rich history of radicalism and the struggles of marginalized people to acquire rights and extend suffrage – ideas that developed out of the workers’ associations and religious movements of the industrial city and which helped to shape the modern world. Housed in a former pump house and an ultramodern, four-storey extension, the galleries use interactive displays – including coffins and top hats – to trace a compelling narrative from the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 onwards. As the gallery shows, this moment became the catalyst for agitation that led to the 1832 Reform Act, and subsequent rise of the egalitarian Chartist movement; the museum will play a big part in the 2019 two-hundred-year anniversary. The galleries go on to explore the struggle for female suffrage, the Communist party in Britain, Oswald Mosley’s fascists, and the working-class origins of football and pop music, and include the finest collection of trade union banners in the country.

John Rylands Library

Deansgate, M3 3EH • Library Mon & Sun noon–5pm, Tues–Sat 10am–5pm • Tour and treasures Rare books can be seen close up every third Thurs of month 3–4pm (booking required) • Free • 0161 306 0555, www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands • Metroshuttle #1, #2

Nestling between Spinningfields and the north end of Deansgate, John Rylands Library is the city’s supreme example of Victorian Gothic – notwithstanding the presence of an unbecoming modern entrance wing. The architect who won the original commission, Basil Champneys, opted for a cloistered neo-Gothicism of narrow stone corridors, delicately crafted stonework, stained-glass windows and burnished wooden panelling. The library, which has survived in superb condition, now houses specialist collections of rare books and manuscripts.

Deansgate and around

Deansgate cuts through the city centre from the Rochdale canal to the cathedral, its architectural reference points ranging from Victorian industrialism to post-millennium posturing. One landmark is the Great Northern mall, flanking Deansgate between Great Bridgewater and Peter streets. This was once the Great Northern Railway Company’s Goods Warehouse, a great sweep of brickwork dating back to the 1890s, originally an integral part of a large and ambitious trading depot with road and rail links on street level and subterranean canals down below.

St Ann’s Square

Slender St Ann’s Square is tucked away off the eastern side of Deansgate, not all that far from the cathedral. Flanking the square’s southern side is St Ann’s Church (Tues–Sat 10am–5pm; free), a trim sandstone structure whose Neoclassical symmetries date from 1709, though the stained-glass windows are firmly Victorian. At the other end of the square is the Royal Exchange, which houses the much-lauded Royal Exchange Theatre. Formerly the Cotton Exchange, this building employed seven thousand people until trading finished on December 31, 1968 – the old trading board still shows the last day’s prices for American and Egyptian cotton.

Manchester Cathedral and around

Exchange Station Approach, Victoria St, M3 1SX • Mon–Sat 8.30am–6.30pm, Sun 8.30am–7pm • Free • Tours Mon–Fri 11am & 2.30pm, Sat 1pm, Sun 2.30pm; 30min • Free, but £3 donation suggested • manchestercathedral.org • Victoria Metrolink

Manchester’s cathedral dates back to the fifteenth century, though its Gothic lines have been hacked about too much to have any real architectural coherence. Actually, it’s surprising it’s still here at all: in 1940, a 1000lb bomb all but destroyed the interior, knocking out most of the stained glass, which is why it’s so light inside today.

Exchange Square

A pedestrian high street – New Cathedral Street – runs north from St Ann’s Square to Exchange Square, with its water features, public sculptures and massive department stores (primarily Selfridges and Harvey Nichols). On the southeast side of the square stands the whopping Arndale Centre, once a real Sixties eyesore, but now a modern shopping precinct, clad in glass.

Chetham’s School of Music

Long Millgate, M3 1SB • Library Mon–Fri timed entry, 10am, 11am, noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm & 3.30pm • Free • 0161 834 7961, chethamsschoolofmusic.com • Victoria Metrolink

The choristers in Manchester Cathedral are trained at Chetham’s School of Music. This fifteenth-century manor house became a school and a free public library in 1653 and was turned into a music school in 1969. There are free recitals during term time, and you can visit the oak-panelled Library with its handsome carved eighteenth-century bookcases. Along the side corridor is the main Reading Room, where Marx and Engels beavered away on the square table that still stands in the windowed alcove. There’s no public access to the rest of the complex, except to Stoller Hall, a 500-seat concert hall that had its grand opening in 2017.

National Football Museum

Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, M4 3BG • Mon–Sun 10am–5pm • Free except for special exhibitions • 0161 605 8200, nationalfootballmuseum.com • Victoria Metrolink

Manchester’s National Football Museum, housed in a suitably spectacular structure – the sloping, six-storey glass Urbis building near Victoria train station – houses some true treasures of the world’s most popular game. Here you can see the 1966 World Cup Final ball, Maradona’s “Hand of God” shirt, and the only surviving version of the Jules Rimet world cup trophy. They also display the personal collection of Sir Stanley Matthews (1915–2000), considered one of the greatest English footballers of all time.

Piccadilly

Piccadilly is another area earmarked by developers for regeneration. Exciting projects in the pipeline include a four-storey food-and-drink venue at Mayfield Depot (mayfieldmanchester.co.uk) and renovation of the Grade I listed Fire Station on London Road. Piccadilly Gardens (Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink), historically the largest green space in the city, has also recently been spruced up; this family-friendly space has a fountain and water jets, and a pavilion at one end to screen off the traffic. Regular events, including a food market (Thurs–Sat 10am–5pm), keep the gardens lively.

The Northern Quarter and Ancoats

Oldham Street, which shoots off northeast from Piccadilly Gardens, is the shabby gateway to the hip Northern Quarter. Traditionally, this is Manchester’s garment district and you’ll still find old-fashioned shops and wholesalers selling clothes, shop fittings, mannequins and hosiery alongside the more recent designer shops, music stores and trendy café-bars. The side wall of iconic indie emporium Afflecks sports a colourful series of mosaics depicting Manchester legends – from stars of Coronation Street to the Stone Roses. As rents in the Northern Quarter rise, the arty types are spilling over into Ancoats, an area of conservation across busy Great Ancoats Street. It’s here in the old red-brick factory buildings that you’ll find the newest and most innovative new restaurants and bars popping up.

Chinatown

From Piccadilly Gardens, it’s a short walk south to Chinatown, whose grid of narrow streets stretch north–south from Charlotte to Princess Street between Portland and Mosley streets and are dotted with Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries. The inevitable Dragon Arch, at Faulkner and Nicolas, provides the focus for the annual Chinese New Year celebrations.

Along Oxford Road

A couple of blocks out of the Gay Village (see box opposite), you’ll come to the junction of Whitworth Street and Oxford Road, the latter cutting a direct route south through a string of impressive Manchester University buildings towards The Whitworth Art Gallery.

Manchester Museum

Oxford Rd, M13 9PL • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0161 275 2648, www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

The university’s Gothic Revival Manchester Museum boasts a diverse collection spread over five floors, with displays on rocks, minerals and prehistoric life, meteorites, animal life, the human body and biomedical research. It also boasts one of the country’s finest collections outside of the British Museum on Ancient Egypt. The Vivarium is dedicated to the conservation of reptiles and amphibians, with plenty of frogs, snakes and lizards to handle, while new high-tech space The Study (thestudymcr.com) is an interactive learning and exhibition facility on the top floor of the museum’s Grade II listed Alfred Waterhouse building.

Manchester’s Gay Village and Pride

The side roads off Portland Street lead down to the Rochdale canal, where Canal Street forms the heart of Manchester’s thriving Gay Village: the pink pound has filled this area of the city with canalside cafés, clubs, bars and businesses, though these days it’s as busy with hooting hen-nighters as with LGBT+ punters. Always lively, the village is packed to bursting point during Manchester’s huge Pride festival (weekend tickets £22.50, day tickets £16.50; festival.manchesterpride.com), which usually occurs on the last weekend of August. The village is closed off as thousands of people descend for music – big-name performers have included Beth Ditto and Boy George – comedy, theatre and exhibitions, all celebrating the lesbian, gay, bi and transgender community.

Whitworth Art Gallery

Corner of Oxford Rd & Denmark Rd, M15 6ER • Mon–Wed & Fri–Sun 10am–5pm, Thurs 10am–9pm • Free • 0161 275 7450, www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

The university’s Whitworth Art Gallery reopened in 2015 after a £15 million renovation project to double and extend its public space into the surrounding Whitworth Park. A lively rota of exhibitions showcases contemporary artists, designers and performers, as well as the gallery’s fine collection of pre-1880s and modern art, and the country’s widest range of textiles outside London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The glass walls and walkways of the award-winning gallery space blends seamlessly with the park, and sculpture by the likes of Emily Young, Nathan Coley and Dorothy Cross have augmented the already spectacular collection that included work by Epstein, Hepworth and Moore.

Salford Quays

After the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, Salford docks played a pivotal role in turning the city into one of Britain’s busiest seaports. Following their closure in 1982, which left a post-industrial mess just a couple of miles to the west of the city centre, an extraordinarily ambitious redevelopment transformed Salford Quays, as it was rebranded, into a hugely popular waterfront complex with its own gleaming apartment blocks, shopping mall and arts centre, The Lowry. Also here is the splendid Imperial War Museum North and the MediaCityUK site.

The Lowry

Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ • Galleries Mon–Fri & Sun 11am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm • Free • 0843 208 6000, thelowry.com • Harbour City/MediacityUK Metrolink

Perched on the water’s edge, The Lowry is the quays’ shiny steel arts centre. The Galleries, which host sixteen different exhibitions each year, are largely devoted to the paintings of Lawrence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976), the artist most closely associated with Salford. The earlier paintings – those somewhat desolate, melancholic portrayals of Manchester mill workers – are the most familiar, while later works, repeating earlier paintings but changing the greys and sullen browns for lively reds and pinks, can come as a surprise.

Imperial War Museum North

The Quays, Trafford Wharf North, M17 1TZ • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0161 836 4000, iwm.org.uk • MediacityUK Metrolink

A footbridge across the Manchester Ship Canal links The Lowry with the startling Imperial War Museum North, which raises a giant steel fin into the air, in a building designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind. The interior is just as striking, its angular lines serving as a dramatic backdrop to the displays, which kick off with the Big Picture, when the walls of the main hall are transformed into giant screens to show regularly rotated, fifteen-minute, surround-sound films. Superb themed displays fill six separate exhibition areas – the “Silos” – focusing on everything from women’s work in the World Wars to the 9/11 attacks (with a 23ft section of crumpled steel recovered from the World Trade Center wreckage).

MediaCityUK

Salford, M50 2EQ • BBC tours Mon–Thurs 10.30am, 12.30pm & 3pm (Thurs in school term time, radio studio tour only), Sat & Sun times vary; 1hr 30min • £11.75 • Book on bbc.co.uk/showsandtours • MediaCityUK Metrolink

In 2011, the BBC moved 26 of its London-based departments up north to MediaCityUK, a vast, purpose-built workspace for creative and digital businesses. ITV followed suit in 2013, the Coronation Street set arrived in 2014, and the whole place has a certain pizzazz, with telly types buzzing about on Segway scooters, and trendy bars and restaurants open until the early hours. The BBC offer insanely popular though mildly underwhelming tours (the highpoint of which is the sound studio and its semi-anechoic chamber), but you don’t have to join a tour to wander around the piazza and visit the Blue Peter garden, transplanted here from London complete with Shep’s paw print.

The National Cycling Centre

Stuart St, M11 4DQ, 2 miles east of the city centre 0161 223 2244 option 3, nationalcyclingcentre.com • Daily 7.30am–10pm • Tours 10am–4pm, £45 for up to 14 people, booking essential • From Piccadilly Gardens (Stop D) take bus #216 to Sport City; or Velopark Metrolink

Opposite Man City’s football ground (see box opposite), in an area being touted as “sports city”, the National Cycling Centre is the home of British Cycling and one of the fastest and busiest velodromes in the world. Its stunning, Olympic-standard loop of Siberian pine track, angled at 42.5°, is in constant use, with hour-long taster sessions (bikes and coach provided) available to anyone aged nine and over; arrive early and you might well catch the end of a Team GB training session. Also on site is a world-class indoor BMX track and the start of 7.5 miles of mountain-bike trails. Elsewhere in the city, the centre’s facilities include an outdoor BMX track and a mountain-bike skills zone.

Arrival and departure: Manchester

By plane Manchester International Airport (0161 489 3000, manchesterairport.co.uk) is 10 miles south of the city centre. There’s an excellent train service to Manchester Piccadilly (£5 single; 20min); the new Metrolink (£4.20 single; 45min; see below) runs daily to Deansgate-Castlefield; the taxi fare is around £25.

By train Of Manchester’s three stations, Piccadilly, on the east side of the centre, sees the largest number of long-distance services, some of which continue on to Oxford Road, just south of the centre. On the city’s north side, Victoria Station mainly sees services to Lancashire and Yorkshire. All three stations are connected to the centre via the free Metroshuttle bus service (see opposite); Piccadilly and Victoria are also on the Metrolink tramline (see opposite).

Destinations from Manchester Piccadilly Barrow-in-Furness (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 3 daily; 2hr 15min); Birmingham (hourly; 1hr 30min); Blackpool (hourly; 1hr 10min); Buxton (hourly; 1hr); Carlisle (8 daily; 1hr 50min); Chester (every 30min; 1hr–1hr 20min); Lancaster (hourly; 1hr); Leeds (hourly; 1hr); Liverpool (every 30min; 50min); London (hourly; 2hr 20min); Newcastle (10 daily; 3hr); Oxenholme (4–6 daily; 40min–1hr 10min); Sheffield (hourly; 1hr); York (every 30min; 1hr 30min).

Destinations from Manchester Oxford Road Blackpool (hourly; 1hr 15min); Carlisle (8 daily; 1hr 50min); Chester (hourly; 1hr); Lancaster (8 daily; 1hr); Leeds (10 daily; 1hr); Liverpool (every 30min; 50min); Oxenholme (8 daily; 1hr 10min); Penrith (8 daily; 1hr 40min); Sheffield (hourly; 1hr); York (hourly; 1hr 30min).

Destinations from Manchester Victoria Blackpool (6 daily; 1hr 30min); Leeds (every 30min; 1hr 20min); Liverpool (hourly; 35min).

By bus Most long-distance buses use Chorlton Street Coach Station, about halfway between Piccadilly train station and Albert Square, though some regional buses also leave from Shudehill Interchange, between the Arndale Centre and the Northern Quarter.

Destinations Birmingham (6 daily; 3hr); Blackpool (5 daily; 1hr 40min); Chester (3 daily; 1hr); Leeds (6 daily; 2hr); Liverpool (hourly; 40min); London (every 1–2hr; 4hr 30min–6hr 45min); Newcastle (6 daily; 5hr); Sheffield (4 daily; 2hr 40min).

Travel information For information on train and bus services, contact TFGM (0871 200 2233, tfgm.com).

Getting around

On foot About a 30min walk from top to bottom, central Manchester is compact enough to cover on foot.

By bus Three free Metroshuttle bus services (tfgm.com) weave across the centre of town, linking the city’s train stations and NCP car parks with all the major points of interest; Metroshuttle #1 runs Mon–Fri every 10min 7am–7pm, Sat every 10min 8.30am–6.30pm, Sun & public hols every 12min 9.30am–6pm; Metroshuttle #2 runs every 10min Mon–Fri 6.30am–6.30pm, Sat 8.30am–6.30pm, Sun & public hols every 12min 9.35am–6pm; Metroshuttle #3 runs every 10min Mon–Fri 7.25am–7.20pm, Sat 8.35am–6.25pm, Sun & public hols every 12min 9.40am–6.05pm.

By taxi Mantax (0161 230 3333) and Streetcars (0161 228 7878) are two reliable taxi firms.

By tram Metrolink trams (metrolink.co.uk) whisk through the city centre bound for the suburbs, along an ever-expanding network of routes. Services run from approximately 6am–12.30am (Mon–Thurs), with last trams running later on Fridays and Saturdays, and Sunday services between around 7am–10.30pm. Ticket machines are on the platform; single journeys cost from £1.20, while day and weekend Travelcards (from £5 off-peak) are good value.

Manchester football tours

Manchester is, of course, home to two mega Premier League football teams. It’s tough to get tickets for matches if you’re not a season-ticket-holder, but guided tours placate out-of-town fans who want to gawp at the silverware and sit in the dug-out. You’ll need to book in advance.

Old Trafford Sir Matt Busby Way, off Warwick Rd, M16 0RA 0161 868 8000, manutd.com; Old Trafford Metrolink; map. The self-styled “Theatre of Dreams” is the home of Manchester United, arguably the most famous football team in the world. Stadium tours include a visit to the club museum. Tours daily (except match days) 9.40am–4.30pm; £18.

Etihad Stadium Sport City, off Alan Turing Way, M11 3FF 0161 444 1894, mcfc.co.uk; Etihad Campus Metrolink; map. United’s formerly long-suffering local rivals, Manchester City, became the world’s richest club in 2008 after being bought by the royal family of Abu Dhabi. They play at the revamped Etihad Stadium, east of the city centre. Tours daily 9am–5pm; £17.

Information and tours

Tourist information Manchester Visitor Centre is at 1 Piccadilly Gardens, on the corner of Portland Street (Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; 0871 222 8223, visitmanchester.com); it has a useful blog.

Listings information In print, Thursday’s City Life supplement in the Manchester Evening News (manchestereveningnews.co.uk) covers popular events, while The Skinny, widely available in the Northern Quarter, is a hip and independent monthly freebie. Online, there’s intelligent and incisive guidance on creativetourist.com, while confidentials.com/manchester has informative restaurant and bar reviews.

Walking tours The Visitor Centre has details of the city’s many walking tours, including a street art tour of the northern quarter (from £7). There’s also a 3hr pay-what-you-can walking tour that leaves from the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Gardens (11am Tues, Fri, Sat & Sun; freetour.com/manchester).

Accommodation

There are many city-centre hotels, especially budget chains, which means that you have a good chance of finding a smart, albeit generic, en-suite room in central Manchester for around £60–70 at almost any time of the year – except when City or United are playing at home. Less expensive guesthouses and B&Bs are concentrated some way out of the centre, mainly on the southern routes into the city. Prices often halve midweek.

HOTELS

ABode 107 Piccadilly, M1 2DB 0161 247 7744, abodemanchester.co.uk; Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink; map. Part of a small chain of boutique hotels, this gem occupies a former cotton warehouse a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Station. Rooms are light and elegant, with high ceilings and polished wooden floors. £85

Arora 18–24 Princess St, M1 4LG 0161 236 8999, manchester.arorahotels.com; Piccadilly Gardens/St Peter’s Square Metrolink; map. Four-star with more than 100 neat, modern rooms in a listed building in a great central location opposite the Manchester Art Gallery. The convivial, obliging staff pride themselves on offering a “real Manchester welcome”. Good online discounts. £99

Great John Street Great John St, M3 4FD 0161 831 3211, eclectichotels.co.uk/great-john-street; Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink; map. Deluxe hotel in an imaginatively refurbished old school building not far from Deansgate, with thirty individual, spacious and comfortable suites, some split-level. The on-site bar-cum-restaurant has an open fire and deep sofas, with a gallery breakfast room up above. Nice rooftop garden, too. They’ve also recently opened sister hotel King Street Townhouse. £250

Midland Peter St, M60 2DS 0161 236 3333, qhotels.co.uk; St Peter’s Square Metrolink; map. Once the terminus hotel for the old Central Station – and where Mr Rolls first met Mr Royce – this building was the apotheosis of Edwardian style and is still arguably Manchester’s most iconic hotel. The public areas today are returned to their former glory, with bedrooms in immaculate chain style. Mr Cooper’s House and Garden, attached to the hotel, is wonderful for pre-theatre cocktails. £130

Motel One London Rd, M1 2PF 0161 200 5650, motelone.com; Piccadilly Metrolink; map. Not much to look at from the outside, but the location couldn’t be more central and the stylish lobby leads to clean, modern rooms. The fixed room prices are higher at the weekend. £69

Radisson Blu Edwardian Peter St, M2 5GP 0161 835 9929, radissonblu-edwardian.com; St Peter’s Square Metrolink; map. The Neoclassical facade is all that’s left of the Free Trade Hall; inside, this five-star hotel has a sleek modern interior full of natural light, tasteful rooms, and all the extras you’d expect – spa, gym and the trendy Opus One bar. £120

HOSTELS

Hilton Chambers 15 Hilton St, M1 1JJ 0161 236 4414 hattersgroup.com/manchester-hilton-chambers; Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink; map. Part of a small regional chain, this newish hostel is right in the heart of the Northern Quarter, and a great location for exploring the city’s nightlife. A range of different rooms and some great communal spaces, including an outdoor deck. Rates reduce considerably midweek. Dorms £21, doubles £82

YHA Manchester Potato Wharf, Castlefield, M3 4NB 0845 371 9647, yha.org.uk/hostel/manchester; Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink; map. Excellent hostel overlooking the canal that runs close to the Museum of Science and Industry, with 35 rooms (thirty four-bunk, two five-bunk and three doubles). Facilities include laundry, self-catering and a café. Dorms £20, doubles £40

Eating

Rivalling London in the breadth and scope of its cafés and restaurants, Mancunians are justly baffled at Michelin not awarding any restaurant in the city a star (yet). Most options are in the city centre, with the vast majority of new openings in the Northern Quarter and Ancoats. If you have the time, head a couple of miles along Wilmslow Road to Didsbury, a leafy suburb with several excellent places to eat, or to Altrincham, 8 miles outside the city, which has an outstanding food market (altrinchammarket.co.uk).

CafÉs and café-bars

Eighth Day 107–111 Oxford Rd, M1 7DU 0161 273 1850, 8thday.coop; Metroshuttle #2; map. Manchester’s oldest organic vegetarian café has a shop, takeaway and juice bar upstairs, with a great-value café/restaurant downstairs. Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 10am–5pm.

Federal Café Bar 9 Nicholas Croft, Northern Quarter, M4 1EY 0161 425 0974, federalcafe.co.uk; Shudehill Metrolink; map. Manchester’s latest independent coffee shop-cum-bar has queues out of the door for its all-day brunch (try the smashed avo on sourdough toast with bacon for £8.50), strong coffee (flat white £2.60) and superb cocktails (around £8). Mon–Fri 7.30am–6pm, Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 8am–5pm.

Home Sweet Home 49–41 Edge St, Northern Quarter, M4 1HW 0161 224 9424, homesweethomenq.com; Shudehill Metrolink; map. Queues snake round the block for this gem, which serves huge portions of American/Tex Mex-influenced mains (from £8), luscious milkshakes and generous slices of the most extravagantly decorated cakes you will ever have seen. Mon–Thurs & Sun 9am–10pm, Fri 9am–11pm, Sat 9am–midnight.

The Koffee Pot 84–86 Oldham St, Northern Quarter, M4 1LE 0161 236 8918, thekoffeepot.co.uk; Market St Metrolink; map. Beloved by hungover hipsters, this is the place for a Full English (£5.80) or Veggie (£5.60) brekkie (served until 2pm) amid much Formica and red leatherette. Often packed. Mon 7.30am–4pm, Tues–Fri 7.30am–11pm, Sat 9am–11pm, Sun 9am–4pm; note the kitchen closes at 9pm Tues–Sat.

Richmond Tea Rooms Richmond St, Gay Village, M1 3HZ 0161 237 9667, www.richmondtearooms.com; Metroshuttle #1; map. Without question the most brilliantly conceived tearoom in Manchester, with an amazing Tim Burton-esque Alice in Wonderland theme. The sumptuous afternoon teas (£6.50–23.50) are the stuff of local legend, while the adjoining cocktail lounge is a super-stylish place to kick off an evening. Mon–Thurs 11am–9pm, Fri 11am–10pm, Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 10am–9.30pm.

Takk 6 Tariff St, Northern Quarter, M1 2FF takkmcr.com; Shudehill Metrolink; map. Cool yet cosy Icelandic coffee bar with a living-room feel, home-made cakes, hipster brunch (blueberry pie porridge £4), a changing roster of sandwiches (£6), Nordic art and, of course, superior coffee. Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm.

Trof NQ 8 Thomas St, Northern Quarter, M4 1EU 0161 833 3197, trofnq.co.uk; Shudehill Metrolink; map. Three storeys of cool, relaxed café-bar populated by trendy young things. It’s ideal for a late breakfast or early afternoon drink, and hosts open-mic nights, poetry readings and DJ sets. Mon & Tues 10am–midnight, Wed & Thurs 10am–1am, Fri 10am–3am, Sat 9am–3am, Sun 9am–midnight.

Restaurants

Australasia 1 The Ave, Spinningfields, M3 3AP 0161 831 0288, australasia.uk.com; Metroshuttle #1 or #2; map. A remarkable glass pyramid on street level leads down under (get it?) to Australasia, a buzzing, white-tiled restaurant that’s arguably the star of the Spinningfield dining scene. Food is Modern Oz meets Pacific Rim and pricey but well-regarded (mains from £15, with the Australian Wagyu steak fillet a whopping £60). Daily noon–midnight.

Dimitri’s 1 Campfield Arcade, Deansgate, M3 4FN 0161 839 3319, dimitris.co.uk; Metroshuttle #1 or #2; map. Long-established Manchester favourite: pick and mix from the Greek/Spanish/Italian menu (particularly good for vegetarians) and enjoy it at a semi-alfresco arcade table with a Greek coffee or Lebanese wine; you’ll think you’re in the Med. Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–midnight, Fri & Sat 11am–2am.

Lime Tree 8 Lapwing Lane, West Didsbury, M20 2WS 0161 445 1217, thelimetreerestaurant.co.uk; West Didsbury Metrolink; map. The finest local food, with a menu that chargrills and oven-roasts as if its life depended on it, using produce from its own smallholding. Main courses cost £14 and up, less at lunchtime. Reservations recommended. Mon & Sat 5.30–10pm, Tues–Fri noon–2.30pm & 5.30–10pm, Sun noon–8pm.

Mughli Charcoal Pit 30 Wilmslow Rd, M14 5TQ 0161 248 0900, mughli.com; map. Out by the Whitworth Art Gallery, this stylish Indian restaurant is a standout in the area traditionally known as “curry mile”. Mouth-watering meat, veggie and vegan dishes include butter paneer (£11) and charred lamb chops (£10.50) – there’s even a mild “little mughal” for children (£6.50). Mon–Thurs 5pm–midnight, Fri 5pm–12.30am, Sat 4pm–12.30am, Sun 2–10.30pm.

Rudy’s Pizza 9 Cotton St, Ancoats, M4 5BF 07931 162059, rudyspizza.co.uk; map. Super-light handstretched pizza the Neapolitan way, this place gets rave reviews (and has long queues). On afternoons from Wed to Sat they stay open for drinks only as the chefs are busy making dough. Prices from £4.90 for a Marinara and you’ll pay £15 for a bottle of the house wine. Tues 5–10pm, Wed–Sat noon–3pm & 5–10pm, Sun noon–6pm.

Sam’s Chop House Chapel Walks, off Cross St, M2 1HN 0161 834 3210, samschophouse.com; Market St Metrolink; map. One of three good chop houses in the city, the restaurant attached to this wonderful old-world pub is a hidden gem. It has a Victorian gas-lit feel and a delightful menu of English food (mains £14–16) – and they really know their wine, too. Mon–Sat noon–3pm & 5.30–11pm, Sun noon–8pm.

Yang Sing 34 Princess St, M1 4JY 0161 236 2200, yang-sing.com; St Peter’s Square Metrolink; map. One of the best Cantonese restaurants in the country, with authentic dishes ranging from a quick-fried noodle plate to the full works. For the most interesting food, stray from the printed menu; ask the friendly staff for advice. Sister restaurant, the Little Yang Sing on George St, slightly cheaper, is also worth stopping by. Mains from £12. Mon–Sat noon–11.30pm, Sun noon–10.30pm.

Yuzu 39 Faulkner St, M1 4EE 0161 236 4159, yuzumanchester.co.uk; St Peter’s Square Metrolink; map. Outstanding Japanese in Chinatown with a shortish menu of exceptionally executed sashimi (from £10.50), tempura (from £5.90) dishes and more, plus a tempting range of sake. Tues–Sat noon–2pm & 5.30–10pm.

Drinking

From Victorian boozers to designer cocktail bars, Manchester does drinking in style, while its musical heritage and large student population keep things lively and interesting.

Big Hands 296 Oxford Rd, M13 9NS 0161 272 7779, facebook.com/BigHandsBar; map. Right by the Academy venues, this intimate, uber-cool bar is popular with students, usually post-gig as it has a late licence. Mon–Fri 10am–2am, Sat noon–3am, Sun 6pm–1am.

Britons Protection 50 Great Bridgewater St, M1 5LE 0161 236 5895, facebook.com/britonsprotection; map. Cosy old pub with a couple of small rooms, a backyard beer garden and all sorts of Victorian detail – most splendidly the tiles and the open fires in winter. Boasts over 300 whiskies and a large mural depicting the Peterloo Massacre. Mon–Thurs 11am–11.30pm, Fri noon–12.30am, Sat 11am–midnight, Sun noon–11pm.

Circus Tavern 86 Portland St, M1 4GX 0161 236 5818; map. Manchester’s smallest pub, this Victorian drinking hole is a favourite city-centre pit stop. You may have to knock to get in; when you do, you’re confronted by the landlord in the corridor pulling pints. Daily 11am–11pm.

Cloud 23 Beetham Tower, 301 Deansgate, M3 4LQ 0161 870 1670, cloud23bar.com; map. Manchester’s highest and most popular cocktail bar, with a 23rd-floor glass overhang. Expensive, but worth it for the view of the city and Pennines beyond. Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–1am, Fri & Sat 11am–2am.

Corbières 2 Half Moon St, just off St Ann’s Square, M2 7BS 0161 834 3381; map. Look for the Gaudí-esque wall art flanking the door of this long-standing subterranean, slightly dank drinking cellar with arguably the best jukebox in Manchester. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–midnight, Sun 2–10.30pm.

Mr Thomas’ Chop House 52 Cross St, M2 7AR 0161 832 2245, tomschophouse.com; map. Victorian classic with Dickensian nooks and crannies. Office workers, daytime drinkers, old goats and students all call it home, and there’s good-value, traditional food too. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–midnight, Sun noon–10.30pm.

Sand Bar 120 Grosvenor St, M1 7HL 0161 273 1552, www.sandbarmanchester.co.uk; map. Between the university and the city centre, this is a brilliant modern take on the traditional pub, where students, lecturers and workers shoot the breeze. There’s a great selection of beers and wines. Mon–Wed & Sun noon–midnight, Thurs noon–1am, Fri & Sat noon–2am.

The Temple 100 Great Bridgewater St, M1 5JW 0161 228 9834; map. Teeny-tiny subterranean boozer in an old public toilet, with an amazing jukebox and bags of atmosphere, if not much elbow room. It’s run by the same people as Big Hands and shares its nonchalant, fun-time vibe. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–1am.

Nightlife

Manchester has an excellent live-music scene, of course, and a mercurial roster of clubs; note too that many of the city’s hip café-bars host regular club nights. See print and online listings for information.

Albert Hall 27 Peter St, M2 5QR 0844 858 8521, alberthallmanchester.com; map. Former Wesleyan chapel that’s now an atmospheric live-music venue hosting a select programme of high-quality, slightly left-field artists. Hours vary.

Band on the Wall 25 Swan St, Northern Quarter, M4 5JZ 0161 834 1786, bandonthewall.org; map. This legendary Northern Quarter joint remains true to its commitment to “real music”: it’s one of the city’s best venues to see live bands – from world and folk to jazz and reggae – and it hosts club nights to boot. Box office Mon–Sat 5–9pm. Mon–Thurs 9am–1am, Fri & Sat 9am–3am, Sun noon–5pm.

The Castle Hotel 66 Oldham St, Northern Quarter, M4 1LE 0161 237 9485, thecastlehotel.info; map. Genuinely good 200-year-old pub with cask and craft ales and an extremely intimate backroom gig space. Jake Bugg played to just seventy-odd people here months before hitting the big time. Hosts regular spoken word nights too. Mon–Thurs noon–1am, Fri noon–2am, Sun noon–midnight.

The Deaf Institute 135 Grosvenor St, M1 7HE 0161 276 9350 thedeafinstitute.co.uk; map. A mile down Oxford Rd, this bar and music hall sits in a funky makeover of the elegant Victorian former deaf institute. Mostly folk, indie and r’n’b, with lots of up-and-coming talent, and a raft of great club nights. Sister venue Gorilla (thisisgorilla.com) on Whitworth Street is also excellent. Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–midnight, Fri & Sat 10am–3am.

Matt & Phreds 64 Tib St, Northern Quarter, M4 1LW 0161 831 7002, mattandphreds.com; map. The city’s finest jazz bar, offering everything from swing to gritty New Orleans blues. Mon–Thurs & Sat 6pm–late, Fri 5pm–late.

O2 Apollo Manchester Stockport Rd, M12 6AP 0844 477 7667, academymusicgroup.com/o2apollomanchester; map. Medium-sized theatre auditorium for all kinds of concerts; a brilliant place to see big names up close, with bags of atmosphere. Hours vary.

O2 Ritz Manchester Whitworth St West, M1 5NQ 0161 236 3234, academymusicgroup.com/o2ritzmanchester; map. This legendary dance hall has been around for decades (it’s where The Smiths first played) and has a sprung dancefloor that really boings when things get going. Jumping live music and plenty of fun club nights, including a roller disco. Hours vary.

Soup Kitchen 31–33 Spear St, Northern Quarter, M1 1DF 0161 236 5100, soupkitchenmcr.co.uk; map. Soup-specializing canteen with a basement club/live-music venue that’s among Manchester’s finest. Mon–Wed & Sun noon–11pm, Thurs noon–1am, Fri & Sat noon–4pm.

Entertainment

The artist-led Manchester International Festival (see box opposite) is a biennial eighteen-day culture fest, but a range of mainstream and fringe theatres also produce a lively, year-round programme. As for classical music, Manchester is blessed with the North’s most highly prized orchestra, the Hallé, which is resident at Bridgewater Hall. Other acclaimed names include the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata chamber orchestra (manchestercamerata.com), who perform at a variety of venues.

CLASSICAL music

Bridgewater Hall Lower Mosley St, M2 3WS 0844 907 9000, bridgewater-hall.co.uk; map. Home of the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata; also a full programme of chamber, pop, classical and jazz concerts.

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) 124 Oxford Rd, M13 9RD 0161 907 5200, rncm.ac.uk; Metroshuttle #2; map. Top-quality classical and modern jazz concerts.

Theatre, cinema and Dance

The Dancehouse 10 Oxford Rd, M1 5QA 0161 237 9753, thedancehouse.co.uk; Metroshuttle #2; map. Home to the Northern Ballet School and the eponymous theatre troupe; venue for dance, drama and comedy.

HOME 2 Tony Wilson Place, M15 4FN 0161 200 1500, homemcr.org; Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink; map. A new sleek centre for contemporary arts, with two theatres, five cinema screens, changing art exhibitions in a flexible gallery space, recitals and talks, plus a bookshop, café and ground-floor bar.

The Lowry Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3UB 0843 208 6000, thelowry.com; Harbour City Metrolink; map. This quayside venue hosts many of the biggest shows, including major National Theatre touring productions, most recently La Strada and War Horse.

Opera House 3 Quay St, M3 3HP 0844 871 3018, manchesteroperahouse.com; Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink; map. Major venue for touring West End musicals, drama, comedy and concerts.

Royal Exchange Theatre St Ann’s Square, M2 7DH 0161 833 9833, royalexchange.co.uk; Market St Metrolink; map. The theatre-in-the-round in the Royal Exchange is the most famous stage in the city, with a Studio Theatre (for works by new writers) alongside.

Stoller Hall Hunts Bank, M3 1DA 0333 130 0967, stollerhall.com; map. Manchester’s major new £8.7 million concert hall is attached to the world-renowned Chetham School of Music. With a focus on chamber music, the hall also hosts family concerts, workshops and masterclasses.

Manchester International Festival

Manchester is well-established as a leading light on the UK arts and music scene and the biennial Manchester International Festival (2018, 2020, etc) pulls together an impressive array of performers, directors and theatre companies to celebrate Manchester doing things a bit differently. Radical plays are premiered, new arty concepts are trialled (opera for babies, anyone?) and big names – including Damon Albarn, Björk, New Order, Punchdrunk, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Jane Horrocks – collaborate with the best directors and producers in the industry. Traditionally at various public venues across Manchester, the festival will have a permanent £110m state-of-the-art home once new arts venue The Factory opens in St John’s in 2020 (stjohnsmanchester.com).

Shopping

As well as the out-of-town Trafford Centre, the high-end boutiques on King Street, and the department stores around Market Street and Exchange Square, the Northern Quarter has a plethora of smaller independent stores catering for all tastes. If you’re around between mid-November and mid-December, make for the Christmas Market, when Albert Square is packed with nearly 350 stalls and a lot of Christmas cheer.

Afflecks 52 Church St, Northern Quarter, M4 1PW 0161 839 0718, afflecks.com; Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink; map. A Manchester institution, where more than fifty independent stalls are spread over four floors mixing everything from goth outfits to retro cocktail dresses and quirky footwear. Mon–Fri 10.30am–6pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun ground and first floors only 11am–5pm.

Craft & Design Centre 17 Oak St, Northern Quarter, M4 5JD 0161 832 4274, craftanddesign.com; Shudehill Metrolink; map. The city’s best place to pick up ceramics, fabrics, earthenware, jewellery and decorative art – there’s also a good little café. Mon–Sat 10am–5.30pm.

Oklahoma 74–76 High St, Northern Quarter, M4 1ES 0161 834 1136, okla.co.uk; Shudehill Metrolink; map. Hidden behind large wooden doors, this charming gift-shop-cum-veggie-café is packed with fun knick-knacks and fripperies, with some pretty jewellery too. Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–6pm, Fri & Sat 10am–7pm.

Piccadilly Records 53 Oldham St, Northern Quarter, M1 1JR 0161 839 8008, piccadillyrecords.com; Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink; map. The enthusiastic staff, many of them DJs themselves, are more than willing to navigate you through the shelves of collectibles and vinyl towards some special gem, whatever your taste. Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 11am–5pm.

Retro Rehab 91 Oldham St, Northern Quarter, M1 1JR 0161 839 2050, retro-rehab.co.uk; Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink; map. Gorgeously feminine dresses abound, be they reworked vintage styles or genuine 1950s pieces, in this wonderful little boutique that prides itself on the range of its fashions and accessories from across several decades. Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun noon–4pm.

Arrival and information: chester

By train The train station is a 10min walk northeast of the centre, down City Road and Foregate Street from the central Eastgate Clock. Bus #40 (Mon–Sat 7.30am–7pm, Sun 9.30am–5pm; every 12min) links the station with the city centre.

Destinations Birmingham (5 daily; 2hr); Liverpool (every 30min; 45min); London (every 20min; 3hr 30min); Manchester (every 30min; 1hr–1hr 20min).

By bus The new Bus Interchange opened at Gorse Stacks in the northeast of the city centre in June 2017. All long-distance and most local buses stop here, including the free #200 Shopper Hopper running between here and the Town Hall (for Chester Market and Storyhouse; daily 8am–6pm, every 15min).

Destinations Liverpool (every 20min; 1hr 20min); Manchester (3 daily; 1hr).

Tourist information Chester’s information centre (March–Oct Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 10am–5pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 01244 405340, visitchester.com) is in the Town Hall on Northgate St.

Accommodation

Chester is a popular tourist destination and although most of its visitors are day-trippers, enough of them stay overnight to sustain dozens of B&Bs and a slew of hotels. At the height of the summer and on high days and holidays – like Chester Races – advance booking is strongly recommended, either direct or via the tourist office.

Chester Backpackers 67 Boughton, CH3 5AF 01244 400185, chesterbackpackers.co.uk; map. Close to the city walls and a 5min walk from the train station, in a typically Chester mock-Tudor building. En-suite doubles and two dorms (8- and 15-bed). Dorms £20, doubles £38

The Chester Grosvenor Eastgate St, CH1 1LT 01244 324024, chestergrosvenor.co.uk; map. Superb luxury hotel in an immaculately maintained Victorian building in the centre of town. Extremely comfortable bedrooms and a whole host of facilities, not least a full-blown spa (charges apply) and posh chocolatier Rococo on site. Continental breakfast is included, but it’s an extra £7.50 for a cooked breakfast. Rack rates are vertiginous, but look for special offers online. £280

Coach House Chester 39 Northgate St, CH1 2HQ 01244 351900, coachhousechester.co.uk; map. All eight rooms at this city centre gastropub were fully renovated in 2017 – in time for the opening of nearby Storyhouse. Cosy and contemporary, but with gorgeous period features, and all have en-suite bathrooms. £100

Oddfellows 20 Lower Bridge St, CH1 1RS 01244 895700, oddfellowschester.com; map. Quirky boutique hotel packed with look-at-me touches – from the typewriters climbing the reception walls, to the set table-for-two affixed to the ceiling, to the neon “Good Night” sign en route to the eighteen comfortable, individually styled bedrooms. There’s a buzzy bar scene – including the Secret Garden – and popular restaurant on site too. £179

Eating

Chez Jules 71 Northgate St, CH1 2HQ 01244 400014, chezjules.com; map. There’s a classic brasserie menu – salade nicoise to rib-eye steak – at this popular spot in an attractive half-timbered building. In the evenings, main courses begin at around £10, with a terrific-value, two-course prix fixe menu (Mon–Sat noon–6pm, Sun noon–5.30pm) for £12.95 and a two-course lunch for £9.95. Mon–Sat noon–10.30pm, Sun noon–9.30pm.

La Brasserie Chester Grosvenor, Eastgate St, CH1 1LT 01244 324024, chestergrosvenor.com; map. In the same hotel as the Michelin-starred Simon Radley’s, where the a la carte menu sits at a cool £75, this is a much more affordable yet smart brasserie that serves inventive French and fusion cooking. Main courses average £20, and it’s also a great place for a coffee and pastry. Light bites daily 11.30am–9pm; a la carte Mon–Thurs noon–2.30pm, 5.30–9pm, Fri & Sat noon–2.30pm, 5.30–9.30pm, Sun noon–8.30pm.

Marmalade 67 Northgate St, CH1 2HQ 01244 314565, marmalade-chester.co.uk; map. An amenable little licensed café with tasty food – filling breakfasts, sandwiches and salads (all around £5) are made using all local produce (and a lot of it is – or can be – gluten-free). Mon–Fri 8am–7.30pm, Sat 9am–7.30pm, Sun 10am–4pm.

Drinking

Albion Inn Corner of Albion and Park streets, CH1 1RN 01244 340345, albioninnchester.co.uk; map. A Victorian terraced pub in the shadow of the city wall – no fruit machines, no muzak, just good old-fashioned decor (and a World War I theme), tasty bar food and a great range of ales. Hilariously unwelcoming signs outside – basically, if you’re on a hen or stag do, or have a child in tow, forget it. Mon–Thurs & Sat noon–3pm & 5–11pm, Fri noon–11pm, Sun noon–2.30pm & 7–10.30pm.

Brewery Tap House 52–54 Lower Bridge St, CH1 1RU 01244 340999, the-tap.co.uk; map. Up the cobbled ramp, this converted medieval hall, once owned by the royalist Gamul family and confiscated by Parliament after the English Civil War, serves a good selection of ales from local brewery Spitting Feathers in a tall, barn-like room with whitewashed walls. Mon–Sat noon–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm.

Old Harkers Arms 1 Russell St, CH3 5AL 01244 344525, brunningandprice.co.uk/harkers; map. Canalside real-ale pub imaginatively sited in a former warehouse about 500 yards northeast of Foregate Street. Quality bar food too (until 9.30pm). Mon–Sat 10.30am–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm.

< Back to The Northwest

Liverpool

Standing proud in the 1700s as the empire’s second city, LIVERPOOL faced a dramatic change of fortune in the twentieth century, suffering a series of harsh economic blows and ongoing urban deprivation. The postwar years were particularly tough, but the outlook changed again at the turn of the millennium, as economic and social regeneration brightened the centre and old docks, and the city’s stint as European Capital of Culture in 2008 transformed the view from outside. Today Liverpool is a dynamic, exciting place with a Tate Gallery of its own, a series of innovative museums and a fascinating social history. And of course it also makes great play of its musical heritage – as well it should, considering that this is the place that gave the world The Beatles.

The main sights are scattered throughout the centre of town, but you can easily walk between most of them. The River Mersey provides one focus, whether crossing on the famous ferry to the Wirral peninsula or taking a tour of the Albert Dock. Beatles sights could easily occupy another day. If you want a cathedral, they’ve “got one to spare” as the song goes; plus there’s a fine showing of British art in the celebrated Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool, a multitude of exhibits in the terrific World Museum Liverpool, a revitalized arts and nightlife urban quarter centred on FACT, Liverpool’s showcase for film and the media arts, and a whole new cutting-edge creative district known as the Baltic Triangle.

Brief history

Liverpool gained its charter from King John in 1207, but remained a humble fishing village for half a millennium until the booming slave trade prompted the building of the first dock in 1715. From then until the abolition of slavery in Britain in 1807, Liverpool was the apex of the slaving triangle in which firearms, alcohol and textiles were traded for African slaves, who were then shipped to the Caribbean and America where they were in turn exchanged for tobacco, raw cotton and sugar. After the abolition of the trade, the port continued to grow into a seven-mile chain of docks, not only for freight but also to cope with wholesale European emigration, which saw nine million people leave for the Americas and Australasia between 1830 and 1930. During the 1970s and 1980s Liverpool became a byword for British economic malaise, but the waterfront area of the city was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004, spurring major refurbishment of the city’s magnificent municipal and industrial buildings.

St George’s Hall

St George’s Place, off Lime St, L1 1JJ • Daily 10am–5pm • Free; walking tour £4.95 (booking essential) • 0151 233 3020, liverpoolcityhalls.co.uk

Emerging from Lime Street Station, you can’t miss St George’s Hall, one of Britain’s finest Greek Revival buildings and a testament to the wealth generated from transatlantic trade. Now primarily an exhibition venue, but once Liverpool’s premier concert hall and crown court, its vaulted Great Hall features a floor tiled with thirty thousand precious Minton tiles (usually covered over, but open for a week or two in Aug), while the Willis organ is the third largest in Europe. You can take a self-guided tour, or call for details of the guided tours.

Walker Art Gallery

William Brown St, L3 8EL • Daily 10am–5pm • Free; audio tour £2.50 • 0151 478 4199, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker

Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery houses one of the country’s best provincial art collections. The city’s explosive economic growth in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a time when British painting began to blossom, is illustrated by such luminaries as native Liverpudlian George Stubbs, England’s greatest animal painter. Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Degas, Sickert, Cézanne and Monet, take the collection into more modern times and tastes, before the final round of galleries of contemporary British art. Paul Nash, Lucian Freud, Ben Nicholson, David Hockney and John Hoyland all have work here, much of it first displayed in the Walker’s biennial John Moores Exhibition.

Although the paintings are up on the first floor, don’t miss the ground-floor with its Sculpture gallery, excellent Big Art for Little Artists gallery (aimed at young children), and the Craft and Design gallery, which displays changing exhibits from a large applied arts collection – glassware, ceramics, fabrics, precious metals and furniture – largely retrieved from the homes of the city’s early industrial businessmen.

Central Library

William Brown St, L3 8EW • Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm • Free • 0151 233 3069 , liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/find-a-library/central-library

Next to the Walker Gallery, the city’s spectacular Central Library had a three-year, £50 million facelift back in 2013. Approached via a “Literary Pavement” celebrating the city’s considerable contribution to the written word, it centres on a stunning atrium crowned by an elliptical dome made of around 150 pieces of glass. Don’t miss the beautiful circular Picton Reading Room and, in the Oak Room, a copy of John James Audubon’s huge Birds of America.

World Museum Liverpool

William Brown St, L3 8EN • Daily 10am–5pm • Free; planetarium £2.50, children £1.50 • 0151 478 4393, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/WML

The World Museum Liverpool is a great family attraction. The dramatic six-storey atrium provides access to an eclectic series of themed exhibits of broad appeal – from natural history to ethnography, insects to antiquities, dinosaurs to space rockets. Excellent sections for children include the Bug House and the newly reopened Mummy Room, plus a hands-on discovery centre. The planetarium and theatre have daily shows, with times posted at the information desk.

Metropolitan Cathedral

On the hill behind Lime St, off Mount Pleasant, L3 5TQ • Daily 7.30am–6pm • Free; £3 admission to crypt • 0151 709 9222, liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk

After an original grandiose project of Sir Edwin Lutyens to outdo St Peter’s in Rome was left incomplete (and eventually demolished in the 1980s), the idiosyncratically shaped Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King was built to Sir Frederick Gibberd’s spectacular Modernist design. Consecrated in 1967, and denigratingly known as “Paddy’s Wigwam” or the “Mersey Funnel”, the building is anchored by sixteen concrete ribs supporting the landmark stained-glass lantern. Ceremonial steps mark the approach from Mount Pleasant/Hope Street, with a café-bar at the bottom and four huge bells at the top.

Liverpool Cathedral

Hope St, L1 7AZ • Daily 8am–6pm • Free, but donation requested • Tower & audio tour Daily 10am–5pm • £5.50 • liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

The Anglican Liverpool Cathedral looks much more ancient than the Metropolitan Cathedral, but was actually completed eleven years later, in 1978, after 74 years in construction. The last of the great British neo-Gothic structures, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s masterwork claims a smattering of superlatives: Britain’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest cathedral, the world’s tallest Gothic arches and the highest and heaviest bells. Contemporary visual art adds to the unique feel of the cathedral, including a neon sign by Tracey Emin: “I Felt You And I Knew You Loved me”. On a clear day, a trip up the 330ft tower is rewarded by views to the Welsh hills.

From top Mural by Subism art collective, Northern Quarter, Manchester; Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Ropewalks and around

At the heart of Liverpool’s regenerating city centre, Ropewalks, the former warehouse and factory district roughly between Bold Street and Duke Street, is anchored by FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology; 88 Wood Street; galleries Tues–Sun 11am–6pm; free; fact.co.uk), with its galleries, community projects, cinema screens, café and bar. Just north of Duke Street, in Wolstenholme Square, is Penelope, a huge modern sculpture of coloured plexiglass spheres on giant interwoven stalks, created by sculptor Jorge Pardo for the 2006 Biennial; it’s especially striking when illuminated at night.

A short walk northwest over Hanover Street – and almost in the shadow of the enormous Liverpool ONE shopping complex – is the beautifully proportioned Bluecoat Chambers on School Lane, which was built in 1717 as an Anglican boarding school for orphans. Today it houses The Bluecoat (www.thebluecoat.org.uk), long a mainstay of Liverpool’s cultural life, complete with artists’ studios and venues for exhibitions, courses and performances. There’s also a fantastic Bluecoat Display Centre, where contemporary crafts are for sale.

Ferry across the Mersey

Though the tumult of shipping which once fought the current in Liverpool has gone, the Pier Head landing stage remains the embarkation point for the Mersey Ferry (0151 330 1444, merseyferries.co.uk) to Woodside (for Birkenhead) and Seacombe (Wallasey). Straightforward ferry shuttles (£2.80 return) operate during the morning and evening rush hours. At other times the boats run circular fifty-minute “river explorer” cruises (hourly: Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6pm; £9), which you can combine with a visit to the Spaceport space exploration visitor attraction at Seacombe (Tues–Fri 10am–3pm, Sat & Sun & bank hols 10am–5pm; £9.50, with ferry £14.50; 0151 330 1444, spaceport.org.uk).

Western Approaches Museum

1–3 Rumford St, off Chapel St, L2 8SZ • March–Oct Mon–Thurs & Sat 10.30am–4.30pm (closed Nov–Feb) • £8 • liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk

Not far from the waterfront, the Western Approaches Museum reveals an underground labyrinth of rooms, formerly headquarters for the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. The massive Operations Room vividly displays all the technology of a 1940s nerve centre – wooden pushers and model boats, chalkboards and ladders.

The waterfront

Dominating the waterfront are the so-called Three Graces – namely the Port of Liverpool Building (1907), Cunard Building (1913) and, most prominently, the 322ft-high Royal Liver Building (1910), topped by the “Liver Birds”, a couple of cormorants that have become the symbol of the city. As the waterfront has developed in the last decade or so, it has sprouted a number of attractions, including Tate Liverpool, the excellent Maritime Museum, the Beatles Story, the impressive Museum of Liverpool and the marvellous Open Eye gallery.

Museum of Liverpool

Pier Head, L3 1DG • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0151 478 4545, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol

Huge and flashy, in a show-stopping Danish-designed building, the brilliant Museum of Liverpool opened in 2011. Spread over three floors, the galleries play on Liverpool’s historic status as the “second city of Empire”, exploring the complex political and life histories that have unfolded in a community whose wealth and social fabric were built on international trade. Children will enjoy “Little Liverpool”, a gallery where they can design and build their own city, while anyone with any interest in popular culture will have an absolute ball at “Wondrous Place”, a memorabilia-rich celebration of sports and music.

The Beatles trail

Mathew Street, ten minutes’ walk west of Lime Street Station, is now a little enclave of Beatles nostalgia, most of it bogus and typified by the Cavern Walks Shopping Centre, with a bronze statue of the boys in the atrium. The Cavern club where the band was first spotted by Brian Epstein, saw 275 Beatles’ gigs between 1961 and 1963; it closed in 1966 and was partly demolished in 1973, though a latter-day successor, the Cavern Club at 10 Mathew St, complete with souvenir shop, was rebuilt on the original site. The Cavern Pub, across the way, boasts a coiffed Lennon mannequin lounging against the wall and an exterior “Wall of Fame” highlighting the names of all the bands who appeared at the club between 1957 and 1973 as well as brass discs commemorating every Liverpool chart-topper since 1952 – the city has produced more UK No. 1 singles than any other. There’s more Beatlemania at The Beatles Shop, 31 Mathew Street (thebeatleshop.co.uk), which claims to have the largest range of Beatles gear in the world.

For a personal and social history, head to the Albert Dock for The Beatles Story (daily: April–Oct 9am–7pm, Nov–March 10am–6pm; £15.95; beatlesstory.com), which traces the band’s rise from the early days to their disparate solo careers. Then it’s on to the two houses where John Lennon and Paul McCartney grew up. Both 20 Forthlin Rd, home to the McCartney family from 1955 to 1964, and the rather more genteel Mendips, where Lennon lived with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George between 1945 and 1963, are only accessible on pre-booked National Trust minibus tours (£23, NT members £9.50; 0844 800 4791), which run from both the city centre and Speke Hall, seven miles south (times for tours vary). The experience is disarmingly intimate, whether you’re sitting in John Lennon’s bedroom – which has its original wallpaper – on a replica bed looking out, as he would have done, onto his front lawn, or simply entering Paul’s tiny room and gazing at pictures of his childhood.

Beatles tours

Phil Hughes 0151 228 4565 or 07961 511223, tourliverpool.co.uk. Small (eight-seater) minibus tours run daily on demand with a Blue Badge guide well versed in The Beatles and Liverpool life (4hr; £120 min tour price, 5+ £25/person). Includes city-centre pick ups/drop-offs and refreshments.

Magical Mystery Tour 0151 236 9091, cavernclub.org; or book at tourist offices. Tours on the multicoloured Mystery Bus (daily from 10am; 2hr; £17.95) leave from Albert Dock.

Open Eye Gallery

19 Mann Island, L3 1BP • Tues–Sun 10.30am–5.30pm; closed during exhibition takeovers, which take place four times a year and last approximately 12 days • Free • 0151 236 6768, openeye.org.uk

On the new Mann Island development just by the Museum of Liverpool sits the Open Eye Gallery, dedicated to photography and related media. As well as presenting an impressive programme of international exhibitions, it contains a permanent archive of around 1600 prints from the 1930s onwards.

British Music Experience

Cunard Building, L3 1DS • Daily 9am–7pm, Thurs until 9pm • Last entry 1hr 30min before closing • £16, children £11 • 0344 3350655, britishmusicexperience.com

The British Music Experience is an essential stop if you have an interest in British culture and pop music – or if you have children in tow. It’s a fun and interactive experience with loads of memorabilia from 1945 onwards on display, plus a hands-on instrument studio.

Albert Dock

Five minutes’ walk south of Pier Head is Albert Dock, built in 1846 when Liverpool’s port was a world leader. Its decline began at the beginning of the twentieth century, as the new deep-draught ships were unable to berth here, and the dock last saw service in 1972. A decade later the site was given a refit, and it is now one of the city’s most popular areas, full of attractions – including the Beatles Story (see box above) – and bars and restaurants.

Merseyside Maritime Museum

Albert Dock, L3 4AQ • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0151 478 4499, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime

The Merseyside Maritime Museum fills one wing of the Dock; there’s lots to see, even if some of the exhibits are looking a little tired. The basement houses Seized!, giving the lowdown on smuggling and revenue collection, along with Emigrants to a New World, an illuminating display detailing Liverpool’s pivotal role as a springboard for more than nine million emigrants. Other galleries tell the story of the Battle of the Atlantic and of the three ill-fated liners – the Titanic, Lusitania and Empress of Ireland.

International Slavery Museum

The unmissable International Slavery Museum, on the third floor of the Maritime Museum, manages to be both challenging and chilling, as it tells dehumanizing stories of slavery while examining contemporary issues of equality, freedom and racial injustice.

Tate Liverpool

Albert Dock, L3 4BB • Daily 10am–5.50pm • Free, except for special exhibitions • tate.org.uk/liverpool

The country’s national collection of modern art from the north, Tate Liverpool holds popular retrospectives of artists such as Mondrian, Dalí, Magritte and Calder, along with an ever-changing display from its vast collection, and temporary exhibitions of artists of international standing. There’s also a full programme of events, talks and tours.

Crosby Beach

Mariners Rd, L23 6SX/Hall Rd West, L23 8TA, Crosby • Trains from Lime St to Hall Road Station; every 30min; 20min

Seven miles north of Liverpool city centre, Crosby Beach was an innocuous, if picturesque, spot until the arrival in 2005 of Antony Gormley’s haunting Another Place installation, spread along more than two miles of the shore. An eerie set of a hundred life-size cast-iron statues, each cast from Gormley’s own body, are buried at different levels in the sand, all gazing out to sea and slowly becoming submerged as high tide rolls in.

Arrival and departure: Liverpool

By plane Liverpool John Lennon Airport (0870 129 8484, liverpoolairport.com) is 8 miles southeast of the city centre; it has an information desk (daily 8am–6pm). The Airlink #500 bus (5.45am–11.45pm; every 30min; £2.20) runs from the entrance into the city. A taxi to Lime Street costs around £15.

By train Mainline trains pull in to Lime Street Station, northeast of the city centre.

Destinations Birmingham (hourly; 1hr 40min); Chester (every 30min; 45min); Leeds (hourly; 1hr 40min); London Euston (hourly; 2hr 20min); Manchester (hourly; 50min); Sheffield (hourly; 1hr 45min); York (11 daily; 2hr 15min).

By bus National Express buses use the station at Liverpool ONE, on Canning Place.

Destinations Chester (12 daily; 1hr); London (9 daily; 5hr 10min–6hr 40min); Manchester (hourly; 1hr).

By ferry Ferries to and from the Isle of Man, run by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (0872 299 2992, steam-packet.com), dock at the terminals just north of Pier Head, not far from James Street Merseyrail station. From Belfast, Stena Line (0844 770 7070, stenaline.co.uk) dock over the water on the Wirral at Twelve Quays, near Woodside ferry terminal (ferry or Merseyrail to Liverpool).

Getting around

By bus Local buses depart from Queen Square and Liverpool ONE bus station. The anti-clockwise circular CityLink service is a perfect way to see the sights (every 12min; day tickets from £3)

By train The suburban Merseyrail system (trains from Chester) calls at four underground stations, including Lime Street and James Street (for Pier Head and the Albert Dock).

By bike The largest public bicycle scheme outside of London, Citybike (0151 374 2034, citybikeliverpool.co.uk) has bikes from £3 a day, with stations citywide.

Information and tours

Tourist information The best online source of information is visitliverpool.com. There are visitor centres at Albert Dock, Anchor Courtyard (daily 10am–4.30pm; 0151 707 0729, albertdock.com) and Liverpool John Lennon Airport (daily 8am–6pm; 0151 907 1057). Merseytravel (0151 236 7676, merseytravel.gov.uk) has travel centres at Queen Square and the Liverpool ONE Interchange.

Listings The Liverpool Echo’s website (liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on) is always current; while the hip thedoublenegative.co.uk and creativetourist.com will see you right. The Skinny (theskinny.co.uk) also publishes a useful, widely available monthly freebie.

Beatles tours Among the most popular jaunts in the city are those around the Fab Four’s former haunts.

Football tours You’re unlikely to get a ticket for a Liverpool game, but there are daily tours around the museum, trophy room and dressing rooms (£17; museum only £10; liverpoolfc.com). Everton, the city’s other Premiership side, also offers tours (Mon, Wed, Fri 11am & 1pm, Sun 10am, noon & 2pm; 0151 530 5212; £12; evertonfc.com).

Walking tours visitliverpool.com has details of local guides (most Easter–Sept; from £5).

Accommodation

Budget chains are well represented in Liverpool, with Premier, Travel Inn, Ibis, Express (Holiday Inn) and others all with convenient city-centre locations, including down by Albert Dock and near Mount Pleasant.

2 Blackburne Terrace 2 Blackburne Terrace, L8 7PJ 0151 708 5474, www.2blackburneterrace.com; map. Beautiful B&B in a grand Georgian house set back from Blackburne Place, with just four elegant and individually designed rooms boasting high thread-count linens, original artworks and cutting-edge technology. With welcoming hosts and a sumptuous breakfast, this is a hidden, high-end gem. You’ll save around £80 by staying midweek. £270

Aachen 89–91 Mount Pleasant, L3 5TB 0151 709 3477, aachenhotel.co.uk; map. The best of the Mount Pleasant budget choices, with a range of good-value rooms (with and without en-suite showers), big “eat-as-much-as-you-like” breakfasts, and a bar. £95

Hard Day’s Night North John St, L2 6RR 0151 668 0476, harddaysnighthotel.com; map. Up-to-the-minute four-star close to Mathew Street. Splashes of vibrant colour and artful lighting enhance the elegant decor. The Lennon and McCartney suites (£950/750 respectively) are the tops. Breakfast not included. £120

Hatters 56–60 Mount Pleasant. L3 5SD 0151 709 5570, hattershostels.com/liverpool-hostel; map. Though it’s housed in the former YMCA building – with an institutional feel and gymnasium-size dining hall – Hatters has clean rooms, friendly staff and a great location. Standard facilities, including internet. Prices fluctuate wildly according to what’s on. Dorms £28, doubles £100

Hope Street 40 Hope St, L1 9DA (entrance on Hope Place) 0151 709 3000, hopestreethotel.co.uk; map. In an unbeatable location between the cathedrals, this former Victorian warehouse retains its original elegant brickwork and cast-iron columns but now comes with hardwood floors, huge beds and luxurious bathrooms. Fabulous breakfasts, too, served in the highly rated London Carriage Works restaurant. Flash sales, held three times a year, offer bargain rooms; register for the email newsletter to snap one up. £152

International Inn 4 South Hunter St, off Hardman St, L1 9JG 0151 709 8135, internationalinn.co.uk; map. Converted Victorian warehouse in a great location, with modern en-suite rooms sleeping two to ten people, and 32 new double and twin “Cocoon Pods”. Dorms £20, doubles £45, pods £55

The Nadler 29 Seel St, L1 4AU 0151 705 2626, nadlerhotels.com/the-nadler-liverpool.html; map. Smack in the heart of the Ropewalks is this converted warehouse, with more than 100 minimalist rooms that complement the building’s original brickwork and well-appointed modern art pieces. Rooms include a “mini-kitchen”. Prices are almost halved midweek. £119

Titanic Hotel Stanley Dock, Regent Rd, L3 0AN 0151 559 1444, titanichotelliverpool.com; map. This vast warehouse was converted into a designer hotel and spa for a cool £53million. Light-filled rooms have views of the next-door tobacco warehouse or the Mersey, all have exposed brick ceilings, classy decor and en-suite bathrooms with a drench shower. It’s a long walk or short taxi ride into the city; free parking. £165

Eating

Many Liverpool venues morph from breakfast hangout to dinner spot to late-night live-music space, making categorization tricky. Most eating choices are in three distinct areas – at Albert Dock, around Hardman and Hope streets in the Georgian Quarter, and along Berry and Nelson streets, the heart of Liverpool’s Chinatown. Alternatively, take a short taxi ride out to Lark Lane in Aigburth, close to Sefton Park, where a dozen eating and drinking spots pack into one short street.

60 Hope Street 60 Hope St, L1 9BZ 0151 707 6060, 60hopestreet.com; map. The star of the Liverpool gastronomic scene, set in a Georgian terrace, serves British cuisine (mains around £22) with creative flourishes – roast rump of Cumbrian lamb with broccoli purée, for example – and an extensive wine list. It takes some nerve to offer, as a dessert, deep-fried jam sandwich with Carnation milk ice cream (£8.50), but the confidence is justified. Just around the corner on Falkner St, they also operate The Quarter. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 5–10.30pm, Sun noon–8pm.

Egg 16–18 Newington, L1 4AD 0151 707 2755, eggcafe.co.uk; map. Up on the third floor, this plant-strewn bohemian café serves excellent vegan and vegetarian food with good set-meal deals. Also a nice place for a chai. Mon–Fri 9am–10.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–10.30pm.

Fonseca’s 12 Stanley St, L1 6AF 0151 255 0808, delifonseca.co.uk; map. Bistro with a changing blackboard menu of Italian and British delights, including Welsh black beef braised in local Wapping ale, and crayfish and chicken pie (mains around £13). The small deli counter downstairs offers a sample of the wares at the newer Delifonseca, 30min away on the dockside (see opposite). Mon–Thurs noon–2.30 & 5–9pm, Fri & Sat noon–10pm.

Italian Club Fish 128 Bold St, L1 4JA 0151 707 2110, theitalianclubfish.co.uk; map. Proper Italian seafood place with a menu that adapts to what’s fresh – try the Sauté Di Maurizio (£17.95). There are also a few token meat and vegetarian dishes, all around £13. Over the road is Italian Club, its slightly cooler, younger sister. Mon–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun noon–9pm.

Lunya 18–20 College Lane, L1 3DS 0151 706 9770, lunya.co.uk; map. Gorgeous Catalan and Spanish deli-restaurant in the heart of Liverpool ONE, with a vast tapas selection (from around £5) and menus running the gamut from suckling pig banquet to vegan. Mon & Tues 10am–9pm, Wed & Thurs 10am–9.30pm, Fri 10am–10pm, Sat 9am–10.30pm, Sun 10am–8.30pm.

Mr Chilli 92 Seel St, L1 4BL 0151 709 5772, mrchilli.co.uk; map. Mr Chilli is widely held to be the best Sichuan restaurant in Liverpool, with dishes – many of them fiery – at around £8, and famous hot pots for £10/person (min two). Mon & Tues noon–midnight, Wed–Sun noon–2am.

Our Kitchen 84b Bold St, L1 4HR 0151 709 0606, ourkitchen.co.uk; map. Brand-new Scandi-feel veggie & vegan restaurant on cool Bold St. Brunch is superb, with dishes like huevos rancheros with poached eggs or spicy tofu for £7.95; later in the day plump for an awesome Buddha Bowl filled with fresh organic produce. Juices, smoothies and tonics from £2.25. Mon–Fri 8am–10pm, Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 10am–8pm.

Drinking

You’ll enjoy a perfect evening’s bar-hopping along Seel Street, while cutting-edge Baltic Triangle, the old industrial warehouse district south of Chinatown, has become the go-to quarter for the artsy crowd.

Alma de Cuba St Peter’s Church, Seel St, L1 4BH 0151 702 7394, alma-de-cuba.com; map. It may have far more candles now than when it was a church – and even more in the mezzanine restaurant – but the mirrored altar is still the focus of this bar’s rich, dark Cuban-themed interior. Daily 11am–2am.

Baltic Fleet 33a Wapping, L1 8DQ 0151 709 3116, balticfleetpubliverpool.com; map. Restored, no-nonsense, quiet pub with age-old shipping connections and an open fire, just south of the Albert Dock. Beer brewed on site and good pub grub on offer. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–11pm, Fri noon–midnight, Sat 11am–midnight.

The Belvedere Arms 5 Sugnall St, L7 7EB 0151 709 0303; map. Teeny-tiny two-roomed backstreet pub; punters spill outside when the sun shines. Changing ales and a splendid selection of gin. Daily noon–11pm.

Berry & Rye 48 Berry St, L1 4JQ berryandwye@gmail.com; map. You’ll have to hunt hard – or ask a likely local – to find this unmarked bar, but once you’re in it’s a delight. An intimate, bare-brick gin and whiskey joint with knowledgeable bartenders, turn-of-the-twentieth-century music – often live – and well-crafted cocktails (from £6.50). Mon–Sat 5pm–2am, Sun 7pm–1am.

Camp and Furnace 67 Greenland St, L1 0BY 0151 708 2890, campandfurnace.com; map. The city’s most creative and exhilarating venue is in the Baltic Triangle. Its huge warehouse spaces – one boasting the city’s biggest public screen, one with a mighty furnace at one end, a cosier bar area – host festival-style food slams (Fri), massive, communal Sunday roasts, all sorts of parties and pop-ups, art installations, live performances, the lot. Do not miss it. Mon–Thurs 9am–10pm, Fri & Sat 10am–2am, Sun 10am–midnight/1am.

Philharmonic 36 Hope St, L1 9BX 0151 707 2837, nicholsonspubs.co.uk; map. Liverpool’s finest traditional watering hole where the main attractions – beer aside – are the mosaic floors, tiling, gilded wrought-iron gates and the marble decor in the gents. Daily 11am–midnight.

Salt Dog Slims 79–83 Seel St, L1 4BB 0151 709 7172, saltdogslims.com; map. American-style bar that’s a lot of fun, with a young, friendly crowd wolfing delicious hot dogs (from £3.50) washed down with plenty of beers, backed by a solidly indie soundtrack. Upstairs is the supposedly secret 81 Ltd, which rocks a Prohibition-era speakeasy vibe, though perhaps a tad self-consciously. Mon–Fri 3pm–2am, Sat & Sun 1pm–2am.

Some Place 43 Seel St, L1 4AZ; map. A green light above an unmarked doorway hints at what lies up the incense-heavy staircase – an utterly gorgeous absinthe bar that is every inch a bohemian fantasy. Savour an absinthe cocktail (from £4.50), drink in the meticulous decor and channel your inner Oscar Wilde. Wed, Thurs & Sun 9pm–late, Fri & Sat 8pm–late.

Nightlife

Liverpool’s club scene is famously unpretentious, with posing playing second fiddle to drinking and dancing, while particularly rich in home-grown live music. Popular annual festivals include Beatles Week (last week of Aug; cavernclub.org/beatleweek) and the Liverpool International Music Festival (Aug bank hol; limfestival.co.uk), with big-name acts playing across the city.

Cavern Club 10 Mathew St, L2 6RE 0151 236 1965, cavernclub.org; map. The self-styled “most famous club in the world” has live bands, from Beatles tribute acts to indie pop and rock, at the weekends, along with occasional backstage tours and special events. The atmosphere is always high-spirited, and even though this is not the very same Cavern club of the Beatles’ days, there’s a certain thrill to it all. Entry fee Thurs–Sun nights. Daily from 10am.

Heebie Jeebies 80–82 Seel St, L1 4BH 0151 708 7001, facebook.com/Officialheebiejeebies; map. Student favourite in a huge brick-vaulted room. Mainly indie and soul, with some live bands. Outdoor courtyard too. Daily 1pm–3am.

The Kazimier 4–5 Wolstenholme Square, L1 4BE 0151 324 1723, thekazimier.co.uk; map. A super-creative, split-level place with a magical garden space (entrance at 32 Seel St); the place to come for cabaret-style club nights, gigs and eclectic events. Hours vary but generally noon–midnight.

Parr Street Studios Parr St, L1 4JN 0151 707 1050, parrstreet.co.uk; map. Dynamic working recording studios – the UK’s biggest outside London – hosting a long list of big names and home to bars/performance spaces Studio 2 and The Attic. Check website for details of what’s on when.

Arts and entertainment

On the classical music scene, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra dominates; it’s ranked with Manchester’s Hallé as the best in the region. The Liverpool Biennial (July–Oct; free; biennial.com) is a world-renowned contemporary arts festival that takes place in various public spaces and galleries across the city; the next Biennial is 2018.

CLASSICAL music and theatre

Everyman Theatre Hope St, L1 9BH 0151 709 4776, everymanplayhouse.com; map. Iconic, remodelled theatre staging a mix of classics with a twist, blockbusters and new writing. The theatre’s stunning portrait wall – 105 aluminium shutters featuring life-size photographs of everyday people – is a celebration of its inclusive ethos.

Liverpool Empire Lime St, L1 1JE 0870 606 3536, liverpooltheatres.com/empire.htm; map. The city’s largest theatre, a venue for touring West End shows and large-scale opera and ballet productions.

Philharmonic Hall Hope St, L1 9BP 0151 709 3789, liverpoolphil.com; map. Home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and with a full programme of other concerts.

Playhouse Theatre Williamson Square, L1 1EL 0151 709 4776, everymanplayhouse.com; map. Sister theatre to the Everyman, staging bold productions of great plays in the three-tier main house and new plays in the seventy-seat Studio.

Royal Court Theatre Roe St, L1 1HL 0870 787 1866, royalcourtliverpool.co.uk; map. Art Deco theatre and concert hall, which sees regular plays, music and comedy acts.

cinema

Picturehouse at FACT Wood St, L1 4DQ 0871 704 2063, picturehouses.co.uk; map. The city’s only independent cinema screens new films, re-runs, cult classics and festivals.

Shopping

Liverpool is fabulous for shopping, with the brilliantly designed Liverpool ONE shopping complex holding pretty much all the names, a stretch of independent stores on Bold Street and arty originals in the Baltic Triangle.

Bluecoat Display Centre College Lane, L1 3BZ 0151 709 4014, www.bluecoatdisplaycentre.com; map. Established in 1959, this contemporary crafts and design gallery curates, exhibits and promotes jewellery, textiles, ceramics and more. Mon–Sat 10am–5.30pm, Sun noon–5pm.

Delifonseca Brunswick Dock, L3 4BN 0151 255 0808, delifonseca.co.uk; map. The new food hall of this acclaimed, two-site bistro offers a vast array of fine deli foods and wines. Daily 8am–9pm.

News From Nowhere 96 Bold St, L1 4HY 0151 708 7270, newsfromnowhere.co.uk; map. Proper radical bookshop in the heart of Bold Street, packed to the rafters with left-leaning literature, music and more, and with an informative noticeboard. Mon–Sat 10am–5.45pm, Sun (Dec only) 11am–5pm.

Utility 8 Paradise Place, L1 8BQ 0151 702 9116, utilitydesign.co.uk; map. Stylish, design-led Liverpool store with three outlets across the city, two of them on Bold Street. This one, in Liverpool ONE, has the longest hours. Make a beeline for the quality Scouse souvenirs, particularly the brilliant wheelie-bin desk tidy. Mon–Fri 9.30am–8pm, Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 11am–5pm.

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Blackpool

BLACKPOOL remains Britain’s archetypal seaside resort. Alongside its Golden Mile, piers, amusement arcades, tram and donkey rides, fish-and-chip restaurants, candyfloss stalls, and glitzy show venues, it boasts six miles of beach – the tide ebb is half a mile, leaving plenty of sand at low tide – a revamped prom and an increasingly attractive, gentrified centre.

It was the coming of the railway in 1846 that made Blackpool what it is today: Blackpool’s own “Eiffel Tower” on the seafront and other refined diversions were built to cater to the tastes of the first influx of visitors, but it was the Central Pier’s “open-air dancing for the working classes” that heralded the crucial change of accent. Suddenly Blackpool was favoured destination for the “Wakes Weeks”, when whole Lancashire mill towns descended for their annual holiday.

Where other British holiday resorts have suffered from the rivalry of cheap foreign packages, Blackpool has gone from strength to strength. Underneath the populist veneer there’s a sophisticated marketing approach, which balances ever more elaborate rides and public art installations with well-grounded traditional entertainment. And when other resorts begin to close up for the winter, Blackpool’s main season is just beginning, as more than half a million light bulbs create the Illuminations that decorate the prom from early September to early November.

The Blackpool Tower

Promenade, FY1 4BJ • Tower Mon–Fri 10am–4.45pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6.15pm • Free entry to tower, but charges for attractions; for multi-attraction all-day tickets from £30, book online 24hr in advance • Circus 1–3 shows daily; 2hr • £16.95, or included in package • 01253 622242, theblackpooltower.com

Between Central and North piers stands the 518ft-high Blackpool Tower, erected in 1894 when it was thought that the northwest really ought not to be outdone by Paris. Ride up to the top for the stunning view and an unnerving walk on the see-through glass floor. The all-day ticket covers all the other tower attractions, including the gilt Edwardian ballroom (otherwise £7.95), with its Wurlitzer organ tea dances and big band evenings, plus dungeon, children’s entertainers, adventure playground, cafés and amusements. From the earliest days, there’s also been a Moorish-inspired circus held between the tower’s legs.

The Comedy Carpet

Right outside Blackpool Tower, The Comedy Carpet is one of the country’s most engaging pieces of public art – a 2200m-square, cross-shaped pavement comprising jokes and catchprases from around a thousand comedians and writers, both old-school and new, in a dazzling typographic display that recalls a music hall playbill. Opened in 2011 by end-of-the-pier stalwart Ken Dodd, it’s a unique celebration of British comedy and a marvellous way to spend an hour.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

525 Ocean Blvd, FY4 1EZ • April–Nov daily from 10am • £6, though rides are extra; wristband £32.50, cheaper if booked online • blackpoolpleasurebeach.com

The major draw in town is Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the South Promenade, just south of South Pier. Entrance to the amusement park is relatively cheap, but you’ll have to fork out for the superb array of white-knuckle rides including the 235ft-high “Big One”. The wonderful antique wooden roller coasters (“woodies” to aficionados) may seem like kids’ stuff, but each is unique – the original “Big Dipper” was invented at Blackpool in 1923 and still thrills, as does the “Grand National” (1935). Caution: do not disregard the warning at the thrilling “Valhalla” ride – you will indeed get (very) wet, so maybe save this one until the end of the day. Recuperate in the park’s champagne and oyster bar, which adds a bit of class to the otherwise relentless barrage of fairground noise, shrieking, jangling and fast food.

Blackpool – behind the scenes

There is, after all, an alternative Blackpool – one of history, heritage and even a spot of culture. Scene of party political conferences over the decades, the Winter Gardens (Coronation Street) opened to fanfares in 1878. Among the motley array of cafés, bars and amusements, seek out the extraordinary Spanish Hall Suite (in the form of a carved galleon), and the Opera House honours board – Lillie Langtry, George Formby and Vera Lynn are all present. From in front of the Opera House, follow Abingdon Street to Queen Street and the porticoed Central Library, next to which the Grundy Art Gallery (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; free) might tempt you in to see its Victorian oils and watercolours, contemporary art and special exhibitions. North Pier, the first pier to be opened (1863) on the Blackpool seafront, is now a listed building. Head northbound from here on the tram to the Imperial Hotel, whose wood-panelled No. 10 Bar is covered with photographs and mementos of every British prime minister since Lloyd George.

Great Promenade Show

South of the Pleasure Beach, from the Sandcastle Waterpark down to Squire’s Gate, FY4 1BB • Free

Perhaps nowhere sums up the “new” Blackpool better than the Great Promenade Show, a set of ambitious outdoor sculptures, installations and soundscapes set along a mile or so of the new promenade. All relating to some aspect of Blackpool’s history or its natural environment, these include the mighty High Tide Organ, which gives off haunting music when “played” by the swell of the waves, a set of sculptures of circus characters by Sir Peter Blake, and the world’s largest disco ball, named “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”

Arrival and information: Blackpool

By train The town’s main train station, Blackpool North, is just off Talbot Road, a few minutes’ walk northeast of the town centre, with two smaller stations, Blackpool South, just north of the Pleasure Beach on Waterloo Road, and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. There are regular trains to Manchester (hourly; 1hr 10min).

By bus Buses pull in at the new Blackpool Central Coach Station, behind the Coral Island arcade at the junction of Central Drive and New Bonny Street.

Tourist office Festival House, on the Promenade (Mon & Tues 9am–6pm, Wed–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 01253 478222, visitblackpool.com). Excellent purpose-built information centre selling discounted admission tickets for all major Blackpool attractions (except the Pleasure Beach), and travel passes.

Getting around

By tram Electric trams (blackpooltransport.com) cover the length of the promenade, from Fleetwood, north of Blackpool, to Starr Gate, south of the Pleasure Beach. Prices vary, but the cheapest option is to buy a travel pass online or from the tourist office (see above) that is valid for local buses and trams (1/3/7-day, £5/11/14); you’ll pay more if you buy on board.

Accommodation

Bed-and-breakfast prices are generally low (from £25/person, even less on a room-only basis or out of season), but rise at weekends and during the Illuminations. To avoid the noisy crowds in peak season, make for the North Shore, beyond North Pier (the grid west of Warbreck Hill Road has hundreds of options).

The Big Blue Ocean Blvd, Pleasure Beach, FY4 1ND 01253 400045, bigbluehotel.com; map. Spacious family rooms with games consoles and separate children’s area, plus boutique-style, dark-wood executive rooms. There’s a bar and brasserie, parking and a gym. It’s next to the Pleasure Beach (and Blackpool South train station), and most rooms look out on the rides. £135

FouRooms 60 Reads Ave, FY1 4DE 01253 752171, fouroomsblackpool.co.uk; map. One of Blackpool’s best boutique hotels, a tastefully converted Victorian townhouse with airy rooms and original dark-wood fittings. The four suites are individually furnished, and staff are keen to help. £129

Number One 1 St Luke’s Rd, FY4 2EL 01253 343901, numberoneblackpool.com; map. There’s no other B&B quite like this – an extraordinarily lavish boutique experience hosted by the ultra-amiable Mark and Claire. There are just three extravagantly appointed rooms here, with more at Number One South Beach nearby. Parking available. £100

Raffles 73–77 Hornby Rd, FY1 4QJ 01253 294713, raffleshotelblackpool.co.uk; map. Nice place back from Central Pier and away from the bustle, with well-kept rooms, a bar, and traditional tearooms attached. Winter rates are a good deal. £84

Eating

Michael Wan’s Mandarin 27 Clifton St, FY1 1JD 01253 622687, michaelwansmandarin.co.uk; map. Delicious and authentic Asian food served up in contemporary surroundings by charming staff. Signature dishes include zesty lemon chicken (£11.90) and Szechuan twice-cooked pork (£11.50). Tues–Fri noon–3pm & 4.30pm–midnight, Sat noon–1.45pm & 5.30–11.45pm, Sun 5.30–10.15pm.

Notarianni 9 Waterloo Rd, FY4 1AF 01253 342510, notarianni.co.uk; map. Now with the third- and fourth-generation of Italians at the helm, this ice-cream parlour is a Blackpool institution. No fancy flavours here; they only serve vanilla. The banana split (£4.50) is unmissable. Daily 10am–8pm.

Yorkshire Fisheries 14–16 Topping St, FY1 3AQ 01253 627739, yorkshirefisheries.co.uk; map. Behind the Winter Gardens, this sit-down and takeaway fish-and-chip shop is commonly agreed to be the best in the centre of town. Mon–Sat 11.30am–7pm, Sun noon–6pm.

Drinking and nightlife

Blackpool has a plethora of theme bars and any number of places for karaoke or dancing. Family-oriented fun revolves around musicals, veteran TV comedians, magicians, ice dance, tribute bands, crooners and stage spectaculars put on at a variety of end-of-pier and historic venues.

Funny Girls 5 Dickson Rd, off Talbot Rd, FY1 2AX 01253 649194, funnygirlsonline.co.uk; map. A Blackpool institution – a transvestite-run bar with nightly cabaret shows that attract long (gay and straight) queues. It’s a hen-party favourite and not to everyone’s tastes, but the best place in town if you fancy some unabashedly bawdy Blackpool fun.

The Pump and Truncheon 13 Bonny St, FY1 4AR (behind Madame Tussauds) 01253 624099, bit.ly/Truncheon; map. If you’re after something a little more low-key, this traditional backstreet pub is a gem. Craft beers, cask ales and CAMRA discount – and they serve pizza for less than a tenner.

Entertainment

The Grand Theatre Church St, FY1 1HT 01253 290190, blackpoolgrand.co.uk; map. Built in 1894 for the town’s more refined audiences, the Grand has a tradition of distinguishing itself from other amusements, putting on performances of Shakespeare as well as more popular variety shows.

Opera House Winter Gardens, Church St, FY1 1HL 01253 625252, wintergardensblackpool.co.uk; map. Set in the Winter Gardens, the Opera House has a star-studded history that includes such populist greats as Charlie Chaplin, George Formby and Vera Lynn. These days you’ll find a variety of shows on offer, including West End hits. Also in the Winter Gardens is the Empress Ballroom, which is a majestic gig venue (same contact details).

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Lancaster

LANCASTER, Lancashire’s county town, dates back at least as long ago as the Roman occupation, though only scant remains survive from that period. A Saxon church was later built within the ruined Roman walls as Lancaster became a strategic trading centre, and by medieval times a castle had been built on the heights above the river. Lancaster later developed into an important port on the slave trade triangle, and it’s the Georgian buildings from that time – especially those around the castle – that give the town much of its character. Many people choose to stay here on the way to the Lakes or Dales to the north; and it’s an easy side-trip the few miles west to the resort of Morecambe and to neighbouring Heysham village, with its ancient churches, or east through the Forest of Bowland.

Lancaster Castle

Castle Park, LA1 1YJ • Daily 9.30am–5pm • £8 • Tours Every 30min Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am–4pm; 1hr 30min • Included in entry price • 01524 64998, lancastercastle.com

The site of Lancaster Castle has been the city’s focal point since Roman times. The Normans built the first defences here, at the end of the eleventh century – two hundred years later it became a crown court, a role it maintains today, and until 2011 it was a working prison. Currently, about a third of the battlemented building can be visited on an entertaining hour-and-a quarter-long tour, though court sittings sometimes affect the schedules.

Lancaster City Museum

Market Square, LA1 1HT • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • Free • 01524 64637, lancashire.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums/lancaster-maritime-museum

Drop into the former Town Hall to peruse the Lancaster City Museum. While hardly groundbreaking, exhibits do a good job of illustrating the history of Lancaster. One of the rooms holds the Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum, and the landscapes and portraits on the stairway are a nice local touch.

Lancaster Maritime Museum

Custom House, St George’s Quay, LA1 1RB • Daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 12.30–4pm • £3 • 01524 382264, lancashire.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums/lancaster-maritime-museum

Down on the banks of the River Lune – which lent Lancaster its name – one of the eighteenth-century quayside warehouses is taken up by part of Lancaster Maritime Museum. The museum amply covers life on the sea and inland waterways of Lancashire, including the role of Lancaster’s residents in the highly profitable slave trade.

Williamson Park

Quernmore Rd, LA1 1UX • Daily: April–Sept 10am–5pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • Free; butterfly house £3.90, under-16s £2.90 • 01524 33318, lancaster.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/williamson-park

For a panorama of the town, Morecambe Bay and the Cumbrian fells, take a steep 25-minute walk up Moor Lane (or a taxi from the bus station) to the beautifully maintained Williamson Park, Lancaster’s highest point. Funded by local statesman and lino magnate Lord Ashton, the park’s centrepiece is the 220ft-high Ashton Memorial, a Baroque folly raised by his son in memory of his second wife. The revamped tropical Butterfly House is a must if you have children with you.

Arrival and departure: Lancaster

By train Trains pull in at Meeting House Lane, a 5min walk from the town centre.

Destinations Carlisle (every 30min–1hr; 50min); Manchester (every 30min–1hr; 1hr); Morecambe (every 30min–1hr; 10min).

By bus The bus station is on Cable St, a 5min walk from the tourist office.

Destinations Carlisle (4–5 daily; 1hr 20min); Kendal (hourly; 1hr); Manchester (2 daily; 2hr); Windermere (hourly; 1hr 45min).

Information and tours

Tourist office The Storey, Meeting House Lane, off Castle Hill, LA1 1TH (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 01524 582394, visitlancaster.org.uk).

Canal cruises Contact Lancaster Canal Boats (01524 389410, budgietransport.co.uk).

Accommodation

Toll House Penny St, LA1 1XT 01524 599900, www.thwaites.co.uk/hotels-and-inns/inns/toll-house-at-lancaster. Recently refurbished, this elegant townhouse has 28 oddly shaped rooms, all with airy high ceilings and flatscreen TVs. It’s worth popping in the bar for a pint of good local ale too. £95

The Sun Hotel and Bar 63 Church St, LA1 1ET 01524 66006, thesunhotelandbar.co.uk. The city centre’s only four-star hotel is in a handsome Georgian building, with sixteen contemporary rooms (some with king-sized beds, all with fine bathrooms) above a relaxed bar-restaurant. £90

Eating and drinking

The Borough 3 Dalton Square, LA1 1PP 01524 64170, theboroughlancaster.co.uk. Great for informal dining, this roomy gastropub – in a refurbished 1824 building – has a rigorously sourced local and organic menu. Moderately priced tapas-style platters offer smoked fish, Lancashire cheese and the like, while mains range from ostrich to salmon. Nine smart new rooms upstairs too (£95). Kitchen Mon–Thurs & Sun 8–11am & noon–9pm, Fri & Sat 8–11am & noon–9.30pm.

The Music Room Sun St, LA1 1EW 01524 65470, facebook.com/themusicroomcafe. A quirky, stylish little place with a marvellous glass frontage, serving top-quality coffees (it has its own roaster), teas and melt-in-the-mouth cake. The best place in town to take a break. Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.

Water Witch Canal towpath, Aldcliffe Lane, LA1 1SU 01524 63828, waterwitchlancaster.co.uk. Relaxing canalside pub named after an old canal packet boat. There is an impressive range of real ales and continental lagers, and the food is a cut above pub grub (sharing platters from £10). Kitchen Mon–Fri noon–9pm, Sat noon–9.30pm, Sun noon–8pm.

Whale Tail 78a Penny St, LA1 1XN 01524 845133, whaletailcafe.co.uk. Tucked away in a yard and up on the first floor, this cheery veggie and wholefood café serves good breakfasts, quiche, moussaka and baked potatoes. Mon–Sat 9am–4.30pm, Sun 10am–3pm.

On your bike

Lancaster promotes itself as a cycling centre, and miles of canal towpaths, old railway tracks and riverside paths provide excellent traffic-free routes around the Lune estuary, Lancaster Canal and Ribble Valley, southeast of Lancaster. Typical is the easy riverside path to the Crook O’Lune beauty spot, where you can reward yourself with a bacon buttie and an Eccles cake at Woodie’s famous snack bar. For bike hire, contact Leisure Lakes Bikes (from £10/4hr; 103–105 Penny St, LA1 1XN; 01524 844389, leisurelakesbikes.com).

Nightlife

The Dukes Moor Lane, LA1 1QE 01524 598500, dukes-lancaster.org. Lancaster’s arts centre is the main cultural destination in town, with cinemas and stages for all manner of theatre and dance performances, exhibition space and a café-bar.

Yorkshire House 2 Parliament St, LA1 1DB 01524 64679, bit.ly/YorkshireHouse. Down-to-earth real ale boozer with a cracking alternative live-music venue upstairs, pulling in a young crowd. Mon–Wed 7pm–midnight, Thurs 7pm–1am, Sat 2pm–1am, Sun 7–11.30pm.

The Forest of Bowland

The remote Forest of Bowland (forestofbowland.com), designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a picturesque drive east from Lancaster. The name forest is used here in its traditional sense of “a royal hunting ground” – it’s a captivating landscape of remote fells and farmland with plenty of walks and is populated by rare birds like the golden plover, short-eared owl, snipe and merlin. Head east on the A683, turning off towards High Bentham; once at the village turn right at the sign for the station and you begin the fifteen-mile slog down an old drovers’ track (now a very minor road) known as the Trough of Bowland. This winds through heather- and bracken-clad hills before ending up at the compact village of Slaidburn. If you’ve got time, it’s worth pushing ahead to Clitheroe, a tidy little market town overlooked by a Norman keep.

Morecambe and Heysham

The seaside resort of MORECAMBE lies five miles west of Lancaster – there’s a pleasant cycle path between the two, and there are bus and train services that can whizz you there in ten minutes. The sweep of the bay is the major attraction, with the Lake District fells visible beyond, while the Stone Jetty features bird motifs and sculptures – recognizing Morecambe Bay as Britain’s most important wintering site for wildfowl and wading birds. A little way along the prom stands the statue of one of Britain’s most treasured comedians – Eric Bartholomew, who took the stage name Eric Morecambe when he met his comedy partner, Ernie Wise.

Heysham Village

Three miles southwest of Morecambe – you can walk here along the promenade – the shoreside HEYSHAM VILLAGE is centred on a group of charming seventeenth-century cottages and barns. Proudest relic is the well-preserved Viking hog’s-back tombstone in Saxon St Peter’s Church, set in a romantic churchyard below the headland. Don’t miss the local nettle beer, brewed since Victorian times and served in the village tearooms.

Arrival and departure: Morecambe and Heysham

By bus and train Morecambe’s bus and train stations are close together near Central Drive; both receive regular services from Lancaster (10min); the train is far cheaper.

Accommodation

Midland Hotel The Promenade, Marine Road West, LA4 4BU 0845 850 3502, englishlakes.co.uk/the-midland. Lovely four-star Art Deco hotel whose comfortable rooms extend the Modernist theme. Even if you’re not staying it’s worth popping into the electric-blue bar, and taking a drink onto the terrace to watch the sunset. £125

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The Isle of Man

The Isle of Man (locally called Ellan Vannin), almost equidistant from Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, is one of the most beautiful spots in Britain, a mountainous, cliff-fringed island just 33 miles by 13. There’s peace and quiet in abundance, walks around the unspoilt hundred-mile coastline, rural villages and steam trains straight out of a 1950s picture book – a yesteryear ensemble if ever there was one.

Many true Manx inhabitants, who comprise a shade under half of its 87,500 population, insist that the Isle of Man is not part of England, nor even of the UK. Indeed, although a Crown dependency, the island has its own government, Tynwald, arguably the world’s oldest democratic parliament, which has run continuously since 979 AD. To further complicate matters, the island maintains a unique associate status in the EU (islanders were not allowed a vote in the recent Brexit referendum), and also has its own sterling currency (worth the same as the mainland currency), its own laws, an independent postal service, and a Gaelic-based language which is taught in schools and seen on dual-language road signs.

All roads lead to the capital, Douglas, the only town of any size. From the summit of Snaefell, the island’s highest peak, you get an idea of the island’s varied scenery, the finest parts of which are to be found in the seventeen officially designated National Glens. Most of these are linked by the 95-mile Raad Ny Foillan (Road of the Gull) coastal footpath, which passes several of the island’s numerous hillforts, Viking ship burials and Celtic crosses. Scenery aside, the main tourist draw is the TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle races held in the two weeks around the late May bank holiday, a frenzy of speed and burning rubber that has shattered the island’s peace annually since 1907.

Arrival and departure: The Isle of Man

By plane The cheapest way to get to the Isle is by air, with several budget airlines – among them Flybe (flybe.com); and easyJet (easyjet.com) – offering flights from many British and Irish regional airports.

By ferry Ferries or the quicker fastcraft (Manannan), both run by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (0872 299 2992, steam-packet.com), leave from Heysham (ferries; 1 or 2 daily; 3hr 30min) and Liverpool (fastcraft; 1 or 2 daily March–Nov; 2hr 30min).

Getting around

Travel passes “Island Explorer” tickets – sold at Douglas’s Welcome Centre (see below) – give one (£16), three (£32), or seven (£47) days’ unlimited travel on all buses and trains.

Car rental Most rental outfits have offices at the airport or can deliver cars to the Sea Terminal in Douglas. Contact Athol (01624 820092, athol.co.im); Mylchreests (0800 019 0335, mylchreests.com); or 4Hire (01624 820820, 4hire.co.im).

Transport website gov.im/publictransport.

Information

Manx National Heritage (manxnationalheritage.im) run thirteen heritage sites and museums around the Isle of Man including the Old House of Keys, the House of Manannan, Castle Rushen and the Laxey Wheel. They also offer money-saving passes including a 14-Day Holiday pass (£20, available from any attraction).

Tourist information The Welcome Centre in the Sea Terminal building at Douglas (Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, plus Sun 10am–2pm May–Sept only); 01624 686766, is the best place for island-wide information.

Useful websites gov.im, visitisleofman.com and www.iomguide.com.

Douglas

Dubbed “the Naples of the North” by John Betjeman, DOUGLAS has developed since its 1950s heyday of seaside holiday-making into a major offshore financial centre. The seafront vista has changed little since Victorian times, and is still trodden by heavy-footed carthorses pulling trams (April–Sept, 9am–5.30pm; £3). On Harris Promenade the opulent Edwardian Gaiety Theatre sports a lush interior that can be seen on fascinating two-hour tours (Easter–Oct, Sat 10am; £8.50, call ahead; 01624 600555, www.villagaiety.com).

Further up Harris Promenade, approaching Broadway, the Villa Marina gardens display classic Victorian elegance with their colonnade walk, lawns and bandstand. The main sight, however, is the Manx Museum, on the corner of Kingswood Grove and Crellin’s Hill (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; free), which helps the visitor get to grips with Manx culture and heritage from the Vikings to the Victorians. Finally, out on Douglas Head – the point looming above the southern bay – the town’s Victorian camera obscura has been restored for visits (May–Sept Sat 1–4pm, Sun & bank hols 11am–4pm; weather dependent, open when flag is flying; £2).

Arrival and departure: Douglas

By plane Ronaldsway Airport (01624 821600, gov.im) is 10 miles south of Douglas, close to Castletown. A regular bus runs into town, while a taxi costs around £20. Car hire is available at the airport.

By ferry The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (steam-packet.com) ferries from Liverpool, Heysham, Dublin, and Belfast arrive at the Sea Terminal (April–Oct 7am–8pm; Nov–March 8am–6/8pm), close to the centre of town, at the south end of the promenade.

By train The Steam Railway (March–Nov 9.50am–4.50pm; £5.20–12.40 return) extends for 15 miles and connects Douglas to Port Soderick, Santon, Castletown, Port St Mary and Port Erin. The Douglas station is alongside the river and fishing port, at the top end of the North Quay. Meanwhile, the Manx Electric Railway (March–Nov daily 9.40am–4.40pm; some later departures in summer; £4.40–14 return), which runs for 17.5 miles from Douglas to Snaefell, departs from the northern end of the seafront at Derby Castle Station.

By bus The Lord Street terminal, the hub of the island’s dozen or so bus routes, is 50yd west of the Sea Terminal’s forecourt taxi rank.

Getting around and tours

By bus Buses #1, #1H, #2, #2A, #11, #12 and #12A run along Douglas’s promenade from North Quay; you can also take a horse-drawn tram.

Bike rental Eurocycles, 8a Victoria Rd, off Broadway (Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm; 01624 624909, eurocycles.co.im).

Cruises Seasonal pleasure cruises on the MV Karina head out from Douglas Sea Terminal (daily April–Oct, weather permitting; 01624 861724 or 07624 493592, iompleasurecruises.com).

Accommodation

The Claremont Hotel Loch Promenade, IM1 2LX 01624 617068, claremonthoteldouglas.com. Recently renovated throughout, the centrally located 56-room Claremont boasts sea views and gym access for all guests. £150

The Mereside 1 Empire Terrace, IM2 4LE 01624 676355, hqbar.im. Small, family-owned B&B just off the Central Promenade, with well-appointed if slightly old-fashioned rooms. There’s a good bar/restaurant downstairs. £80

The Sefton Harris Promenade, IM1 2RW 01624 645500, seftonhotel.co.im. Next to the Gaiety Theatre, this four-star has spacious rooms – some of which have been modernized – offering either a sea view or a balcony overlooking the impressive internal water garden. Facilities include gym, an underground car park, a bar and restaurant. £125

The Town House Loch Promenade, IM1 2LX 01624 626125, thetownhouse.im. This aparthotel is set over three floors and offers 15 individually designed suites with complimentary telephone calls. Service is excellent. £120

Welbeck Hotel Mona Drive, IM2 4LF 01624 675663, welbeckhotel.com. A traditional mid-sized family-run seaside hotel, with well-maintained, comfortable rooms and friendly service. It lies 100yd from the seafront, up the hill. £90

Eating

The food scene in Douglas is increasingly sophisticated and many of the independent cafés and restaurants are focusing on seasonal Manx produce. In the summer months, the places below get busy in the evenings, so always book ahead.

Café Tanroagan 9 Ridgeway St, IM1 1EW 01624 612355, tanroagan.co.uk. The best fish and seafood on the island, straight off the boat, served simply or with an assured Mediterranean twist in a relaxed, contemporary setting. Dinner reservations essential. Mains around £20. Mon–Fri 12.30–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm, Sat 6–9.30pm.

L’Experience 1 Summer Hill, IM2 4PH 01624 623103, lex.co.im. This seemingly unexceptional whitewashed shack is in fact a long-standing French bistro that serves up meat dishes as well as daily caught fish specials, and good lunchtime dishes; £18 average for a main. Mon & Wed–Sat noon–2pm & 7–11pm.

Little Fish Café 31 North Quay, IM1 4LB 01624 622518, littlefishcafe.com. This stylish quayside eatery offers freshly brewed coffee and a breakfast, brunch and evening menu featuring locally sourced ingredients. Tues–Sat 11am–9pm, Sun 10am–3pm.

Noa Bakehouse Fort St, IM1 2LJ 01624 618063, bit.ly/NoaBakehouse. An open-plan industrial space made cosy with eclectic decor and the smell of coffee and fresh baking. Locals descend for the delicious breakfasts (until 11am) and brunch and lunch (until 3pm). Daily specials such as Manx lamb burger with Moroccan spices are around £7.50. Mon–Sat 8am–4pm, Sun 10am–2pm.

The Ticket Hall Douglas Station, North Quay, IM1 1JE, 01624 627888, ticket-hall.com. A very handy and pleasantly traditional café in the former ticket office at Douglas Station. Serving brunch 8–11am and hot lunches and daily specials noon–2.30pm, otherwise only drinks and snacks. Daily 8am–4pm, Fri & Sat 7–9.30pm.

Drinking

The Bridge North Quay, IM1 4LQ 01624 675 268 facebook.com/TheBridgeIOM. Cosy and comfortable quayside pub, with a lovely outdoor patio. The pub food here is of a high standard, the staff are friendly and there’s plenty of choice at the bar. Mon–Thurs noon–11pm, Fri & Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–6pm.

Queen’s Hotel Queen’s Promenade, IM2 4NL 01624 674438, facebook.com/thequeensisleofman. This old seafront pub at the top end of the promenade is the best place for alfresco drinks, with picnic tables looking out over the sweeping bay. Daily noon–1am.

Rovers Return 11 Church St, IM1 2AG 01624 611101, facebook.com/TheRoversReturnPubIoM. Cosy old local where you can try the local Manx beers, including “Old Bushy Tail”. Daily 11am–11pm.

Laxey

Filling a narrow valley, the straggling village of LAXEY, seven miles north of Douglas, spills down from its train station to a small harbour and long, pebbly beach, squeezed between two bulky headlands. The Manx Electric Railway from Douglas drops you at the station used by the Snaefell Mountain Railway (see below). Passengers disembark and then head inland and uphill to Laxey’s pride, the “Lady Isabella” Great Laxey Wheel (April–Nov daily 9.30am–5pm; £8), which is smartly painted in red and white. With a diameter of more than 72ft it’s said to be the largest working water wheel in the world. In Old Laxey, around the harbour, half a mile below the station, large car parks attest to the popularity of the beach and river.

Snaefell

Every hour (30min in high season), the tramcars of the Snaefell Mountain Railway (April–Nov daily 10.15am–3.45pm; £12 return) begin their thirty-minute climb from Laxey through increasingly denuded moorland to the island’s highest point, the top of Snaefell (2036ft) – the Vikings’ “Snow Mountain” – from where, on a clear day, you can see England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. At the summit, most people are content to pop into the café and bar and then soak up the views for the few minutes until the return journey. But with a decent map and good weather, you could follow the trails back down to Laxey instead (approx. 5.5 miles).

Maughold

Bus #16 direct from Ramsey (Mon–Fri 6 daily)

The Manx Electric Railway trains stop within a mile and a half of MAUGHOLD, seven miles northeast of Laxey, a tiny hamlet just inland from the cliff-side lighthouse at Maughold Head. The isolation adds to the attraction of its parish church, with its outstanding collection of early Christian and Norse carved crosses – 44 pieces, dating from the sixth to the thirteenth century, and ranging from fragments of runic carving to a 6ft-high rectangular slab.

Peel

The main settlement on the west coast, PEEL (bus #4, #5 or #6 hourly from Douglas) is one of the most Manx of all the island’s towns, with an imposing medieval castle rising across the harbour and a popular sandy beach running the length of its eastern promenade.

Tynwald Day

The trans-island A1 (hourly buses #5 or #6 from Douglas) follows a deep twelve-mile-long furrow between the northern and southern ranges from Douglas to Peel. A hill at the crossroads settlement of ST JOHN’S, nine miles along, is the original site of Tynwald, the ancient Manx government, which derives its name from the Norse Thing Völlr, meaning “Assembly Field”. Nowadays the word refers to the Douglas-based House of Keys and Legislative Council (tours Mon 2pm & Fri 10am; free; 01624 685520), but acts passed in the capital only become law once they have been proclaimed here on July 5 (ancient Midsummer’s Day), in an annual open-air parliament that also hears the grievances of the islanders.

Until the nineteenth century the local people arrived with their livestock and stayed a week or more – in true Viking fashion – to thrash out local issues, play sports, make marriages and hold a fair. Now Tynwald Day begins with a service in the chapel, followed by a procession, a fair and concerts.

Peel Castle

IM5 1TB • April–Nov daily 10am–4/5pm • £6, audioguide £5

What probably started out as a flint-working village on a naturally protected spot gained significance with the foundation of a monastery in the seventh or eighth century, parts of which remain inside the ramparts of the red sandstone Peel Castle. The site became the residence of the Kings of Mann until the mid-thirteenth century, when they moved to Castle Rushen in Castletown. It’s a fifteen-minute walk from the town around the river harbour and over the bridge to the castle.

House of Manannan

IM5 1TA • Daily 10am–5pm • £10

The excellent harbourside House of Manannan heritage centre is named after the island’s ancient sea god. You should allow at least two hours to get around this splendid three-floor participatory museum, where you can listen to Celtic legends in a replica roundhouse, wander through a replica kipper factory and even examine the contents and occupants of a life-sized Viking ship.

Eating and drinking: Peel

Cod and Castle 16 Shore Road, IM5 1QH 01624 840624, facebook.com/thecodandcastle. Traditional seafront chippie with a few tables, or get takeaway and cross the road to the beach. Manx Queenies (lightly battered Queen scallops) are a local speciality (£4.50). Mon–Sat 11.30am–9pm, Sun 11.30am–8pm.

Creek Inn The Quayside, IM5 1AT 01624 842216, thecreekinn.co.uk. Popular quayside pub opposite the House of Manannan, serving real ale, with monthly guest beers, and a delicious array of specials. Live music at the weekends. Daily from 10am–midnight; food served noon–10pm.

Port Erin

The small, time-warped resort of PORT ERIN, at the southwestern tip of the island, a one-hour train ride from Douglas, has a wide, fine sand beach backing a deeply indented bay sitting beneath green hills. To stretch your legs, head up the promenade past the golf club to the entrance of Bradda Glen, where you can follow the path out along the headland to Bradda Head.

Arrival and departure: Port Erin

By bus Buses #1 and #2 from Douglas/Castletown, and #8 from Peel/St John’s, stop on Bridson St, across Station Road and opposite the Cherry Orchard aparthotel.

By train Trains pull in on Station Rd, a couple of hundred yards above and back from the beach.

Accommodation

Rowany Cottier Spaldrick, IM9 6PE 01624 832287, rowanycottier.com. Port Erin’s best B&B, in a detached house overlooking the bay, opposite the entrance to Bradda Glen. No credit cards. £48

Port St Mary and around

Two miles east of Port Erin, the fishing harbour still dominates little PORT ST MARY, with its houses strung out in a chain above the busy dockside. The best beach is away to the northeast, reached from the harbour along a well-worked Victorian path that clings to the bay’s rocky edge.

From Port St Mary, a minor road runs out along the Meayll peninsula towards CREGNEASH, the oldest village on the island. The Cregneash Village Folk Museum (April–Nov daily 10am–4/5pm; £6) is a picturesque cluster of nineteenth-century thatched crofts populated by craftspeople in period costume; there’s a tearoom and information centre. Local views are stunning, and it’s just a short walk south to The Chasms, a headland of gaping rock cliffs swarming with gulls and razorbills.

The footpath continues around Spanish Head to the turf-roofed Sound Visitor Centre (daily 10am–4/5pm; free), which also marks the end of the road from Port St Mary. There’s an excellent café (see below), with windows looking out across The Sound to the Calf of Man.

Arrival and departure: Port St Mary and around

By train Regular steam trains run to Port Erin or back to Douglas from Port St Mary. The station is a 10min walk from the harbour along High St, Bay View Road and Station Road.

By bus Hourly buses from the harbour serve Port Erin and Douglas.

Accommodation and eating

Aaron House The Promenade, Port St Mary, IM9 5DE 01624 835702, aaronhouse.co.uk. High up on the Promenade, this guesthouse lovingly re-creates a Victorian experience and features brass beds and claw-foot baths in some of the rooms, with home-made scones and jam in the parlour and splendid breakfasts. The bay views from the front are superb. £40

The Café at the Sound Sound Road, IM9 5PZ, 2.5 miles south of Port St Mary 01624 838123, bit.ly/TheCafeAtTheSound. This incredible Modernist building has a hard to beat location overlooking the Calf of Man – weather permitting, nab a table outside. Freshly made sandwiches from £4.95 and fish and chips (£11.95) all day, with a fancier evening menu and daily specials. All local produce. April–Oct Sun–Thurs 9am–5pm, Fri & Sat 9am–9pm; Nov–March daily 10am–4/5pm.

Castletown and around

From the twelfth century until 1869, CASTLETOWN was the island’s capital, but then the influx of tourists and the increase in trade required a bigger harbour and Douglas took over. Its sleepy harbour and low-roofed cottages are dominated by Castle Rushen (April–Nov, daily 10am–4/5pm; £8), formerly home to the island’s legislature and still the site of the investiture of new lieutenant-governors.

The Calf of Man

It is worth making the effort to visit the Calf of Man, a craggy, heath-lined nature reserve lying off the southwest tip of the Isle of Man, where resident wardens monitor the seasonal populations of kittiwakes, puffins, choughs, razorbills, shags, guillemots and others, and grey seals can be seen all year round basking on the rocks.

There are no scheduled tours but boats can be chartered (May–Sept, weather permitting) from Port St Mary (Gemini Charter; wildlife and fishing trips; 01624 832761, geminicharter.co.uk) and Port Erin pier (Shona Boat Trips; Calf of Man round trips or drop off/pick up; 07624 322765 or 07624 480682, bit.ly/Shonaboat). You can also sea-kayak around this spectacular coast. Adventurous Experiences (01624 843034, adventurousexperiences.com) runs trips from evening paddles (£55) to full-day excursions (from £85) – no experience is required, but the location might change depending on sea conditions.

Old House of Keys

Parliament Square, IM9 1LA • April–Nov daily 10am–4pm • Free • Debates Daily 11am & 2.45pm • £6 • 01624 648017

Across the central Market Square and down Castle Street in tiny Parliament Square you’ll find the Old House of Keys. Built in 1821, this was the site of the Manx parliament, the Keys, until 1874 when it was moved to Douglas. The frock-coated Secretary of the House meets you at the door and shows you into the restored debating chamber, where visitors are included in a highly entertaining participatory session of the House, guided by a hologram Speaker.

Rushen Abbey

Ballasalla, IM9 3DB, 2 miles north of Castletown • Daily April–Nov 10am–4/5pm • £8 • Buses #1, #2, #8, #11, #12 from Castletown or steam railway

The island’s most important medieval religious site, Rushen Abbey lies two miles north of Castletown at Ballasalla (“place of the willows”). A Cistercian foundation of 1134, it was abandoned by its “White Monks” in the 1540s and was subsequently used as a school. The excavated remains themselves – low walls, grass-covered banks and a sole church tower from the fifteenth century – would hold only specialist appeal were it not for the excellent interpretation centre, which explains much about daily life in a Cistercian abbey.

Arrival and departure: Castletown and around

By bus Buses #8 (from Peel/Port Erin) and #1 (from Douglas) stop in the main square.

By train Castletown Station is a 5min walk from the centre, out along Victoria Road from the harbour. Destinations include Ballabeg, Colby, Port St Mary and Port Erin to the south and Ballasalla, Santon, Port Soderick and Douglas to the north.

Eating and drinking

The Abbey Restaurant Ballasalla, IM9 3DB, 2 miles north of Castletown 01624 822393 theabbey.im. Located next to Rushen Abbey, this restaurant and café serves up modern European cuisine complemented by a predominately Southern European wine list. The venue is child-friendly and also boasts a spacious outdoor garden and a private dining room. Wed–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun noon–3.30pm.

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Getting around: The Northwest

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