Our latest trip to Manchester shows that you don’t need to venture into the heart of the city centre to create an enjoyable and history-packed itinerary for your groups
Manchester – known throughout the world as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, as well as for its architecture, literary links, and renowned football teams – it’s no wonder that it is one of Britain’s most visited cities.
Once home to political activist Emmeline Pankhurst, Manchester is also known as the birthplace of the Suffragette movement, and so there’s no better time to visit with this year marking the centenary of votes for women.
The city has much to offer groups, combining its proud heritage with all that makes it the diverse and vibrant city it is today. And you can find out about Manchester’s past and present without even visiting the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
We find out more on a trip organised by Steve Reed Tourism.
A renowned author
An elegant Regency-style villa and a garden, with a fascinating history to match, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is an all-round crowd-pleaser for any group. And it’s a great attraction for those looking to build itineraries around celebrating women in history.
Recently launched to tour operators, groups are welcome to come and find out more about the author, famous for such novels as Mary Barton, Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters.
Located around 1.5 miles from Manchester’s city centre, the house offers an ideal excursion without having to go into the heart of the city.
Knowledgeable guides are on hand to reveal all about Elizabeth and her husband William’s work, the lives of their daughters and servants, as well as Victorian Manchester, on a private guided tour.
Feel at home
Groups will be immersed in the house’s atmosphere, forgetting all about the urban surroundings outside. They are even encouraged to make themselves at home, take a seat and really soak in the warm, traditional setting.
A tour of the house lasts between one-two hours and a visit can be extended with pre-booked refreshments in the tearoom. There is also a shop selling gifts and books, including many published by Elizabeth Gaskell and those written about her.
A tour of the garden, which has been inspired by Elizabeth Gaskell’s writings and includes period plants where possible, is also an option.
Coaches can drop passengers off directly outside Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and it is fully accessible with lifts to all floors.
To book, call 0161 273 2215 or go to elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk for more information.
Celebrating women
Due to the 100-year anniversary of women getting the vote, celebrating and recognising women in history is an incredibly popular theme for this year.
A visit to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House therefore goes hand-in-hand with a visit to the Pankhurst Centre.
Ideally located just a short walk from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, the centre is an understated building, but a historically significant one.
It was once home to Emmeline Pankhurst and her family who led the Suffragette campaign for votes for women, and it is also the place where the first meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union was held.
Place to reflect
Comprising three rooms, groups can find out all about the Pankhursts and the Suffragette movement through information boards and a short film with archival footage from the period, including anti-suffragette propaganda.
Then there’s the parlour at the back of the building. Its Edwardian-style furnishings evoke the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters, and it’s a lovely space to reflect on the Suffragettes’ contribution to history and women’s rights.
The centre is putting in a National Lottery bid this year, which, if successful, would give it the funding it so deserves to put it on the map.
It is a small museum so large groups visits will have to be staggered and a visit wouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, depending on how inquisitive the group is.
Go to thepankhurstcentre.org.uk for more details.
Manchester architecture
Another group-friendly attraction just a stone’s throw away is the Victoria Baths.
Opened for the first time in 24 years last year after receiving £3.4m from BBC TV show Restoration, the imposing exterior of the Grade II listed building is matched by the interior designed by Manchester’s city architect Henry Price.
Groups will be captivated by the Art Nouveau masterpiece, complete with stained glass bay windows and its vibrant peacock blue tiles.
Guided tours are available from April-October, where groups can find out about the history and architecture of the baths.
The main tour costs £5pp with an option to add refreshments. There is also parking for coaches next to the main entrance.
More details can be found at victoriabaths.org.uk/visit/groups
A taste for art
Finally, the trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the nearby Whitworth Art Gallery.
Admission is free and tours are self-led, but a gallery tour can be pre-booked if preferred.
The gallery houses a collection of 55,000 items, featuring work in a range of mediums from sculpture, to fine art and contemporary paintings, to textiles and wallpaper.
The collections include paintings by world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, as well as work by more contemporary artists.
Groups will love the art garden, sculpture terrace and orchard garden, alongside a landscape gallery and a café in the trees.
Coach groups can be dropped-off and picked-up on Denmark Road, just outside the gallery.
Call 0161 275 7450 or visit whitworth.manchester.ac.uk for more information.
