the Medieval Quarter
upcoming tours…
[ OVERVIEW ]We’ll begin at Hanging Ditch, close to the line of one of Manchester’s early watercourses, before crossing Hanging Bridge and entering the city’s Medieval Quarter - the area where Manchester began to take shape after the Romans.
From the Cathedral and Chetham’s to Long Millgate, the old schools, the Corn Exchange and the former Market Place, we’ll look for the buildings, fragments, street names and stories that still reveal traces of medieval Manchester.
Along the way, we’ll explore how this small but important part of the city has been repeatedly reshaped, by trade, religion, learning, Victorian growth, the railways and modern redevelopment, before finishing near Shambles Square, where two of Manchester’s best-known historic pubs now stand, and where their relocation tells its own story of change.
Tour Details
Tour Duration
2 hours
Pricing
£20 per person
Please see our Medieval Quarter Tour Schedule
Next Dates
Back in time... on LONG MILLGATE, Manchester
Exploring details around Chetham's School[ HIGHLIGHTS ]
[1]
[2]A leisurely pace through the oldest streets in Manchester
Shambles Square
Having survived two near-miss bombings, these timber-framed buildings, now among the oldest in Manchester, have been on the move more than once. Originally built in 1552 as butchers’ shops in the Market Place, they stood at the heart of the town’s medieval trading hub. Over time, streets were widened and redeveloped, and after the 1996 IRA bomb the Shambles was dismantled, rotated, and carefully re-erected beside the Cathedral. Today they look timeless, but we’ll retrace their first location to uncover what a “real shambles” Manchester once was.
Hanging Bridge
Beside the traffic of Hanging Ditch lies a much older story of Manchester. The ditch itself followed one of the early watercourses that helped define the settlement, while nearby Hanging Bridge once crossed the River Irk on the edge of the medieval town. Today, much of this landscape is hidden or built over, yet its traces still shape the streets around us. Few people notice what survives here, but this spot layers centuries of history… from Saxon settlement to medieval Manchester… beneath the modern city centre.
Glade of Light Memorial
We’'ll visit this tranquil pocket of the city that stands as a place of reflection, created to remember those who lost their lives in the 2017 attack. Set within a landscaped garden, its stone circle holds the names of the victims, surrounded by plants chosen to bloom at the time of year of the tragedy. More than a memorial, it has become a symbol of unity, where grief and resilience meet. The bees carved into its design echo Manchester’s long emblem of community and hard work… a reminder that even in the face of atrocity, the city comes together.
Victoria Station
Beneath the bustle of Victoria Station lies a very different story of Manchester. The station itself opened in 1844, a grand gateway for rail travel, but hidden under its concourse the River Irk still winds through dark brick tunnels, together with a few other hidden remnants that remind us of the lives lived here long before the trains arrived. Today, few passengers notice what lies below, yet this spot layers centuries of history… from medieval remains to Victorian engineering… all beneath the daily rush of commuters.
[3]
[4]Chetham's School
Chetham’s is the oldest surviving set of buildings in Manchester, dating back to the mid-15th century. Built in 1421 as a college for priests, it later became a hospital, then in 1653 was endowed by Humphrey Chetham as a free school and library. Remarkably, while the city around it has been reshaped many times, this site has kept much of its medieval plan: cloisters, stone walls, and oak interiors that still echo with centuries of learning. From monks to schoolboys to today’s young musicians, Chetham’s shows how purposes change even when the place endures.
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral has stood at the heart of the city for centuries, its roots going back to a parish church founded in 1421 and raised to cathedral status in 1847. Though not the smallest cathedral, it is among the more compact in scale, yet its tall nave and intricate woodwork give it an unexpected grandeur. The building has grown through extensions and restorations, but has also endured: damaged by a German bomb in 1940 and again by the 1996 IRA bomb, each time it was rebuilt with care. Its footprint remains much as it was in medieval times, anchoring a city that has constantly reshaped itself around it.
Meeting Place
■
The terrace area outside Harvey Nichols, on New Cathedral Street, opposite Shambles Square.
At the top of the steps in Exchange Square there is a terrace area… we’ll meet there.
-
We’ll start the tour on time, if you’re running a little late, you might find us at the first stopping point outside the front on the Corn Exchange in Exchange Square.
-
There won’t be any formal breaks on this walking tour, but you could nip to the loo in Victoria Station (which is roughly half way along the walk), if you need to.
-
We’ll end the tour back where we began… opposite the Old Shambles. The length of the walk is approximately 1.5km.
What’s nearby
-
![The Royal Exchange Theatre is one of the stopping places on our walking tour of the Medieval Quarter of Manchester.]()
Royal Exchange Theatre
The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.
-
![We'll walk by the Stoller Hall that is part of Chetham's in Manchester.]()
Stoller Hall
The baby in the family of Manchester’s concert halls, The Stoller Hall greatly enhances the city’s already enviable live music provision.
-
![Chetham’s in Manchester is the oldest surviving public library in the country – and the esteemed ancestor of Central Library.]()
Chetham’s Library
Chetham’s Library is one of the must-sees of any visit to Manchester. The library was founded in 1653, and is the oldest public library in the world – but the building dates back even further, to 1421.
-
![Mowgli offer some great Indian street food in The Corn Exchange that we'll pass through on our walk.]()
Mowgli Street Food
The brainchild of cookbook writer and curry evangelist Nisha Katona, Mowgli brings authentic Indian street food to Manchester’s Corn Exchange.
-
![The National Football Museum is a great place to visit after our walking tour.]()
National Football Museum
The National Football Museum is now open to the public, ready to show off its impressive array of football-related exhibits and activities.
-
![Cathedral Gardens is one of few green spaces in Manchester.]()
Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Gardens is a partially lawned public space in Manchester city centre, located between Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum.
image credits
[1] Manchester Libraries Archives
[2] Simpson Haugh Architects
[3] Manchester Libraries Archives
[4] National library of scotland / ric frankland