Shambles, Manchester
Image courtesy of Greater Manchester POLICE Archives

the Medieval Quarter

[ OVERVIEW ]

We’ll begin at Manchester’s original Market Place, once the hub of trading life, before tracing the city’s rise through the great halls of the Royal Exchange and the railway stations that powered its global reach. Along the way we’ll pass the Cathedral and the medieval buildings of Chetham’s, places that have witnessed centuries of change. This walk follows a city shaped by commerce, industry, and upheaval… where bombs and tragedies have scarred the streets but also brought people closer together. We’ll end back at Shambles Square, home to timber-framed survivors that have defied planners, disasters, and time itself, standing as symbols of Manchester’s resilience and reinvention.

Tour Details

Tour Duration

2 hours

Pricing

£20 per person

Please see our Tour Calendar

Next Dates

> Book Now
Contact Us 
The Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester
Image courtesy of the Manchester Library Archives
The Cromwell Statue outside Exchange Railway Station in Manchester, a place we'll call by during our walking tour. 
Exchange station, Manchester
Image courtesy of the Manchester Library Archives
[ HIGHLIGHTS ]
A aerial view where you can see The Corn Exchange and its neighbouring buildings in the 1970s. 
[1]
A master plan by local architects showing the redevelopment of Manchester's Medieval Quarter. 
[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.

The Royal Exchange

What most people don’t realise is that the Royal Exchange we see today is just the latest in a series of exchanges. The very first was built in 1729 in Market Place. By 1809 the Exchange had moved here, and two more rebuilds followed as the cotton trade exploded. The present building, opened in 1921, was once described as the “largest room in the world,” where up to 11,000 merchants gathered to set prices that shaped global markets. Today it serves a very different purpose, but it’s easy to imagine the roar of voices and the hustle of deal-making that once filled the hall.

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.

A very early photograph of The Corn Exchange in Manchester, which will be included in our walking tour. 
[3]
An overlay of the current Manchester buildings with an 1849 plan of the city - this will be starting place for our walking tour. 
[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 - it’s just a little bit north of where the pin is showing on the map opposite - Ric will have a flag - any problems, please call 07976 704 532.

  • We’ll start the tour on time, if you’re running a little late, you might find us at the first stopping point between M&S and the Hugo Boss store further down New Cathedral Street.

  • A little over half-way through the tour we’ll be passing through Victoria train station where there are some toilets… there will be time for a quick break.

  • We’ll end the tour in the same place we started, next to Shambles Square. The length of the walk is approximately 2km.

 

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.

    details (Creative tourist)
  • 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.

    details (Creative Tourist)
  • 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.

    Details (Creative Tourist)
  • 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.

    Details (creative tourist)
  • 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.

    Details (Creative Tourist)
  • 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.

    details (creative tourist) 
image credits
[1] Manchester Libraries Archives
[2] Simpson Haugh Architects
[3] Manchester Libraries Archives
[4] National library of scotland / ric frankland