A662

Harrison St

Malta St

Carruthers St

Piercy St

Saltford Ave

Sackville St

PICCADILLYGARDENS

PICCADILLYSTATION

RIVER IRWELL

Roby St

Chatham St

Auburn St

Ducie St

Gore St Lena St

China Ln

Tari� St

Jersey St

Jersey St

Hood StBlossom St

Loom StGeorge Leigh St

George Le

igh St

Cotton St

Henry St

Cornell St

Gun St

Bengal St

Port S

Hilton S

PeakS

Pigeon St

Vesta St

Ducie St

Lomax StLaystall St

Millbank St

Long acre St

Heyrod St

Adair St

Portugal St

Travis St

She�eld St

Travis St

Samuel O

gden St

A34

Bloom St

W M

osley S

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Foundatio

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Mosle

y St

York St

Concert

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Sprin

g Ga

rden

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Brow

n St

Marble St

Richm

ond St

Bloom St

Major St

Faulkn

er St

New York St

Parker St

Faulkn

er St

George St

St Jam

es St

George St

Nicholas St

Minshull St

Back Piccadilly

Chorlton St

Silver S

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Major St

Berry StBoadSt

Sparkle StStore St

Store St

Old Mill S

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Old Mill S

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Jutland St

Fair St

Dale St

Brewer St

Oldham Rd

A62

A62

A665

Baird St

Chapeltown St

Woo

dwar

d St

Coppersmith Rd

New Islington

Weybridge Rd

Rochdale Canal Tow Path

Redhill St

Ashton Canal Tow Path

Woodward Pl

King St

Chea

psid

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A56

Esse

x St

Clarence St

Bow LnKennedy St

Booth St

S King St

John Dalton St

Princess St

Albe

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quar

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Mou

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Roch

dale

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wpa

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Church St

Uni

on S

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Turner St Oldham

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h St

High St

Edge St

Copperas St

Thomas St

Back Piccadilly

Dale St

Spea

r St

Mosle

y St

Mosle

y St

Tib St

Tib St

Tib St

Back G

eorge St

Chain StCharlotte St

Addington St

A665

ShudehillCoro

natio

n St

Whithy Grove

Portland St

Piccadilly

Newto

n St

Poland St Aytoun St

Aytoun St

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A34

Great Ancoats St

Great Ancoats St

B6469

Sackville St

Piccadilly

Cotton flowers and bees have come to be symbolic throughout Manchester; reminders of the industrious past and seen everywhere from rooftops to fountains

Explorer treatFor a truly quintessential treat pop into the Richmond Tea Rooms on Richmond Street, in the Gay Village. It’s not only the tea and cake that’s amazing but the décor is fabulously quirky too.

Explorer extraPop into the beautiful Manchester Art Gallery and gaze at striking Pre-Raphaelite art collections. See if you can spot Ben Hur in there as well.

NORTHERN quaRtER2

Piccadilly3

CENTRAL Library1

Tib St

Great Ancoats St

Piccadilly

Manchester has it all… a booming city of musical devotion, industrial rebirth and colourful quarters. Each part of the city has its own personality, from the gritty industrial heritage of the Ancoats area to the vibrant and lively Canal Street. This 5km trail takes in many of the famous sights and quintessential Mancunian landmarks found throughout the city and also ventures into the hidden alleys (or ginnels if you’re local) and quiet waterside walkways less travelled.

This trail starts outside Manchester Central library in Saint Peter’s Square. (easily reached from Piccadilly station on the free Metroshuttle bus, route 1), and it’s a great starting point to begin your journey. So go on, don your walking clobber and take in the city’s sights, we think you’ll love it... or as the locals might say “mad fer it”!!

No maps are to scale!

You’ve made it to the central Library! Starting from the outside of the Library looking onto St Peter’s Square, you should head left along Mosley Street towards the Manchester Art Gallery. Taking care to cross the road, you should turn right down the side of the gallery onto Princess Street.

Continuing for approximately 150m along Princess Street, you will need to take a left onto Faulkner Street, where you will enter Chinatown; Manchester’s very own melting pot of Asian cuisine. Head under the colourful archway and continue along Faulkner Street for another 50m, turning right onto Charlotte Street.

At the end of the Street, cross the main road (Portland Street) at the pedestrian crossing and head over to Chorlton Street. Continue along Chorlton Street for approximately 150m, and before you reach the canal, take a right down Richmond Street. Feeling thirsty? The fabulously quirky Richmond Tea Rooms can be found here and provide a fabulous rest for tired feet. At the end of Richmond Street, take a left and a left again onto Canal Street. Here you will find yourself at the centre of the Manchester Gay Village. This vibrant street is lined with cafes and bars and runs alongside the Rochdale canal. Following the pedestrianised street to the end, you will need to take a right over the canal then an immediate left onto Auburn Street. From here, you will find signs at the pedestrian crossing to take you towards Manchester Piccadilly Station where you will continue your journey onto Ducie Street.

From the bottom of the Manchester Piccadilly Station ramp, turn right onto Ducie Street. Along here you will find an eclectic mix of Manchester’s industrial past, with former cotton warehouses, red bricked buildings and newer building and apartments. Continuing along Ducie Street for approximately 150m, look out for the wonderful old “H.A. Howard & Sons Ltd.” advertisement painted on one of the buildings.

Turning right underneath the sign, you will start to walk along the Ashton Canal towpath. Continuing along the towpath for approximately 500m, it’s hard to believe that this peaceful walk was once a strategic industrial corridor, serving as an important regional trade link. The Canal’s industrial past shines through, and along the walk you will find fantastic mills, Lock Keeper Cottages and other industrial delights.

Heading over the distinctive yellow bascule lifting bridge, you will be confronted with the colourful Chips

building; at this point you will leave the Ashton Canal by turning left into the New Islington area.

‘Adventure - an unusual, exciting or daring experience’

Central Library – ChinaTown - Canals

Adventures come in all shapes and sizes and in every type of environment. We wanted to test the theory that an ‘urban adventure’ could be just as exhilarating and intriguing as any other.

MANCHESTERBy Anja Phoenix

Locations & Photography by Erika PhoenixDesign & Illustration By Custard Graphic Design

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Top tips for your urban adventure5km… How long will this take? Give yourself 2 hours to really enjoy this trail.

Look up, look down, look ALL around! Some of the coolest ‘WOW’ moments we have had when exploring have come from unexpected directions! Try to think of a trail vertically as well as what’s in front of you and you may be pleasantly surprised! In particular, look out for the spectacular street art around Manchester’s Northern quarter. It changes regularly and is super sized in parts!

Map memory. There is nothing more frustrating than walking along with your head in your map, so, memorise 3-4 ‘tick off features’ to spot en route that will help your navigation and give you a break from the paperwork.

Keep your eyes open Any trail can have riskier sections whether it be on a mountain ridge or along an urban snicket (alleyway). If you assess risk as you go along it’s less likely to take you by surprise.

We all walk for different reasons and you may find it really helps to understand the purpose behind walking a trail. Whether it be for fitness, intrigue, adventure or just for fun, when we really know why we are doing something it can take on a whole new light!

State of mind The places we visit often evoke different feelings and you might find yourself amazed by the variety of environments you encounter on this trail.

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Continuing through the marina area, you will arrive at Old Mill Street, where you will find the distinctive street lights that run through the centre of the street. Taking care to cross the road, you will head into another marina, where you should continue your journey. This area of Manchester is undergoing extensive redevelopment, with a new urban park known as Cotton Field. At this point, you can continue on a straight path through the Marina towards Ancoats, or take a short diversion into Cotton Field Park over the bridge on the left… see if you can find one of the colourful Dovecotes!

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PICCADILLY STATION

ST PETERS SQUARE

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A662

Harrison St

Malta St

Carruthers St

Piercy St

Saltford Ave

Sackville St

PICCADILLYGARDENS

PICCADILLYSTATION

RIVER IRWELL

Roby St

Chatham St

Auburn St

Ducie St

Gore St Lena St

China Ln

Tari� St

Jersey St

Jersey St

Hood StBlossom St

Loom StGeorge Leigh St

George Le

igh St

Cotton St

Henry St

Cornell St

Gun St

Bengal St

Port S

Hilton S

PeakS

Pigeon St

Vesta St

Ducie St

Lomax StLaystall St

Millbank St

Long acre St

Heyrod St

Adair St

Portugal St

Travis St

She�eld St

Travis St

Samuel O

gden St

A34

Bloom St

W M

osley S

t

Foundatio

n StW

Mosle

y St

York St

Concert

Ln

Sprin

g Ga

rden

s

Brow

n St

Marble St

Richm

ond St

Bloom St

Major St

Faulkn

er St

New York St

Parker St

Faulkn

er St

George St

St Jam

es St

George St

Nicholas St

Minshull St

Back Piccadilly

Chorlton St

Silver S

t

Major St

Berry StBoadSt

Sparkle StStore St

Store St

Old Mill S

t

Old Mill S

t

Jutland St

Fair St

Dale St

Brewer St

Oldham Rd

A62

A62

A665

Baird St

Chapeltown St

Woo

dwar

d St

Coppersmith Rd

New Islington

Weybridge Rd

Rochdale Canal Tow Path

Redhill St

Ashton Canal Tow Path

Woodward Pl

King St

Chea

psid

e

A56

Esse

x St

Clarence St

Bow LnKennedy St

Booth St

S King St

John Dalton St

Princess St

Albe

rt S

quar

e

Mou

nt S

t

Roch

dale

Can

al To

wpa

th

Church St

Uni

on S

t

Turner St Oldham

St

Hig

h St

High St

Edge St

Copperas St

Thomas St

Back Piccadilly

Dale St

Spea

r St

Mosle

y St

Mosle

y St

Tib St

Tib St

Tib St

Back G

eorge St

Chain StCharlotte St

Addington St

A665

ShudehillCoro

natio

n St

Whithy Grove

Portland St

Piccadilly

Newto

n St

Poland St Aytoun St

Aytoun St

A6

A34

Great Ancoats St

Great Ancoats St

B6469

Sackville St

Piccadilly

A662

Harrison St

Malta St

Carruthers St

Piercy St

Saltford Ave

Sackville St

PICCADILLYGARDENS

PICCADILLYSTATION

RIVER IRWELL

Roby StChatham St

Auburn St

Ducie St

Gore St Lena St

China Ln

Tari� St

Jersey St

Jersey St

Hood StBlossom St

Loom StGeorge Leigh St

George Le

igh St

Cotton St

Henry St

Cornell St

Gun StBengal St

Port S

Hilton S

PeakS

Pigeon St

Vesta St

Ducie St

Lomax StLaystall St

Millbank St

Long acre St

Heyrod St

Adair St

Portugal St

Travis St

She�eld St

Travis St

Samuel O

gden St

A34

Bloom St

W M

osley S

t

Foundatio

n StW

Mosle

y St

York St

Concert

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Sprin

g Ga

rden

s

Brow

n St

Marble St

Richm

ond St

Bloom St

Major St

Faulkn

er St

New York St

Parker St

Faulkn

er St

George St

St Jam

es St

George St

Nicholas St

Minshull St

Back Piccadilly

Chorlton St

Silver S

t

Major St

Berry StBoadSt

Sparkle StStore St

Store St

Old Mill S

t

Old Mill S

tJutland St

Fair St

Dale St

Brewer St

Oldham Rd

A62

A62

A665

Baird St

Chapeltown St

Woo

dwar

d St

Coppersmith Rd

New Islington

Weybridge Rd

Rochdale Canal Tow Path

Redhill St

Ashton Canal Tow Path

Woodward Pl

King St

Chea

psid

e

A56

Esse

x St

Clarence St

Bow LnKennedy St

Booth St

S King St

John Dalton St

Princess St

Albe

rt S

quar

e

Mou

nt S

t

Roch

dale

Can

al To

wpa

th

Church St

Uni

on S

t

Turner St Oldham

St

Hig

h St

High St

Edge St

Copperas St

Thomas St

Back Piccadilly

Dale St

Spea

r St

Mosle

y St

Mosle

y St

Tib St

Tib St

Tib St

Back G

eorge St

Chain StCharlotte St

Addington St

A665

ShudehillCoro

natio

n St

Whithy Grove

Portland St

Piccadilly

Newto

n St

Poland St Aytoun St

Aytoun St

A6

A34

Great Ancoats St

Great Ancoats St

B6469

Sackville St

Piccadilly

Beneath Exchange Square flow the ancient waters of ‘Hanging ditch waterfall’ where convicted criminals were once hung.

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Ancoats was fields until 1780s before the textile industry boomed. The Italian community flourished here and it became known as “Ancoats Little Italy”.

Lincoln Square is a lovely peaceful oasis near the bizarrely named Brazenose Street; rest a whileunder the shade of the lovelyIndian bean trees.

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After 80m, turn left off High street onto Turner Street, where you could be mistaken for feeling as if you had just stepped down a side street in Manhatten, New York! In this historic area, you will find splendid industrial buildings; continuing down this street you will come across the fabulous Abel Heywood building. Next to Abel Heywood, turn right down Union Street and continue to the main road (Church Street) where you should turn left. After approximately 100m you will see the prominent Tib Street Horn coiled around the remnants of an old Victorian hat factory; this gothic sculpture is a famous landmark in the area and is placed next to the Manchester institution that is known as Afflecks.

Crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing opposite the Tib Street Horn, and then crossing Tib street itself, continue your journey past Afflecks (or via Afflecks for some alternative shopping treats) onto Dale Street and take the next right onto Oldham Street. Walk down to the end of Oldham Street where it meets up with Piccadilly Gardens, an urban oasis in the heart of the city.

Taking care to cross over the Metrolink tracks, exit Piccadilly Gardens in the North Western corner onto

Piccadilly – King Street – Town Hall

Exiting the Marina over the footbridge, turn left onto Redhill Street into the Ancoats area, with its gritty industrial heritage, you will find beautiful former cotton mills ….. hidden amongst these, keep your eyes peeled for the Ancoats Peeps! Carrying along Redhill Street and past the striking Royal Mills, you will come to the junction with Henry Street, before you cross the street to turn down to Henry Street, see if you can find one of the Peeps near to the old Canal bridge! These brass peepholes are set into walls amongst the buildings and structures of Ancoats, and provide a glimpse into the area’s industrial past.

Continuing down Henry Street for approximately 200m, turn right onto Blossom Street and into the wonderful Cutting Room Square. Here you will find the beautifully restored former St Peter’s Church and the imposing monolithic art installations, each portraying a photograph of the area’s industrial past. Exiting the square via Cotton Street (make sure you look out for another Peep on the way!) you will come to George Leigh Street, before you turn left to leave the Ancoats area, make sure you take a quick look at the beautiful terraced cottages on the right.

Heading out of George Leigh Street, you will come to Great Ancoats Street, where you can cross over this main road using the pedestrian crossing and turn right along the pavement. Taking care to cross the top of Spear Street, and Oldham Street, you should take the 3rd exit left onto Tib Street. This street is named after the River Tib,

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which once flowed through the area, and is now one of Manchester’s many lost rivers hidden beneath the streets. Continue down Tib Street for approximately 200m. The Tib Street area is home to a wealth of artisan and specialist shops, and for foodies, there is a great selection of delicatessens, cafes, and bars, including the beautifully restored Tib Street Tavern.

At the crossroad, turn right onto Thomas Street, then take the next right onto Oak Street. Before you turn down Oak Street, look on the opposite side of the road to see if you can find the stunning ornamental birds perched high above John Street. After approximately 50m on Oak Street, you will find the impressive Manchester Craft and Design Centre, a Victorian former fish market. This fabulous glass ceiling building is full of art and craft gems and worth a detour inside to enjoy its unique charm. Heading down Copperas Street adjacent to the Craft and Design Centre (be sure to lookout for the hidden miniature artwork on the building wall), head towards the façade of another landmark, the striking former Smithfield fish market.

Turn left out of Copperas Street onto High Street; after 50m you will meet Thomas Street again, taking care to cross the street, continue along High Street. If you have time before you leave this area, it’s worth exploring around Thomas Street to enjoy some more independent shops and cafes.

Ancoats & the Northern Quarter

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Ever wondered why Mancunians are called Mancunians? The Roman fort Mamucium became Mancunium and so it went on.

The major stores around Piccadilly were renowned for their larger-than-life displays. One Italian collection saw the basement of a store flooded to create a boating lake.

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Mosley Street. This area is home to many magnificent listed buildings, including the Portico Library, built in a wonderful neo-classical architectural style.

Turning right opposite the library onto Charlotte Street, you will head towards the top of King Street, one of Manchester’s most impressive thoroughfares. At the top of the Street you will find the iconic Art Deco styled 100 King Street. The area was formerly an important part of the banking industry in the North West of England, and the collection of grand buildings undoubtedly reveals its opulent past.

Half way along King Street with the junction of Cross Street, turn left along Cross Street and travel for approximately 75m, where you will find Albert Square. Taking care to cross the road into Albert Square, you will find the imposing gothic Town Hall. A trip inside is a must to appreciate the amazing vaulted ceilings and collection of statues and busts! Continuing out of Albert Square onto Mount Street you will find yourself at the end of your journey, back at the beautiful domed structure of the Central Library.

Fancy a small detour to the oldest public library in the English-speaking world?To add on an extra loop, at the bottom of King Street take a right onto Cross Street and continue in a straight line towards Corporation Street, where you will go through Exchange Square and onto the National Football Museum and Cathedral Gardens. Opposite the museum you will find the impressive Chetham’s School of Music, where the Library can be found (visitors are escorted through the main gate on Long Millgate). Check opening times before you go.

Manchester’s subterranean River Irk contains huge brick walls, ancient bridges and corpse chutes!

Manchester rests on a bed of sandstone and it rains an average of 150 days rain per year! So the sun DOES shine more than it rains