A FIRST TIMERS’ GUIDE TO MANCHESTER

What comes to your mind when you think of Manchester? Is it Coronation Street? Football? Socialism? Vimto? Alternatively, perhaps the words ‘industrial revolution’ and ‘Gallagher’ jump out at you?

Regardless, Manchester wins the award for most overlooked British city – after all, who in their right mind chooses London over this Northern gem? The land of the Mancs is rich with culture, history, science, and art (how do, Lowry!), and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to fall for it the way I did.

As Tony Wilson once said, ‘This is Manchester, we do things differently here.’ Or at least, I think he did. The accent was a little bewildering.

THINGS TO SEE IN MANCHESTER

NORTHERN QUARTER

Of course, I’m going to kick this guide off with perhaps one of the most iconic Mancunian pastimes – taking a stroll around the Northern Quarter.

Best-loved for its vegan cafes, thrift stores, and indie record shops, this trendy and chic collection of backstreets makes up the backbone of urban Manc culture. A lawless blend of architectural styles, the NQ features Edwardian mills, Victorian pubs, Gothic fashion houses, and Contemporary nightclubs – and everywhere you look, something hectic and beautiful is happening.

The Northern Quarter is the place to visit for independent bars, shops, and cafes – but be aware to not wander around too late. Historically known for its red-light entertainment and abandoned warehouses, the NQ still has shady characters stalking the streets at night. Unless you want to wind up a statistic, stay away from dark alleyways at night.

THE GAY VILLAGE

Gays from all over the world flock to this here Village located on the bustling Canal Street to meet, celebrate, and chill. The area is a super important part of Manchester’s history, known for its reputation as a safe, welcoming, and friendly space for every member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Each year, they host a gigantic Pride Festival where gays and allies alike meet to dance, drink, and drag in harmony. I hear it’s pretty rad.

Along with being a hub of activity and a great place to grab some delicious food, the area also happens to be home to one of the wildest nightlife scenes in the whole of Manchester. Going out in the Gay Village just hits different – especially with places like G-A-Y, Bar Pop, and New Union ready and raring to go!

As it happens, I visited here with my girlfriend last year and did Sambuca shots with the ex-boyfriend of the barman. Ah man, what a night.

CHINATOWN

Located near to the Gay Village is Manchester’s Chinatown – which just so happens to be the second biggest in the UK and the third biggest in Europe.

Sure, it’s not quite Vancouver’s Chinatown, but it’s still pretty cool in its own right. It features Bao-filled cafes, international supermarkets, and mouthwatering bakeries, along with restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. 

Manchester’s Chinatown also houses karaoke bars, massage parlours, and the city’s best sake bar, suggesting that perhaps you will never have to leave the UK again.

One of the biggest events of the year celebrates the Lunar New Year. In February, Chinatown has a massive celebration for the annual Chinese New Year Festival, filling the streets with stalls and dancing dragons and parades to rival anything else that England has to offer.

MANCHESTER ART GALLERY

The Manchester Art Gallery was first initiated in the early 1800’s by a group of passionate artists – and since then, it has become a hub of beauty and knowledge.

Featuring paintings by Christian Dior and Adolphe Valette, sculptures by John Cassidy and Henri Guadier-Brzeska, and a collection of pottery that any anthropologist would be itching to study, it’s a pretty sick place to walk around.

‘But do they have any tea-related art pieces?’ I hear you cry. Well luckily for you, sweet child, they actually have nearly 700 tea-related items in their collection. They have everything from red earthenware tea caddies to pear-shaped silver teapots from the 17th century, sketches of Japanese tea ceremony to incredible old photographs of colonisers sitting around drinking tea. Truly, they have everything your little heart desires.

And as it happens, the Manchester Art Gallery is also free to visit.

JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY

John Rylands was a man who truly finessed the Manchester industrial revolution, becoming the city’s first multi-millionaire after becoming the largest textile manufacturer in the UK. When he died, many people mourned the entrepreneur – but none as much as his wife.

Enriqueta Rylands loved and missed him so much that when he died, she commissioned the John Rylands Library. It was then filled with a world-class collection of items, including the oldest known piece of the New Testament, a 1476 version of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and magnificent illuminated mediaeval manuscripts.

Nowadays, this gorgeous neo-Gothic library looks uncannily like Hogwarts – ghosts and all.

MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY

The Manchester Central Library may not rival John Rylands in terms of history, tragedy, and Potter-esque rooms, but it is pretty epic in its own right.

The perfect place to catch some silence amongst the bustle of the city, the Henry Wolfson Reading Room features a grand dome ceiling surrounded by gorgeous centuries-old books; every last one of them weathered and leathered. I spent many an hour in this room during lockdown, just reading, writing, and staring at the students who had masks slung halfway down their necks. It was an eye-wateringly beautiful experience.

CHETHAM’S LIBRARY

On the topic of iconic libraries that have changed the city for the greater good, we then have Chetham’s Library.

And oh my goodness, what a library it is! I was given the opportunity to meet with the wonderful Siân-Louise to learn more about Chetham’s, and was absolutely blown away with the history of the place.

Fun fact: Chetham’s is actually the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world – and by definition, it is also one of the most beautiful. With incredible mediaeval architecture, a collection to rival Oxford, and the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen (some still attached by chains), it’s a truly incredible place to visit.

The building itself was actually built in 1421 to house a college of priests – although it was a lot different back then to how it is now! For starters, it also housed a family of mice, and with that, cats. And with that, teeny tiny cat doors no bigger than my fist.

This wonderful little library was founded in 1653 by the dapper textile merchant and banker, Humphrey Chetham. When the library opened, there were no other facilities for independent study in the north of England, so people of all classes would flock to the library – an oasis amongst poverty, prostitution, and dereliction.

Now, you can sit in the very same booth that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels studied in preparation for the creation of the Communist Manifesto, you can peruse books older than your known ancestry, you can take a moment to consider why Manchester is one of the greatest cities in England. Honestly, it’s pretty great.

ELIZABETH GASKELL’S HOUSE

I’ll be honest – I didn’t even know that this place existed until Siân-Louise filled me in on the most under-appreciated sites in Manchester. As it happens, this beautiful neoclassical villa is the former residence of the one and only Elizabeth Gaskell.

Gaskell is often regarded as ‘one of the greatest female novelists of all time,’ best-known for writing Cranford, North and South, and the biography of her buddy Charlotte Bronte. She hung out with the likes of Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Darwin, and you can absolutely see their creative influences throughout the house. Honestly, it’s a part of Manc history that I never would have guessed even existed.

Rumour has it that the house also has a delicious little tea room which serves every little finger food under the sun. If you’re looking for age-old inspiration from this great British writer, why not kick back on a vintage wabi-sabi chair and sip black tea in Gaskell’s old kitchen, surrounded by endless rows of gorgeous leathered books?

VICTORIA BATHS

Victoria Baths is another one of those places that I would absolutely have overlooked had a local not pulled me aside and whispered sweet bath-related things into my ear.

The history of this Grade II* listed building spans over a hundred years. As you walk amongst Hammams, private baths, and Olympic-esque pools, you’ll find yourself transported back to a sunny afternoon in 1906. Alongside the crumbling paint and ghost-like ceramic stair balustrade is beautiful blood terracotta and emerald glaze and intricate tile-work. 

Between March and November, a whole bunch of markets are hosted at Victoria Baths – the most notable being their Creative Makers Fair and their Vegan and Ethical Market. If you’re lucky, a trip to the market will have you stumble upon Lydia Meiying’s beautiful stall, which is filled with the most amazing tea towels, cushions, notebooks, prints, tote bags, and – my personal favourite – funky enamel pin badges. 

THE TRAFFORD CENTRE

The Trafford Centre is, in essence, a gigantic mall – and yet somehow, it also seems to house whole continents. It’s pretty much like Dubai on steroids, with marble sculptures, mini renditions of Italian and Chinese towns, and gilded water features. It took 27 months to build the Trafford Centre, and at a grand cost of £600 million, you can see why Manchester holds it so dearly.

The whole concept of the Trafford Centre is pretty insane, honestly. Not only do they have every single branded shop you could think of (Lacoste, Levi’s, Michael Kors), approximately a million restaurants, and a giant IMAX theatre, but they also have a LEGOLAND, a mother-frickin’ Sea Life, and two 18-hole mini-golf courses.

Oh, and they have dodgems.

ALEXANDRA PARK

Alexandra is hands down the BEST park to have a picnic. It first opened to the public 150 years ago, and back then, the design of the park was a little controversial – it contrasted with the rigid geometry of Victorian landscapes to feature those pesky little oval-shaped landscapes and curved pathways.

The park is super pretty, with a massive lake filled with Canadian geese and British swans, green rolling hills that you can wander about on, and a kids’ section where you can abandon your toddlers until you’re ready to deal with them again.

A little bird (probably a duck) told me that they also have a vegan cafe that overlooks the terrapin-filled lake, which is just bursting to the seams with vegan sweet (and savoury) treats. There’s also a little coffee van called Grounded in the North that sells delicious coffee, tea, and little bread pastries. They’re usually open Wednesday to Sunday 9am until around 4pm – you cannot miss it!

So much has happened at this 60-acre park over the years: namely, the first known Independent Labour Party May Day rally, women’s suffrage demonstrations (and bombs planted from said suffragettes), Quakers calling for peace, and hippy music events campaigning against racism and immigration. Now, all you get is a pretty park, a concrete skatepark, and mighty fine coffee.

GRAYSTONE ACTION SPORTS

There are SO many skateparks in Manchester, and they’re all so cool! You can meet the locals, dabble in ramps, vibe at the top of the bowls and watch people wipe out. Even if you don’t skate, a skatepark atmosphere is hard to not get caught up in.

Graystone is quite possibly the finest example of a great Mancunian skatepark. Located in Salford, not only does it have the best indoor ramps you can find (featuring a 9ft drop in which I finally conquered last week), but it is also a great example of a skatepark where you don’t have to skate. You can simply hang out at the viewing gallery, order a delicious meal and some wine, and watch the world go by.

And for dessert: vegan milkshakes.

SALFORD

Salford (which you need to pronounce as sol-ford, not sahl-ford, to avoid falling victim to one of the city’s many shankings) is part of Greater Manchester and considered to be one of the most important parts of the city.

There are so many super cool things to visit in the city, with some of my absolute favourites being:

• The Lowry – An Arts Centre based around Salford Quays industrial past, the Lowry is full of ever-changing galleries and contemporary art exhibitions, along with three fat theatres.
• Salford Lads’ Club – The young Robert Baden-Powell set up the Salford Lads’ Club in 1903 with the ambition to keep young boys in deprived areas out of trouble. Since then, it has been featured in Stephen Wright’s photo of The Smiths for their album the Queen is Dead, and has quadrupled in popularity (for both sexes).
• Salford Cathedral – Anyone who knows me knows that I am a weeb for Catholicism, especially when it comes in the form of a beautiful, Romantic style Grade II* building. I’m sure you’ll love it, too.
• Salford Quays – And last but not least, we have Salford Quays, previously known as Britain’s third busiest port. Opened by everyone’s favourite queen in 1894, it has since been rebranded as a cultural and residential district, with each parallel basin connected by a network of waterways.
• MediaCity – Located at Salford Quays. Home to flawless glass architecture, gigantic production studios, and the sets behind Coronation Street, it’s a great place to wander.

WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK

THE FOUNDATION COFFEE HOUSE

Before I landed in Manchester, my girlfriend proudly exclaimed that our first stop would be the Foundation Coffee House. ‘Why?’ I asked.

‘Because it’s on our Manchester bucket list,’ she replied, somewhat bluntly.

As it happens, one of the first things that I experienced in the city was this wonderful lil’ coffee shop – and it was a great first taste of the city.

They have several locations: Whitworth, Portland, and the Northern Quarter. We visited the one on Portland street which has a clean, industrial look to it, dotted with bright green ferns and bags of the finest coffee.

Of course, I indulged in their cakes and tea – of which, there’s a whole lotta options. They have Chai, Lapsang Souchong, Silver Needle, Honey Orchid, Rooibos, Darjeeling… just about any kind of tea you could imagine! After working my way slowly through their tea selection, we had to run off to explore the rest of the city – but not before my eyes happened upon their 58% Venezuelan hot coco.

I now have plans to revisit the city at the end of the summer – and you can bet your ass that this is the first place I’ll be returning to.

ALTRINCHAM MARKET

Any Northerner will have their ears prick up at the mention of Alty Market. I know how it goes. Their pulse races, their breath thickens, their fingers tremble with the prospect of homemade pies and fermented drinks.

And I get it.

Altrincham Market’s origin begins in 1290 as the region’s best street food outlet, although for a brief while, it dropped off the map completely. In 2010, local legends Nick and Jenny Johnson took it upon themselves to revitalise every last inch of the place – and now, it’s renowned as one of the UK’s finest marketplaces.

A fine example of Manc cuisine, you can order from any of the many market shops and have it all brought to your table. They were super accommodating with my dietary needs (hello, Crohn’s) and brought over the most divine kombucha I’d ever tasted. All in all, it’s a pretty epic place to visit.

Some of my favourite places to eat at Alty are:

• Honest Crust: Serving the most delicious wood-fired sourdough pizza.
• Tender Cow: Specialising in flat iron steak from the feather blade, they offer the lesser-known cuts of beef from the best farms in Britain.
• Great North Pie Co: I hear that this is the best pie place in England, and it’s not hard to see why!
• Market House Coffee: Surprisingly, you can actually get matcha here! It’s thick, it’s sweet, it’s unami… everything you could want from some mashed tencha leaves.
• Reserve Wines: For some sweet and bubbly Hip Pop kombucha, this is the place to be (I hear they also do great wine)!
• Little Window: Believe me, you’ve never had hummus, olives, and flatbread this good.

COMMON GROUND

Located in Altrincham mere inches away from the much-loved Market House, this cafe is the perfect spot to sit amongst the hustle and bustle of the town.

As is usually the case, I wandered the streets with one simple goal in mind: to find a delicious cup of tea and a slice of vegan cake. Luckily, a b-e-a-utiful vegan cherry and chocolate cake and mug of loose leaf green tea was ready and waiting at Common Ground.

The cafe actually specialises in coffee (hence the pun in the name) and is independently owned and run by husband and wife, Damian and Julie Besbrode. Their mission was to create a vibrant coffee community in the heart of Altrincham – and man, did they pull it off!

The place is super warm and laid-back, with friendly staff and a lofi playlist to boot. Sitting beneath the sun as hoards of foodies wandered past, a dog at the nearby table looking longingly at the avocado toast beside us, it felt like one of those rare cases of ‘right place, right time.’

HIP POP

I’ve mentioned them before and I’ll mention them again – Hip Pop is hands down my favourite British kombucha company. Several weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to visit the headquarters of this renowned booch – and boy, was it interesting!

The Hip Pop brewing sheds are situated on this super cool working farm near Manchester, surrounded by rich countryside and beautiful old buildings. Despite visiting endless distilleries and wineries in the past, I’d never actually visited a brewery that creates a drink that I enjoy. As such, it was so refreshing to be able to walk into a brewery and finally enjoy the smell of the air, the taste of the samples, and understand all of the hard work that goes into it.

I could have never considered what goes in to making kombucha like this – imagine big steel drums, massive bags of organic tea leaves, and more smiles than I have Marketplace listings. I was shown around by Emma, one of the founders of Hip Pop, who told me about their processes and introduced me to the team. It was so interesting being able to learn about this 2,000 year old beverage from one of the people who know it best, along with being told the company’s origin story first-hand.

The basic idea goes like this: Emma first heard about the beverage when living in America (booch is super popular over there) and after experimenting with other fermented food and drinks, tried her hand at crafting her own kombucha. When Kenny first told her about his stomach issues, she recommended he tried some of her booch – and it actually made him feel better! And so, she created a tiny microbrewery in their garage and began to sell the kombucha at local farmers’ markets – and from there, it grew!

They have so many delicious flavours of kombucha, although my favourites have to be the Apple Elderflower and the Ginger Yuzu. They also have Blueberry Ginger and Strawberry Pineapple which both look so delicious, I keep having to stop myself from bulk buying the brews and shipping them back to Wales.

MALMAISON MANCHESTER

If you find yourself thinking, ‘oh my, Manchester sounds wonderful, but it could be even better if they also had a delicious afternoon tea,’ then think no further!

The Chez Mal at Malmaison is the HOME of indulgent afternoon tea, featuring soft, fluffy scones, perfect little cream sponges, and bubbly Champagne that burns your nose when you laugh. And with a killer selection of tea (I’m talking Darjeeling, Jasmine, Chamomile, Peppermint, Blackberry + Raspberry) what’s not to love?

The Malmaison building itself is pretty spectacular, with a bougie industrial interior and Victorian Neo-gothic architecture. All in all, it’s a pretty cool place to stop for lunch.

THE EIGHTH DAY

When my stomach decided to opt out of digesting food, I turned to my girlfriend and told her that I needed to get my hands on some kefir. The only issue was that the only type of kefir that I can consume comes from goats’ milk – and as you might assume, that isn’t awfully easy to get a hold of.

Luckily, she knew the perfect ethical and vegetarian store to get it from. Enter, The Eighth Day Co-op.

Since purchasing my much-needed goat kefir, the Eighth Day has become a favourite stop in the city, and I’ve visited here so many times for kombucha, kefir, and luxury chocolate that I feel as though I know the whole place backwards. The staff is always super nice and patient with all the endless and ridiculous questions I throw at them. Namely: ‘Do you have any kefir specifically made from Beddgelert Welsh mountain goats?’

BIRD AND BLEND

Bird and Blend (formerly Bluebird Tea Co.) has the largest range of creative tea blends in the UK – and after a trip to their Manchester store, I can certainly understand how!

With over 70 blends, there was a lot to choose from whilst browsing their isles. Each store feels a little like a treasure hunt – not only do they have all of these delicious tasters, but they also have collections of cool postcards and infographics.

The staff were all super friendly and told me all about their tea as I sipped a delicious ‘Digester tea’ (made from Chinese pu’erh, Chinese oolong, ginger, orange, ginseng, and fennel) and my girlfriend tried their ‘Nearly Nirvana’ (a blend of white tea, jasmine, and spearmint). FYI, both were delicious!

I then tried several of their matcha samples by hosting a little matcha tea-tasting ceremony back home – and it was a lot of fun! Using a traditional bamboo chasen, spoon, and ceramic bowl, I slowly worked my way through their array of flavours. Of course, they were all pretty good.

STREET FOOD

Sure, Manchester is famous for its Eccles cake, pasty barm, Manchester tart, and Lancashire hotpot – but why not try delicious food from around the globe?

Manchester’s street food scene is unexpectedly vast and thrilling, especially around Piccadilly Gardens. In a single stroll, you can pick up Polish meatballs, Chinese dim sum, Mexican burritos, Japanese nikuman, Spanish paella, Caribbean curries, Yorkshire puddings, and even – rumour has it – London gin. Truly, if you’re looking for the best food in Manchester, you’d better head to the market district…. every Wednesday to Sunday in Piccadilly Gardens.

DAY TRIPS FROM MANCHESTER

CHESHIRE

Tatton Park is both a great place to spend the day and also the perfect introduction to Cheshire. Not only does Tatton have over 1,000 acres of deer park, but it also houses a neo-classical mansion, a mediaeval Old Hall, and a 1930’s farm filled to the brim with rare animal breeds. Honestly, what more could you want?

You can explore the Tatton estate by foot, bike, or horseback, wandering past the red and fallow deer which roam freely across the grounds. There’s a whole bunch of gift stores and cafes where you can grab a drink and sit outside in the sun, and if you take a picnic and stop for afternoon tea, there’s no reason why you can’t spend dawn to dusk exploring the grounds.

One of my favourite things about the park is its Japanese Gardens – often regarded as the ‘finest example of a Japanese Garden in Europe’. It is the most serene, beautiful place, and we spent nearly a good hour merely walking around the lake and taking in the beautiful little houses, pagodas, and rock and plant formations.

You can feed the lambs, walk the pigs out to the fields, meet newborn calves and foals, and hold chicks and ducklings in the Hatchery. There’s even a section of the farm where you can discover the original slaughterhouse and learn about how slaughter was carried out in the past. Or perhaps not, if you’ve come to this guide for my vegan food recommendations…

Plus, in the evenings of May you can go to their outdoor drive-thru cinema! You can order masses of crepes and watch the sun set as you envelop yourself in the wonderful world of old Hollywood.

DUNHAM MASSEY

Dunham Massey is another gorgeous National Trust garden housing a Georgian estate and an ancient deer park. The garden is home to Giant Chinese Lilies and rare late-flowering azaleas, along with a seven-acre Winter Garden that just so happens to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

Take a stroll amongst the historic Pump House, the spicy Orangery, and the remains of an Elizabethan Mount. Or, merely sit down at a bench and take in the pretty birds. Personally, I didn’t expect to go bird watching – I barely even know what a bird looks like – but I did, and it was actually pretty sick. Who knew that winged creatures like treecreepers and nuthatches even existed?

RIXTON CLAYPITS

As you may have guessed by the name, Rixton Claypits is a former clay extraction site which has since been allowed to return to nature. Boulder clay extraction started here in the 1920s to build bricks in the adjacent brickworks – which would have been a cool concept had it not destroyed the rich and diverse ecosystems which thrive in natural claypits.

Now, Rixton is filled to the brim with ponds (look out for those rare Great Crested newts!), pits, wildflower meadows, boardwalks, and woodland. My favourite activity at the pits is wandering along the 80-acre route at sunset, taking in its beauty as butterflies fly about my head, frogs hop about by my feet, and wild grouse do whatever it is that wild grouse do. Simply, this is a place to get lost in and explore.

If you just so happen to visit between April and September, I would absolutely recommend that you wear bug spray. Honestly, I didn’t even know that the UK had biting insects – but after wandering through meadows with short trousers and ankle socks, I now realise that pesky little Manc mosquitos do exist.

LYMM

A charming little village with picturesque  17th century buildings, lovely walks, and delicious pasty shops. The name ‘Lymm’ supposedly comes from the Celtic way of saying ‘a place of running after’ – although honestly, about 99% of their water is still.

There’s a unique breed of people in Lymm: Ramblers. These lil oddballs spend their time walking, briefly stopping off at pubs, and walking some more. Luckily for you, though, they have already paved out the perfect route around the town: Walk through the town centre, follow the Bridgewater Canal, and end up at the dam.

My favourite thing in Lymm? Spud Wood: A muddy little woodland probably named after the town’s affinity for potatoes.

NEW MOSS WOOD

New Moss Wood (and the surrounding mossland) used to be a massive expanse of lowland bog dating back 10,000 years – but now, this fascinating habitat is barely clinging on.

I’ll be honest and say that before visiting the north of England, I didn’t even know what peat was. As it turns out, the draining of this organic fuel (consisting of partially decomposed plant material) has horrendous effects on the environment. Often used in cheap bags of garden compost and to grow nursery plants, intensive peat mining destroys valuable ecosystems, threatening the lives of the many rare and endangered species which live around peat bogs.

Thankfully, over the years, locals have realised the damage that this was causing to the mosslands and peat extraction here has been scrapped. This means that New Moss Wood has since been allowed to re-grow and flourish, and now, it makes for a truly stunning walk across the countryside. With the beauty and biodiversity gradually returning, New Moss Wood is a wonderful place to explore.

LITTLE WOOLDEN MOSS

This is one of the prettiest nature preserves I have ever visited. Imagine – candy cotton pink sunsets over fields of white fluffy cotton, teeny tiny lizards darting between your feet and dragonflies soaring above your head. At 150-hectares, it’s one of the few remaining fragments of the peatland.

Walking through the moss is such a calming experience – look out for rogue roe deer, merlins perching on rocks and tree stumps, short-eared owls hunting through the skies. With pools of water housing jumping, skimming, and swimming amphibians, reptiles, and insects, the sheer amount of biodiversity is astonishing.

BENTS GARDEN CENTRE

You’re probably thinking, ‘Amy has obviously run out of cool places to talk about, mentioning something so blithe as a garden centre.’ Well, look at the fool, now!

Bents is hands down one of the coolest places in Warrington. This absolutely massive garden centre opened in 1937 and has since evolved into something much bigger than anyone possibly could have imagined.

They sell delicious little cakes and sweet treats, fancy garden-ware, more carnivorous plants than you could imagine, AND they have a mini golf course decorated with giant ‘fake’ dinosaurs. Plus, a restaurant. Like wtf.

CHESTER

Oh my goodness, where do I begin?

Chester is a bewitchingly beautiful little city, with its extensive Roman walls, Tudor-style half-timber alleys, Roman amphitheatre (the largest in the UK!), and beautiful red sandstone buildings. It’s certainly not what you think of when you think of modern-day England!

Founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st Century A.D., Chester is just bursting with history and tragic tales. For example, Viking raiders wreaked havoc across the city, Norman invaders kicked the asses of the Anglo Saxons (AKA conquered), warrior queen Boadicea led an uprising, Roman fighters marched to war. As one of the best-preserved walled cities in Britain, its a gorgeous place to wander.

Previously known as Deva, this city was known across the lands for its strategic position for battle – and even today, the stories of conquered campaigns and unsung victories still whisper through the walls.

Some of my favourite things to do in Chester are:

• Walk along the city walls
• Check out the Georgian Eastgate Clock
• Visit Chester Cathedral (which is over 1,000 years old!)
• Go shopping at the old Tudor-style two-level arcades
• Walk around Chester Castle to soak up the history
• Visit the remains of the Roman amphitheatre
• Wander through the Roman garden

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool is only an hour’s drive or 40 minutes on the train from Manchester, and it’s such a funky city to go for a day trip. As the home of the Beatles, world-class museums, and a hilarious accent, it’s a city that I’ve wanted to visit for ages – and this summer, I was finally able to!

There’s a lot of cool things to see and do in the area, but some of my favourites are:

• Royal Albert Dock: Old Victorian docks dotted with some gorgeous bars and cafes.
• Liverpool Cathedral: An imposing, Gothic-style cathedral.
• The Three Graces: These are the three iconic Liverpudlian buildings that define the city skyline. There’s the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building, and they are each a sight to behold.
• Tunnel Furniture Co: This is such an epic place to visit – even though you certainly won’t find it on any other city guides. It’s a super cool antique store based in the historic stables opposite Edge Hill Station (the first railway station in the world). They offer absolutely everything your heart desires: church furnishings, vintage dolls, porcelain vases from ancient China… anything! The staff are super friendly and patient – even when you go in with oddly precise requests.
• Salt House Tapas: Serves the BEST tapas in the whole of England. Hands down the best calamari I’ve ever had, and alongside other delicious orders of patatas bravas and trout with purple potatoes, it’s a great place to eat. When I visited, I told them about my comprehensive dietary restrictions, and in response, their chef crossed out everything on the menu that could kill me and wrote in delicious alternatives – and honestly, I’ve never felt so taken care of.
• Lovelocks: The best place to stop for tea and cake (and of course, coffee!). This pretty lil cafe has an insane amount of teas available, such as spiced chai, mint, jasmine, green, rooibos, and something called a Hive Latte which consists of Darjeeling tea with honeycomb and steamed milk. Yum!

And so, that concludes the Wandering Everywhere guide to Manchester (and surrounding areas)!

Have you guys ever visited the Cities of the North, or plan on travelling there soon? Let me know in the comments below!

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