Manchester 3-hour self-guided walking tour and scavenger hunt

Are you looking for things to do in Manchester? Try our 3-hour self-guided walking tour and scavenger hunt to walk this historic city.

Walk from St Peter’s Square to Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum, various museums, and monuments. Solve challenges at every stop to learn your next destination. You’ll also learn some local history and fun facts.

Scavenger Hunt information :

What you'll see

Manchester Cathedral
St Peter’s Square
Piccadilly Gardens
Opera House Manchester
Albert Square
John Rylands Library
St Ann’s Church
Royal Exchange Theatre
National Football Museum
Manchester City Council
And much more!

Specifications & Requirements

Starting point: in St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 3AA, United Kingdom.
Distance: 4.3 km / 2.7 mi
Duration: 3 hours
Method: walking
Required: Fully charged smartphone with internet access (data plan) – Wifi will not be enough.
Suggested:
- Water bottle
- Local map

History

Ancient History

Brigantes, a Celtic tribe, were established here where Manchester Cathedral now stands when the Romans conquered Britain in the 1st century.

Romans left the area in the 3rd century and a small settlement remained. They relocated to the confluence of the Irwell and Irk rivers before the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century.

The town grew slowly, adding a market in 1282, building a cathedral by 1421, and Chetham’s Library in 1653.

Manchester favoured Parliamentary interests during the English Civil War (1642-51). The Irwell and Mersey rivers were enlarged and dredged so boats could navigate from the sea in the 18th century, which led it to become an important textile (wool & cotton) marketplace.

Modern History

The city grew very rapidly during the 19th century with the industrial revolution. It became the first industrial city in the world.

A canal was then built to sustain this growth, to allow larger ocean vessels to reach Manchester in 1888. This led to many different movements for the betterment of the lower classes, from food riots to Marxist left-wing politics, the evolution of Trades Unions, the beginnings of the Labour Party, and the Suffragette movement.

In 1913, Manchester still processed 65% of the world’s cotton, but the Great War (1914-18) put an end to that. With processing being done in many other areas around the world, the city suffered, which was accentuated by the Great Depression.

Large parts of the historic city center were destroyed during the 2nd World War. Having become an important bomb and aircraft engine manufacturing city, it was a highly prized target by the Germans.

The port went from the third-largest in the UK in 1963 to being closed in1982 as the canals were no longer large enough to handle the ever-bigger ocean container ships.