Manchester
Town Guide



| Castlefield Urban Heritage Park | Granada Studios Tour | Museum of Science and Industry |


Manchester Town Guide, Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, 3K

Manchester Town Guide, T, 2Khe Castlefield Urban Heritage Park can be found just off Liverpool Road, to the southeast of the city centre.


The UK's first such "urban heritage park", the area is a living testament to Manchester's industrial heyday, and indeed the Castlefield district was at the heart of the city's industrial past.

In the 1760s the Bridgewater Canal opened, which heralded a whole new era for the city as Manchester became a central city on Britain's main transportation network.

Then in the 1830s the first passenger railway station in the world opened in Castlefield - today the station is home to the acclaimed Museum of Science and Industry.

During the 20th century the district went into decline and so Castlefield gained an unenviable reputation for poverty and squalor.

But then in the 1980s the area went under a period of renaissance, and so today Castlefield is more about canalside cafes and bistros than abandoned warehouses.

Nevertheless, this fascinating district still contains enough remains of the area's industrial heritage to offer a valuable insight into Manchester's past.

For more information about the area visit the Castlefield Visitor Centre, located on Liverpool Road. Opening hours are 10am to 4pm weekdays and noon to 4pm on weekends.

Tourist attractions in Castlefield include the Museum of Science and Industry, the Granada Studios and a reconstruction of the original Roman Fort that was founded here in the first century AD.

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Manchester Town Guide, Granada Studios Tour, 4K

Manchester Town Guide, T, 2K he Granada Studios can be found on Water Street in the district of Castlefield, close to the Museum of Science and Industry.

The Studios have turned out many famous television series, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Brideshead Revisited, but it is most famous for being home to one of Britain's favourite soap operas - Coronation Street.

You can tour round the studios, visiting various sets and watching live shows. There are also plenty of interactive shows, children's rides and special events to keep families entertained.

But for fans of Coronation Street the highlight has to be the opportunity to have a drink at the Rover's Return.

The Granada Studios are open daily except Mondays, from 10am to 4pm. Admission costs around £15 for adults.

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Manchester Town Guide, Museum of Science and Industry, 4K

Manchester Town Guide, M, 2K anchester's acclaimed Museum of Science and Industry can be found on Liverpool Road, in the district of Castlefield.
The Museum is housed in five separate buildings that date from the 1830s when they were built as the world's first passenger railway station.

The collection is a wonderful testament to Manchester's industrial heyday, with galleries covering industries as diverse as printing, textile and transportation. Families in particular will be entertained by the working machines and excellent interactive displays.

The museum is particularly interesting because as well as the usual displays of all manner of machines and engines that you will expect, there are also displays that examine the wider social implications of industrialisation.

The Museum of Science and Industry is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission costs around £5 for adults.






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