Manchester

Manchester is a city in Greater Manchester, England. In 2024, more than 589,000 people lived there. It sits near the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and next to the city of Salford to the west. With nearby towns, Manchester is part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area, one of the busiest places in the United Kingdom with about 2.87 million people.

The history of Manchester started with a settlement linked to a Roman fort called Mamucium or Mancunium, built around AD 79. During the Middle Ages, Manchester was a small town. It grew fast during the Industrial Revolution because it was important for making textiles. It became the world’s first industrial city and became official as a city in 1853. The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, linking the city to the Irish Sea.

After the Second World War, Manchester faced changes as work shifted, but it later grew again. In 1996, an event caused damage, which led to new growth and investment. Manchester hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games and is famous for its buildings, music, media, science, engineering, sports teams, and good transport links.

Toponymy

The name Manchester comes from the old Latin name Mamucium or Mancunio. People from Manchester are called Mancunians. The name likely comes from an old language called Brittonic. One idea is that it means "breast" because of a hill shaped like a breast where the city was built. Another idea is that it means "mother" and refers to a goddess of a local river.

The ending "-chester" comes from Old English and means "Roman fortification". It was used after the Romans left Britain to describe places that once had Roman military bases.

Manchester has many nicknames. Because of its important role during the Industrial Revolution, it was called the "warehouse city" and "cottonopolis". Many people call it the "capital of the North". There is a friendly rivalry with Birmingham about which city is the unofficial "second city of the United Kingdom". Some people, especially outside Manchester, call the city "Manny", but some residents find this offensive. The phrase became popular from a rapper named Bugzy Malone.

While Manchester officially refers only to the metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, the name has been used in different ways over time. For example, there is a "Manchester City Zone", a "Manchester post town" that includes areas like Sale and Salford, and a proposed "Manchester Congestion Charge" area. None of these use the exact city borders.

History

Main article: History of Manchester

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Manchester history.

Before 1066: Early history

The first major Celtic tribe in what is now Northern England were the Brigantes; they had a strong place at a sandstone outcrop where Manchester Cathedral now stands, close to the River Irwell. Their land stretched across the flat area of what is now Salford and Stretford. In 79 AD, after their conquest of Britain, the Roman general Agricola built a fort named Mamucium to protect Roman interests in Deva Victrix (now Chester) and Eboracum (now York). Central Manchester has been a place where people live ever since.

Some parts of the Mamucium fort can still be seen in Castlefield. The Romans left Manchester around the 3rd century, and the place was mostly empty by the mid-3rd century, though the fort may have had a few people there until later. Archaeologists first looked at the fort in 1906 and it opened to visitors in 1984.

1066–1800: Before industrialisation

After the Romans left and Anglo-Saxon people arrived, the town moved to the confluence of the rivers Irwell and Irk. During the Normans' Harrying of the North, much of the area around Manchester was destroyed. The Domesday Book (1086) lists Manchester in the hundred of Salford and says it was held by a Norman named Roger of Poitou. The town was later controlled by the Grelley family, who were the lords of the manor and lived in Manchester Castle. By 1421, Thomas de la Warre built a collegiate church for the parish, which later became Manchester Cathedral; other buildings became Chetham's School of Music and Chetham's Library. Chetham's Library opened in 1653 and is still open today, the oldest free public reference library in the UK.

Manchester was a market town in 1282. Around the 14th century, Manchester got many Flemish weavers, which helped start the area's textile industry. The town became important for making and trading woollens and linen, and by 1540 it was described as "the fairest, best builded, quickest, and most populous town of all Lancashire" by John Leland. The cathedral and Chetham's buildings are the main remains from that time.

During the English Civil War, Manchester supported the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. He gave the town the right to choose its Member of Parliament; Charles Worsley was chosen and made Major-General for Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire during the Rule of the Major-Generals. As a careful puritan, he closed places where people drank and beer and stopped the celebration of Christmas.

Large amounts of cotton were used after 1600, first in linen and cotton fustians; by around 1750, pure cotton fabrics were made and cotton became more important than wool. The Irwell and Mersey rivers were made useful for travel by 1736, giving Manchester a way to the sea docks. The Bridgewater Canal, Britain's first man-made water road, opened in 1761, bringing coal from mines at Worsley to central Manchester. The canal was lengthened to the Mersey by 1776. This cut the cost of coal and moving raw cotton in half. Manchester became the main market for textiles from nearby towns. A commodities exchange, opened in 1729, and many big stores helped trade. In 1780, Richard Arkwright started building Manchester's first cotton mill. Manchester sold its cotton goods to Africa to pay for slaves in the transatlantic slave trade; this trade helped Manchester grow and its people increase.

1800–1880: Industrialisation

Manchester was a centre of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. Most cotton spinning happened in the towns of south Lancashire and north Cheshire, and Manchester became the most productive place for cotton processing. This made the town grow fast and become the world's first industrial city. Manchester became known as the world's biggest market for cotton goods; it was called "Cottonopolis" and "Warehouse City" during the Victorian era. The Industrial Revolution brought fast, unplanned growth to Manchester in the early 1800s. Engineering firms made machines for the cotton trade, then made other things too. The chemical industry started by making bleaches and dyes, but grew to do more. Commerce was helped by financial services such as banking and insurance. In 1803, John Dalton created his atomic theory while teaching in the city.

Manchester saw protests for bread and work, and calls for more political rights by the city's working people. On 16 August 1819, large crowds gathered in St Peter's Square, Manchester; when told to leave, soldiers rode in and hurt many people.

The political ideas in early industrial Manchester included capitalist and communist thoughts. The city was home to Manchester Liberalism, and the centre of the Anti-Corn Law League after 1838. The city is the subject of Friedrich Engels's book The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844, as Engels lived much of his life near Manchester and met Karl Marx at Chetham's Library. The first Trades Union Congress was held at the Mechanics' Institute, Manchester in 1868 and Manchester was important for the Labour Party, the Suffragette Movement, and the Chartist Movement.

Trade and feeding more people needed more transport and distribution: the canal system grew, and Manchester became one end of the world's first intercity passenger railway – the Liverpool and Manchester Railway – in 1830. The number of cotton mills in Manchester reached 108 in 1853; after that, the number fell and Manchester was passed as the biggest centre of cotton spinning by Bolton in the 1850s and Oldham in the 1860s. This decline happened as Manchester grew to become the financial centre of the area. In 1878 the General Post Office (the forerunner of British Telecom) gave its first telephones to a firm in Manchester.

1880–1939: Impacts of industrialisation

View from Kersal Moor towards Manchester by Sebastian Pether, c. 1820, then still a rural landscape. Note the River Irwell in both paintings.

Manchester from Kersal Moor, by William Wyld in 1857, a view now filled with factory smoke from the Industrial Revolution

New industrial ways were created in the city, and the city became known for trying new ideas: the Manchester School supported free trade and laissez-faire, there were new groups of people and new religious ideas, and the city tried new ways of organising workers. This time saw the building of some of its finest public buildings, including Manchester Town Hall. It also had a lively culture, which included the Hallé Orchestra. In 1889, when county councils were made in England, the city became a county borough, giving it more control. Manchester also had much poverty and hard living conditions, with big differences between rich and poor.

The Manchester Ship Canal was built between 1888 and 1894, in part by changing the Rivers Irwell and Mersey, running 36 miles (58 km) from Salford to Eastham Locks on the tidal Mersey. This let big ships come into the Port of Manchester. On the canal's edge, just outside the city, the world's first industrial estate was made at Trafford Park.

Manchester kept processing cotton, making up 65% of the world's production in 1913. The First World War stopped access to export markets; together with more cotton processing in other parts of the world, this caused the city's textile industry to decline quickly. Industry and jobs suffered during the Great Depression, especially because it hurt the value of British exports. Manchester also saw a cultural change in the 1930s as local people tried new creativity and local pride to fight the bad economy; this included the first British High Street, and starting projects such as the Manchester Central Library.

1939–1945: Second World War

Manchester prepared for war during the Second World War: skills at Beyer, Peacock & Company's locomotive works in Gorton were used to make bombs and Dunlop's rubber works in Chorlton-on-Medlock made barrage balloons. Manchester was bombed by the Luftwaffe, and by late 1940 air raids were happening against places that were not military targets.

The worst air raids on the city during the war happened during the Manchester Blitz on the nights of 22–23 and 24–25 December 1940, when about 474 tonnes (467 long tons) of high explosives and over 37,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. Much of the old city centre was destroyed, including 165 warehouses, 200 business places, and 150 offices. Many people were killed and 30,000 houses were damaged. Manchester Cathedral, Royal Exchange and Free Trade Hall were among the buildings badly damaged, and it took 20 years to fix the cathedral.

1945–2000: Decline and regeneration

The Corn Exchange in 1902 (top) in 2024 bottom)

Cotton processing and trading kept falling in peace time, and the exchange closed in 1968. In 1963 the port of Manchester was the UK's third largest, and employed over 3,000 men, but the canal could not take the increasingly large container ships. Traffic fell, and the port closed in 1982. Heavy industry fell from the 1960s and was much reduced under the government of Margaret Thatcher after 1979. Manchester lost 150,000 manufacturing jobs between 1961 and 1983. Regeneration began in the late 1980s, with projects such as the Metrolink, the Bridgewater Concert Hall and the Manchester Arena. Two tries to host the Olympic Games were part of a plan to make the city known around the world.

2000–present: Modern day

After a very hard event in 1996 and helped by the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the city centre was changed a lot. The Printworks was redesigned by architects RTKL Associates and opened again as a leisure centre and cinema. The Corn Exchange opened as the Triangle Shopping Centre and was redesigned in 2012. Manchester Arndale is the UK's largest city-centre shopping centre.

Large parts of the city have been torn down, rebuilt or made new with glass and steel. Old mills have been turned into homes. The 47-storey, 554-foot (169 m) Beetham Tower was the tallest building in the UK outside of London and the highest home place in Europe when finished in 2006. It was passed in 2018 by the 659-foot (201 m) South Tower of the Deansgate Square project, also in Manchester.

Government

See also: Manchester local elections, List of Lord Mayors of Manchester, and Healthcare in Greater Manchester

The City of Manchester is led by the Manchester City Council. A larger group, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, helps make big decisions for the whole area, like planning jobs and transportation. This group has its own leader, called a mayor, who was first chosen in 2017.

Manchester became an official city in 1853. Over time, it has grown to include nearby areas. In 2014, Greater Manchester got a special leader to help manage important things like health and transportation for many towns and cities around Manchester. This leader has a big budget to help keep the area safe and moving.

Geography

See also: Geography of Greater Manchester

Manchester is a city in England. It is about 160 miles northwest of London. The city sits in a bowl-shaped area with higher lands to the north and east and lower lands to the south. The city centre lies on the east side of the River Irwell.

The River Mersey flows through the southern part of Manchester. The city has mild weather, with warm summers and cool winters. Summer temperatures can get above 20 °C, and sometimes over 30 °C. Rainfall is regular but usually light. Manchester is close to Liverpool and Sheffield, making it a central point between these two cities. The city has many roads and railways connecting it to other places.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Manchester

In 2021, Manchester had a population of 552,000. This was a 9.7% increase from 2011. The city has grown faster than many other cities in England since 1991.

In 2021, the most common religions in Manchester were Christian (36.2%), no religion (32.4%), and Muslim (22.3%). The number of Christians has been going down, while the number of people with no religion or who are Muslim has been going up.

In 2021, about 56.8% of Manchester's population was White, with many different groups. Other groups included mixed race (5.2%), Asian (20.9%), Black (12%), Arab (2.7%), and other ethnic groups (2.4%). Some areas, like Moss Side, Longsight, Cheetham Hill, and Rusholme, have more people from different ethnic backgrounds. Manchester is also known for its large Irish and Chinese communities.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Manchester

See also: List of companies based in Greater Manchester

Manchester is part of a larger area called Greater Manchester South. This area includes places like Salford, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford.

Manchester is an important city for business. It is known for services, culture, creativity, advanced manufacturing, and shopping. Many big companies have offices there. The city works with businesses, the government, and universities to help its economy grow. Manchester also owns part of two major airports, which helps bring money for local projects. This support has helped build more office space, making Manchester a key business hub in the UK.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Manchester

See also: List of tallest buildings and structures in Manchester, List of streets and roads in Manchester, Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester, Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester, and List of public art in Greater Manchester

Manchester has many different kinds of buildings, from old Victorian styles to modern ones. Red brick is very common in the city, reminding us of its history with cotton trading. Near the city center, you can find old cotton mills. Some look just as they did when they closed, while others have been turned into homes or offices. Manchester Town Hall, located in Albert Square, is built in a Gothic revival style.

Manchester built several tall buildings in the 1960s and 1970s. The tallest was the CIS Tower until the Beetham Tower was finished in 2006. The Beetham Tower has a hotel, a restaurant, and apartments. Today, the tallest building is Deansgate Square South Tower, which is 201 meters high. There are also eco-friendly buildings like The Green Building and One Angel Square, which is known for being very sustainable.

Landmarks

Albert Square and St Peter's Square have many important statues and monuments. Albert Square honors Prince Albert, Bishop James Fraser, Oliver Heywood, William Gladstone, and John Bright. Piccadilly Gardens has statues of Queen Victoria, Robert Peel, James Watt, and the Duke of Wellington. St Peter's Square has a cenotaph, designed by Edwin Lutyens, which remembers those who died in wars. The Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Park celebrates his work in computing. There is also a large statue of Abraham Lincoln, given to Manchester to remember the help given during a difficult time in the American Civil War.

Next to Manchester Airport is the Runway Visitor Park, where you can see old airplanes, including one of the twenty Concorde aircraft ever made. Other planes on display include a BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and a British Aerospace 146.

Heaton Park, north of the city, is one of the largest city parks in Europe, covering 610 acres. Manchester has 135 parks, gardens, and open spaces, including six special nature areas.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Manchester

See also: Transport for Greater Manchester

Rail

Manchester Liverpool Road was the world's first railway station for passengers and goods. It opened in 1830 and closed in 1975. Today, it is part of the Science and Industry Museum.

Two big train stations, Manchester Central and Manchester Exchange, closed to passengers in 1969. Another station, Manchester Mayfield, closed to passengers in 1960. Plans were approved to turn the Mayfield site into a housing estate.

The Northern Hub project improved railways in and around Manchester in the 2010s. It added electric tracks, redesigned Victoria station, and built the Ordsall Chord to connect two main stations. Manchester has many train stations, and the group of stations including Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, and Deansgate is the third busiest in the UK.

Manchester was the first city in the UK to have a modern tram system, called the Manchester Metrolink, which started in 1992. The trams mostly use old train tracks changed for trams, and they go through the city centre on streets. There are eight tram lines with 99 stops. Manchester also has many places where people can park their cars and then take a tram or bus.

Bus

Manchester has a big bus system, one of the largest outside of London. Before 2023, over 50 bus companies worked in the area. In 2011, many trips in Greater Manchester were made by bus.

Air

Manchester Airport is the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom, with many passengers each year. It has two runways and can handle very large planes, including the Airbus A380.

There is also a smaller airport called Manchester Barton Aerodrome, which was Manchester's first airport. It is used for private flights, flying lessons, and has helicopters for police and ambulances.

Canal

Manchester has many canals, like the Ashton Canal, Rochdale Canal, and Bridgewater Canal. These canals are kept up but are mostly used for fun now. The Manchester Ship Canal was built to carry goods during the Industrial Revolution and ends in nearby Salford.

Cycling

Further information: Cycling in Greater Manchester

Cycling is popular in Manchester for getting around and for fun. The city has special bike routes that connect with trains, trams, and buses.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Manchester

See also: List of people from Manchester

Music

See also: Popular music of Manchester, List of music artists and bands from Manchester, and Madchester

Manchester has a rich music history. In the 1960s, famous bands like the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, and Davy Jones of the Monkees came from the city. The Bee Gees grew up in Chorlton. The 1980s saw Manchester become important for British indie music, led by The Smiths. Later, groups like The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and James emerged from the Madchester scene. Morrissey, formerly of The Smiths, later became a successful solo artist. Oasis formed in Manchester in 1991. The city is also known for its brass band tradition.

Manchester's main pop music venue is Manchester Arena, one of the largest in Europe. Other venues include Manchester Apollo, Albert Hall, Victoria Warehouse, Manchester Academy, and the Co-op Live arena. Smaller venues like the Band on the Wall and the Night and Day Café also host many events. The city has two symphony orchestras, The Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic, and a chamber orchestra, the Manchester Camerata. Classical music venues include the Bridgewater Hall.

Performing arts

Manchester is a center for theatre and performing arts. Large venues include the Manchester Opera House, the Palace Theatre, and the Royal Exchange Theatre. Smaller venues like the Contact Theatre and the Dancehouse also offer many shows. Since 2007, the city has hosted the Manchester International Festival, a festival showcasing original works from around the world.

Museums and galleries

Manchester has many museums and galleries. The Science and Industry Museum features steam locomotives and aircraft. The Manchester Museum has collections of Egpytology and natural history. The Manchester Art Gallery houses European paintings, including works by L. S. Lowry. The Whitworth Art Gallery displays modern art and sculpture.

Literature

Manchester is known for its literary history. In the 19th century, authors like Elizabeth Gaskell and Friedrich Engels wrote about the city's changes. Charles Dickens is said to have set Hard Times in Manchester. Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre while staying in Hulme. Many famous authors, including Anthony Burgess and Carol Ann Duffy, have lived in Manchester.

Nightlife

Manchester's nightlife has grown a lot since 1993. With many places to visit, the city welcomes lots of people on weekend nights. This lively scene supports many jobs and brings in money each year. In 2024, Manchester was named one of the best cities in the world for nightlife.

Keeping children safe

Further information: Canal Street (Manchester)

The area around Canal Street has been welcoming to people of all backgrounds since the 1940s. It has many bars and clubs and draws many visitors each weekend. The area also hosts a big celebration each August. There have been discussions about making sure everyone feels included and respected.

Education

See also: List of schools in Manchester

Schooling

In 2019, schools in Manchester did not do as well as schools across the whole country in important tests. About 56% of students in Manchester passed these tests, while 65% of students across the country passed.

Higher education

Manchester has three universities: the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the Royal Northern College of Music. These universities are close together in the south part of the city centre and have more than 80,000 students.

The University of Manchester is one of the biggest universities in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 2004 by joining two older universities. The university has made important discoveries, including early work on computers and a special material called graphene.

Manchester Metropolitan University started as a college in 1970 and became a university in 1992. It also used to have a campus in Cheshire, but that closed in 2019. The University of Law also has a campus in the city.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Manchester

Two big football teams are linked to the city – Manchester City and Manchester United. Manchester City plays at the City of Manchester Stadium in east Manchester. This stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and later changed to a football field. Manchester United has played in the nearby area of Trafford since 1910. Their stadium, Old Trafford, is close to the Lancashire County Cricket Club ground, also named Old Trafford.

Many sports places were made for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, like the City of Manchester Stadium, the National Squash Centre, and the Manchester Aquatics Centre. Manchester tried twice to hold the Olympic Games but was chosen for Atlanta for the 1996 games and Sydney for the 2000 games. The National Cycling Centre has a special track for racing bikes, areas for BMX biking, and trails for mountain biking. It is where British Cycling and teams like Team Sky and Sky Track Cycling are based. The Manchester Velodrome, built for the 2000 Olympic bid, helped Britain become very good at cycling.

The velodrome hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Championships a record third time in 2008. The National Indoor BMX Arena with space for 2,000 people opened next to the velodrome in 2011. The Manchester Arena held the world swimming championships in 2008. Manchester has also hosted many big sports events, such as the 2008 World Squash Championships, the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship, the 2013 Ashes series, the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the 2019 Ashes series, and the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Media

Main article: Media in Manchester

See also: List of television programmes set, produced or filmed in Manchester; Films set in Manchester; and List of national radio programmes made in Manchester

Print

The Guardian newspaper started in Manchester in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian. Until 2008, its main office was in the city, but many managers moved to London in 1964. For a time, many national newspapers had offices in Manchester. At its busiest time, 1,500 journalists worked there, earning the city the nickname "second Fleet Street". In the 1980s, these newspapers closed their offices in the north and moved their work to London.

Attempts to start a Northern daily newspaper, like the North West Times, failed and closed in 1988. Another try, the North West Enquirer, also closed in 2006.

The main newspaper for the area is the Manchester Evening News, which has been around for over 80 years. It is available all day and is free in the city centre on Thursdays and Fridays, but costs money in the suburbs. Several local free papers are also distributed by the same group. The Metro North West is free at Metrolink stops, train stations, and other busy places.

Film and television

Manchester has been important for television since the 1950s, with many studios in the city. The ITV franchise Granada Television has been based in Manchester since 1954. Granada makes popular shows like Coronation Street and local news for North West England. Manchester is also covered by Manchester TV, an internet television channel.

Manchester became one of the BBC's three main centres in England in the 1950s. In 1954, the BBC opened its first TV studio outside London at Dickenson Road Studios in Rusholme. The first show Top of the Pops aired there in 1964. Later, BBC programmes were made at New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road. Shows like Cutting It and Life on Mars were set in Manchester.

Radio

Manchester has many radio stations, including local ones like BBC Radio Manchester, Hits Radio Manchester, Capital Manchester and Lancashire, and others. There are over 28 digital radio stations, which some say make Manchester the world's largest digital radio area. Student stations include Fuse FM at the University of Manchester and MMU Radio at Manchester Metropolitan University. Community stations serve areas like Ardwick, Longsight, and Levenshulme, with All FM and Wythenshawe FM.

International relations

Manchester has many connections with cities and countries around the world. During the Industrial Revolution, Manchester became important for trade. Today, Manchester has over 800 representatives from many different countries.

Sister cities

Manchester has special partnerships, called "sister cities," with other cities. It is partnered with Chemnitz in Germany since 1983 and Wuhan in China since 1986. Greater Manchester is also partnered with Osaka in Japan since 2025.

Friendship agreements

Besides sister cities, Manchester has friendly ties with several other places, including:

• Aalborg, Denmark
• Aarhus, Denmark
• Córdoba, Spain
• Faisalabad, Pakistan (1997)
• Gumi, South Korea
• Haidian (Beijing), China
• Kagoshima, Japan
• Los Angeles, United States (2009)
• Rehovot, Israel

Diplomatic missions

Manchester has many important offices called consulates, more than any other place in England except London. Some of these include representatives from countries like Bangladesh, China, Greece, India, Italy, and Spain.