Manchester, parliamentary and municipal borough, city, parish, and township, SE. Lancashire, on rivers Irk, Irwell, and Medlock, 31 miles E. of Liverpool and 186 miles NW. of London by rail – parish (including the greater part of the sister town of Salford, separated from Manchester by the Irwell), 35,248 acres, population 720,481; township, 1646 acres, population 118,794; municipal borough, 4293 acres, population 341,414; 12 newspapers. When the woollen manufactures were introduced into England during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) Lancashire became the centre of the industry, and from that period the prosperity of Manchester may be dated. The cotton trade, with which the city is peculiarly and lastingly identified, was in its early days the cause of two deplorable pestilences (1605 and 1645) arising from infected imports of the material from Smyrna. Three circumstances especially gave power and direction to the trade of the city: (1.) The success of the great work of the Duke of Bridgwater (assisted by James Brindley), who in 1758 began the system of inland navigation, and gave Manchester a splendid waterway for traffic; (2.) the introduction of machinery in cotton spinning, which occurred late in the 18th century; and (3.) the opening of the Manchester and Sheffield Railway in 1830 – the second in the kingdom. The town has played an important part in modern politics, having been intimately associated with the initial proceedings connected with the great reform agitation, while it was also the headquarters of action in the struggle for the repeal of the corn laws. Great distress prevailed in the city, and in fact throughout Lancashire, during the civil war in America, at which time the dearth of raw material paralysed the staple trade in cotton. Central Manchester now consists of immense piles of warehouses and offices, their extent unequalled by any in the world. Nearly all the factories have been removed to the outskirts of the city, and to the villages and towns in the environs. It is estimated that there are 250 cotton factories in the neighbourhood. Cotton, however, does not constitute the sole great industry of the city. Woollen and silk fabrics are manufactured in vast quantities. Engineering, and the making of machinery of all descriptions, employ thousands of the people, as also do various large chemical works. Manchester has extensive railway facilities, the largest stations being Victoria, London Road, and the Central. Power from Parliament to connect the city with the sea by means of a ship canal has now been obtained.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)Note: Greater Manchester comprises parts of the historic counties of Lancashire, Cheshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Aeroplane Collection
7 Mayfield Avenue
Stretford M32 9HL
0161 866 8255
www.theaeroplanecollection.org
TAC focuses on single aeroplane restoration projects either for Hooton Park or for other museums and groups who have the space and facilities to look after them properly but lack the necessary skills or work space for restorations.
Alexandra Park Pavilion
Alexandra Park
Manchester M16 8PJ
07816 683171
Alexandra Park is regarded as of national importance and is a Grade 2-listed landscape on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. It has recently reopened following a restoration project funded by Manchester City Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and various sports bodies.
Archives+ at Manchester Central Library
Central Library, St Peter’s Square
Manchester M2 5PD
0161 234 1979
Archives+ is an exciting City Centre showcase and repository for archives and family history. Situated in the magnificent Manchester Central Library, this purpose-built centre brings together a partnership of amazing regional and national collections of documents, photographs and films, and helps to satisfy a growing demand for accessible community history and personal heritage.
Astley Green Colliery Museum
Higher Green Lane, Astley, Tyldesley
Manchester M29 7JB
www.agcm.org.uk
On the edge of Chat Moss, in an area once full of collieries, lies the picturesque village of Astley Green. In the heart of the village stands Astley Green Colliery Museum. The museum houses Lancashire’s only surviving headgear and engine house, both of which now have listed building status. The museum houses many exhibits, not least of which is the collection of 28 colliery locomotives, the largest collection of its type in the United Kingdom.
Bramall Hall
Bramhall Park, Bramhall
Stockport SK7 3NX
0161 488 4248
Bramall Hall is a magnificent black and white timber-framed Tudor manor house, with Victorian additions, spanning six centuries and set within 70 acres of parkland. It gives a unique insight into the families and servants who have lived and worked here.
Bury Archives Service
Archives Service, Bury Museum and Archives Moss Street
Bury BL9 0DR
0161 253 6782
www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3535
Bury Archives Service was established in 1985 to collect the records, papers and photographs which are of cultural and historic value relating to the Borough of Bury and make them available free of charge to the public. The collections of records we hold relate all aspects of life in the Borough and are donated by the Council, local businesses, schools, churches, various clubs, societies, organisations and individuals dating from 1675 to the present day.
Bury Art Museum
Moss Street
Bury BL9 0DR
0161 253 5878
www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2537
Housed in a distinctive Edwardian building, Bury Art Museum offers a welcoming, warm and friendly setting for visitors to enjoy art, (old and new), and discover the rich history of Bury and the surrounding area. Highlights from the art collection include ‘Calais Sands’ and ‘Ehrenbreitstein’ by JMW Turner.
Bury Transport Museum
Castlecroft Goods Shed, Castlecroft Road, Bury
Bury BL9 0LN
0161 764 7790
www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk/?m=52&p=btm
This new-look museum is the essential fun attraction for all the family and tells the story of transport in the local area. It’s full of exciting exhibits and interactive hands-on galleries that will keep both adults and children entertained.
Chetham’s Library
Long Millgate
Manchester M3 1SB
0161 834 7961
Chetham’s Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. It is an independent charity and remains open to readers and visitors free of charge. The Library began acquiring books in August 1655, and has been adding to its collections ever since.
Collections: The Library holds over 100,000 volumes of printed books, of which 60,000 were published before 1851. These include particularly rich collections of 16th- and 17th-century printed works, periodicals and journals, broadsides and other ephemera.
Church of St John the Divine
186, Brooklands Road
Brooklands Sale, M33 3PB
0161 962 0051
The Grade II listed Anglican parish church was built thanks to the generosity of wealthy Manchester banker Samuel Brooks. He commissioned Alfred Waterhouse, one of the greatest architects of Victorian England, to design the building, and the ‘church in the fields’ was consecrated in 1868.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
84 Plymouth Grove
Manchester M13 9LW
0161 273 2215
www.elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk
The House, a Grade II* listed property, was built between 1835-1841 and is a rare example of the elegant Regency-style villas once popular in Manchester. Elizabeth Gaskell was one of the 19th century’s most important writers, and she lived here from 1850-65.
Ellenroad Engine House
Elizabethan Way, Newhey
Rochdale OL16 4LE
07789 802632
The Ellenroad Trust Ltd was established in 1985 to ensure the preservation of the Ellenroad Engine House and Engines. The Trust arranged the refurbishment of the boiler house and the engines and started to run the site as a steam museum.
Fusilier Museum, The
Fusilier Museum, Moss Street
Bury BL9 0DF
0161 763 8950
The Fusilier Museum is home to the collections of The Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Together they record over 300 years of history and heritage of the people who served in the regiments.
Collections: A wonderful collection of medals, including VC’s, uniforms and other militaria, along with personal effects of former soldiers.
Gallery of Costume
Manchester, Platt Hall, Wilmslow Road, Rusholme
Manchester M14 5LL
0161 245 7245
The Gallery of Costume houses one of the finest collections of clothing and fashion accessories in the country. Two floors of themed displays give a fascinating insight into fashion over the centuries.
Collections: The collection consists of more than 21,000 items from the 17th century to the present day, including rare examples of the everyday dress of working people.
Gallery Oldham
Greaves Street
Oldham OL1 1AL
0161 770 4742
Gallery Oldham has been collecting artworks and objects since 1883 and is still collecting today. The current collections include: over 12,000 social and industrial history items, more than 2,000 works of art, about 1,000 items of decorative art, more than 80,000 natural history specimens, over 1,000 geological specimens, about 3,000 archaeological artefacts, 15,000 photographs and a large number of books, pamphlets and documents.
Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum
Maclure Road
Rochdale OL11 1DN
01706 901227 Answerphone
www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/museum
The official Museum of GMC Fire Service is situated at Rochdale Fire Station, in the north- east of the county, and opened in 1983. The many and varied exhibits include several full- size fire appliances, along with equipment, uniforms, models, photographs, medals and insignia, which together portray the history of fire fighting in general, but particularly within Greater Manchester. Parts of the museum are laid out to form period tableaux, including a Victorian street (with fire station, insurance office and fire equipment suppliers) and a World War II Blitz scene.
Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives
57a Newton Street
Northern Quarter, Manchester M1 1ET
0161 856 3287
s367873952.websitehome.co.uk
Explore Manchester’s hidden past – a labyrinth of alleyways and slums, interrupted only by the huge mills casting shadows below. An eerie underworld, lit by gas lamps where police officers were kept busy apprehending unsavoury characters of all ages. The Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives enables you to experience what life was really like for these officers in a busy Victorian police station.
Collections: The collection dates from c.late 19th century onwards and ranges from vehicles, costume and memorbilia to restored cells, a charge office (1879) and magistrates court (1895 from Denton).
Hat Works
Wellington Mill, Wellington Road South
Stockport SK3 0EU
0161 474 2400
www.stockport.gov.uk/hatworks
Hat Works is the UK’s first and only museum dedicated to the hatting industry, headwear and hats. It is home to a fantastic collection of hats and headgear with some hats dating as far back as the 18th century. There are hats for every occasion, contemporary hats from today’s top milliners, hats from all over the world and the worlds tallest top hat. The museum also houses a vast collection of Victorian millinery machinery which has been restored back to full working order.
Heaton Hall
Heaton Park, Prestwich
Manchester M25 2SW
0161 773 1231 Thurs-Sun
There has been a house on the site of the present Heaton Hall since the late 17th century, but the building would have been quite old-fashioned by the time Sir Thomas Egerton, the seventh baronet and later first Earl of Wilton, inherited it in 1756. On his marriage to the heiress Eleanor Assheton of Middleton in 1772, that Sir Thomas decided to commission architect James Wyatt to re-model the house.
IWM North (Imperial War Museum)
The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road
Manchester M17 1TZ
0161 836 4000
www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north
This multi-award winning IWM North is a great free day out for all ages. Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind to represent a globe shattered by conflict, it reveals how war shapes lives through powerful exhibitions, the Big Picture (a 360 degree light and sound show), tours, object handling sessions, and family activities all available daily.
Collections: The museum charts world events from 1900 to the present day, examining war and its effect on people and places; from photographs to film, artefacts, weapons and souvenirs the entire experience of war is explored.
John Rylands Library, The
150 Deansgate
Manchester M3 3EH
0161 306 0555
www.manchester.ac.uk/library/rylands/
The Library became part of The University of Manchester in 1972 and currently holds the Special Collections of The University of Manchester Library. Mrs Rylands’ memorial to her husband is now part of the third largest academic library in the United Kingdom, and the Deansgate building houses over 250,000 printed volumes, and well over a million manuscripts and archival items.
Lancashire County Cricket Club Museum
Lancashire County Cricket Club, Old Trafford
Manchester M16 0PX
0161 2824000
www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=37
The rich history of Lancashire Cricket is exhibited in the club museum at Old Trafford. Manchester Cricket Club was formed at the beginning of the 1800s and moved to the present Old Trafford in 1857.
Collections: On show are some of the finest trophies in the cricket world presented by players from the 1820s, some silver tankards from 1738, paintings, scores, rules of the game and some memorabillia from the early development of cricket, including some of the earliest cricket statistics in existence. Lancashire County Cricket Club was formed in 1864 and amongst the displays are early team photographs, silver trophies, scrapbooks, caps, and cncket balls belonging to famous players who performed memorable feats for their county.
Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society
Clayton House, 59 Piccadilly
Manchester M1 2AQ
0161 236 9750
Manchester & Lancashire FHS was formed in 1964 and is now one of the largest family history societies in the world. Although the society is united by a common interest in genealogy and family history, members also pursue interests in closely related fields.
Manchester Cathedral
Cathedral Yard
Manchester M3 1SX
0161 833 2220
Manchester Cathedral now has a stunning Visitor Centre in which we aim to make your visit a really enjoyable experience. The hi-tech, interactive displays in our exhibition area are a magnet for young and old alike. Perhaps the greatest feature is the historic Hanging Bridge, a 15th century bridge which connected the Mediaeval Town with the Church.
Collections: The Archives of Manchester Cathedral date from 1421 to the current day. Housed in a purpose built strong-room above the North Porch, the collection contains a wealth of documents with great potential for historical research; these include records concerning the cathedral.
Manchester Centre for Regional History
Department of History and Economic History, Manchester Metropolitan University, Room 122, Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamond St West
Manchester M15 6LL
0161 247 6491
www.mcrh.mmu.ac.uk
The Manchester Centre for Regional History was formally set up in 1998 with the aim of building upon established strengths within Manchester Metropolitan University in the history of Manchester and the north west of England. It is an umbrella for a number of scholars within the Department of History and Economic History whose work has a distinctively local or regional emphasis. The centre is strongly rooted in the history of its region, but is also concerned with broader historical questions which explore the significance of regions, regional identity and the relationship between regions and the nation state.
Manchester City FC Museum & Stadium Tour
Etihad Stadium, Etihad Campus
Manchester M11 3FF
0870 062 1894 option 8
Museum displays are themed around events or significant stories such as the Supporters, the FA Cup, Grounds, Kits, Players, League Championship etc. Key items on display include trophies & medals from the Club’s earliest years to present day; shirts from 1934 to the modern era etc.
Manchester Jewish Museum
190 Cheetham Hill Road
Manchester M8 8LW
0161 834 9879
www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com
Manchester Jewish Museum tells the story of the Jewish community in Manchester over the last 200 years. Through photographs, objects, documents and room settings, visitors gain an insight into the lives of the individuals who came to the city in different waves of Jewish immigration.
Manchester Masonic Museum
Freemasons’ Hall 36 Bridge Street
Manchester M3 3BT
0161 832 6256
www.pglel.co.uk/Museum/Museum.asp
The Manchester Masonic Museum is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the values of, and stimulating debate about the heritage of Freemasonry in the North West of England. The collection has been held at Freemasons’ Hall in Manchester since the building opened in 1929 and holds many varied artefacts dating back to the mid 1700s.
Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections
Sir Kenneth Green Library, All Saints
Manchester M15 6BH
0161 247 6107
www.specialcollections.mmu.ac.uk
Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections is a museum, gallery and reading room and is open to the public to browse or research the unique collections, attend an event or to see our exhibitions. The Special Collections Gallery features 2-3 exhibitions a year, showcasing our collections and artwork by regional and internationally acclaimed artists.
Manchester Military History Society
Knivton Street, Godley
Hyde SK14 2PU
mcrmilhist.org.uk/
We are an informal group united by a common interest in military history. All are welcome regardless of age, sex or ethnicity.
Manchester Museum
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
0161 275 2648
www.manchester.ac.uk/museum
Encounter Manchester Museum’s assortment of treasures from the natural world and the many cultures it is home to. Visitor favourites include dinosaurs, mummies and live amphibians and reptiles.
Manchester Postal Museum
Manchester Southern Cemetery, Remembrance Lodge, 212 Barlow Moor Rd,
Manchester M21 7GL
A large private collection of postal memorabilia/history, currently setting up a permanent display in Stockport
Manchester United Museum & Tour Centre
Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford
Manchester M16 0RA
0161 868 8000
Only at the Old Trafford Museum & Tour Centre, Manchester tourism award’s large visitor attraction of the year, can you see the stadium through the eyes of Manchester United greats themselves. Or get even closer to the world of Manchester United and share 130 years of football.
Museum of Science & Industry
Liverpool Road, Castlefield
Manchester M3 4FP
0161 832 2244
www.mosi.org.uk
Uncover Manchester’s industrial past and learn about the fascinating stories of the people who contributed to the history and science of a city that helped shape the modern world. Located on the site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station and only minutes from Manchester’s City Centre, the museum’s action-packed galleries, working exhibits and costumed characters tell the amazing story of revolutionary discoveries and remarkable inventions both past and present – a memorable day out for everyone.
Museum of the Manchester Regiment
The Town Hall
Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6DL
0161 343 2878
www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalleries/mom
The museum tells the story of generations of soldiers, from the raising of the regiment in 1756 through to Regimental life today. The museum’s Ladysmith Gallery (re-developed in 2002) tells our story chronologically, covering major actions such as the American War of Independence, New-Zealand, the Crimea, South Africa, both World Wars and the Malayan Emergency. The Gallery also houses over 2000 medals including 6 Victoria Cross Groups as well as a reconstruction of a First World War trench.
Museum of Transport
Boyle Street, Cheetham
Manchester M8 8UW
0161 205 2122
www.gmts.co.uk
Find out about Greater Manchester’s transport history with the museum of Transport in Manchester. Opened in 1979, the museum has a large and varied collection of exhibits, charting the development of public transport in the county, ranging from a Victorian horse-drawn bus to a full size prototype for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink.
Collections: Includes buses, trams, trolleybuses, coaches and other vehicles which formerly provided public transport services in Greater Manchester. Also includes historical records relating to public transport in the county, such as company records, photographs and films and a large collection of objects ranging from street furniture to ticketing equipment.
Museum of Wigan Life
Library Street
Wigan WN1 1NU
01942 828128
www.wlct.org/wigan/museums-archives/mowl
We hold over 30,000 objects relating to life in Wigan Borough, past and present. Our collections include fine art, archaeology, social history, natural history, coins, decorative art and industrial history. The museum of Wigan Life is housed in Wigan’s first public library and first public building with electric lighting.
North West Film Archive
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Central Library, Albert Square
Manchester M60 2LA
0161 247 3097
www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk
The Archive cares for over 38,000 items from the pioneer days of film in the mid 1890s to video production of the present day. The work of both the professional and the amateur is collected. Local residents and groups can take advantage of the NWFA’s free research, viewing and loan services.
Oldham Local Studies & Archives
Local Studies & Archives, 84 Union Street
Oldham OL1 1DN
0161 770 4654
Oldham’s archives date from 1597 and cover an enormous range of subjects and activities.
Ordsall Hall Museum
322 Ordsall Lane, Ordsall
Salford M5 3AN
0161 872 0251
Ordsall Hall – Salford’s Grade 1 listed Tudor manor house – was first recorded in 1177. Since then, it has been home to medieval gentry, Tudor nobility, Catholics loyal to the crown, butchers, farmers, an Earl, an artist, priests, scout troops, mill workers, cows and several ghosts. Today, it is an engaging heritage site open to visitors 5 days a week throughout the year.
Pankhurst Centre, The
60 – 62 Nelson Street, Chorlton on Medlock
Manchester M13 9WP
0161 273 5673
The Pankhurst Centre provides a museum area open to all and a women only space that is a unique environment in which women can learn together, work on projects and socialise. The centre is of historical significance as it was the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Sylvia, Christabel and Adela who were centrally involved in the campaign for Votes for Women.
People’s History Museum
Left Bank, Spinningfields
Manchester M3 3ER
0161 838 9190
www.phm.org.uk
There have always been ideas worth fighting for. Join a march through time at the People’s History Museum following Britain’s struggle for democracy over two centuries.
Collections: The collections of the People’s History Museum contain items relating to the working people of Britain, and cover ceramics, prints, posters, banners, ephemera and photographs. The museum (registered as the National Museum of Labour History) is the national centre for the collection, conservation, interpretation and study of material relating to the history of working people in Britain.
Portland Basin Museum
Heritage Wharf, Portland Place
Ashton-under-Lyne OL7 0QA
0161 343 2878
Portland Basin is an award winning museum housed in a reconstruction of the historic 1834 Ashton canal warehouse. Discover the life and work experiences of the people of Tameside.
Rochdale Pioneers Museum
31 Toad Lane
Rochdale OL12 0NU
01706 524920
www.rochdalepioneersmuseum.coop
On 21 December 1844 the Rochdale Pioneers opened their store selling pure food at fair prices and honest weights and measures. The business revolution that started here now involves a billion co-operators as members of 1.4 million co-operative societies across the world. The Rochdale Pioneers Museum exists to preserve the original store of the Rochdale Pioneers and to generate an understanding of the ideals and principles of the co-operative movement.
Royal Northern College of Music Archives
124 Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9RD
0161 907 5211
www.rncm-archive.rncm.ac.uk
The RNCM was established in 1973 following the merger of the Royal Manchester College of Music (1893-1973) and the Northern School of Music (1920-1973). Today the Archive acquires materials relating to the RNCM and its predecessors, and the papers of individuals with significant RNCM connections.
Collections: Key collections include: Organisational archives of the Northern School of Music and The Royal Manchester College of Music; the performing archive of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble; personal papers covering the entire careers of the violinists Adolph Brodsky and Philip Newman, the soprano Elizabeth Harwood, and Walter and Ida Carroll; the correspondence of Sir Charles Halle; the compositions of Arthur Butterworth, Arnold Cooke, John Golland, John Ogdon, Thomas Pitfield and Alan Rawsthorne.
Saddleworth Museum & Art Gallery
High Street, Uppermill
Nr Oldham OL3 6HS
01457 874093
www.saddleworthmuseum.co.uk
The museum opened in 1962 and is situated in one of the outbuildings of the 19th century Victoria Mill. Saddleworth Museum is full of intriguing objects from the past and tells the story of the people who have created Saddleworth’s landscape and character.
Salford Museum & Art Gallery
Peel Park, The Crescent
Salford M5 4WU
0161 778 0800
Our permanent attractions include a Picture Gallery where you can relax and enjoy the splendour of the Victorians’ passion for painting and the decorative arts, or stroll down the Victorian Street and marvel through shop windows displaying their original 19th century wares. Salford Museum and Art Gallery was the UK’s ‘first free public library’ and today, still houses the city’s Local History Library and archive.
Salford War Memorials Project
67 Sutherland Street, Winton
Salford M30 8BR
www.salfordwarmemorials.co.uk
A project to record all war memorials in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, and research the names inscribed. The Salford War Memorial Project was founded in September 2010 with the aim of finding, recording and cataloguing all of Salford’s war memorials for posterity. The sacrifices made by the men and women of Salford to protect our freedom both deserve and demand our attention.
Staircase House
30-31 Market Place
Stockport SK1 1ES
0161 474 2388
Staircase House is a beautifully restored townhouse situated in Stockport’s historic market place. The house is famous for its rare cage newell staircase dating back to 1618. Journey through time from its humble beginnings as a medieval cruck framed building in 1460 to the splendour of the 17th century townhouse, concluding in WWII.
Stockport Air Raid Shelters
61 Chestergate
Stockport SK1 1NE
0161 474 1940
Step back in time to 1940s wartime Britain and experience the sights and sounds of Britain’s homefront. Stockport Air Raid Shelters were carved into the natural sandstone cliffs in Stockport Town Centre.
Stockport Museum
Vernon Park, Turncroft Lane, Offerton
Stockport SK1 4AR
0161 474 4460
www.stockport.gov.uk/stockportstory
Visit this fascinating museum, one of the first purpose built museums in the country. It is situated in the beautiful surroundings of Vernon Park, which has been renovated to its original Victorian splendour.
Stockport Story Museum
30/31 Market Place
Stockport SK1 1ES
0161 480 1924
Experience 10,000 years of Stockport’s history, as you travel through time from prehistoric Stockport to present day. Discover the fantastic finds from Mellor, life in medieval Stockport, the thriving textile industry of the Victorian era, the impact of WWII, concluding with an insight into modern day Stockport.
Tameside Local Studies & Archives Centre
Central Library Old Street
Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SG
0161 342 4242
www.tameside.gov.uk/localstudies
The Local Studies and Archives Centre holds local and family history material for the towns of Tameside – Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Longdendale, Mossley and Stalybridge.
Touchstones Rochdale
The Esplanade
Rochdale OL16 1AQ
01706 924492
The borough’s award winning arts and heritage centre offers a museum, four art galleries, heritage gallery, tourist information centre, café and shop with regular events and workshops.
Victoria Baths
Hathersage Road, Chorlton on Medlock
Manchester M13 0FE
0161 224 2020
Victoria Baths is the most intact Edwardian Baths in Britain. It is an architectural gem, rich in stained glass, mosaic floors and decorative tiling.
Collections: We hold an archive of material relating to the history of Victoria Baths, swimming in Manchester and some other historic pools. Some of this material is on display at our Open Days. We provide access to our archive for researchers.
Wigan Archives Service
Leigh Town Hall
Wigan WN7 1DY
01942 404 430
The Wigan Archives Service’s mission is to make Wigan’s Archives accessible to all for learning and enjoyment, and to foster a sense of belonging and pride in local heritage through the collection and preservation of archive records. We hold collections of records for Wigan’s people, places, businesses, churches, societies and all manner of other organisations, preserving the history of the entire Borough. We look after millions of documents, from paper records and digital archives, to maps, plans and photographs.
Working Class Movement Library
51 The Crescent
Salford M5 4WX
0161 736 3601
www.wcml.org.uk
Working people have always struggled to get their voices heard. The Working Class Movement Library records over 200 years of organising and campaigning by ordinary men and women.
Collections: There are important collections on Thomas Paine, Peterloo, Chartism, rise of trade unionism, Socialism, Labour Party, Communist Party of Great Britain, Ireland, Spanish Civil War, General Strike, CND, suffragettes and suffragists, Co-operative movement.
Wythenshawe Hall
Wythenshawe Park, Northenden
Manchester M23 0AB
0161 998 2331 Thurs-Sun
Wythenshawe Hall was a family home for nearly four hundred years. The original Hall was built around 1540 by Robert Tatton, possibly on the site of an earlier medieval building.