What to do and see in Greater Manchester, England: The Best Architectural Buildings

Manchester Cathedral has been centre stage in its city’s history for nearly 600 years. In 1421 Henry V signed a royal charter granting permission for a collegiate church to be built. In 1847 a new Manchester diocese was created and this historic church became a Cathedral. The doors are open 7 days a week and the admission is free. Do not miss one of the most interesting churches in the land at the heart of one of the most exciting cities on Earth.

This place is temporarily closed. This neo-Gothic masterpiece was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1887. At the front main entrance sits a statue of the Roman Governor, Agricola, founder of the original fort of Mamuciam, from which the city began. The building dominates Albert Square.

The Bridgewater Hall is Manchester's international concert venue, built to give the best possible space for music. The Hall hosts over 250 performances a year including classical music, rock, pop, jazz, world music and much more. The Hall is home to three resident orchestras: the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata. The Hall also programmes its own classical music season, the International Concert Series. The Hall works with a range of promoters and charity hirers on other programming.

Rochdale's fabulous Grade-I Victorian Gothic town hall is renowned worldwide for its unique and detailed architecture. The building was opened on 27th September 1871 by George Leach Ashworth, then Mayor of Rochdale at a cost of around £150,000. Full tours take place on the first Monday of each month at 2.15pm and last about 2 hours. Short tours take place every Wednesday at 2.15pm and lasts 1 hour.

This former church and Franciscan friary has been described as architect Edward Welby Pugin's masterpiece. Derelict for many years, it was saved from ruin by the building preservation trust that still maintains and operates the site to this day. Today, The Monastery operates as a venue for hire and heritage visitor attraction. All proceeds from venue hire go towards the preservation and restoration of the site. The Monastery aims to be open to the public Sunday-Friday between 11am-4pm with free entry & parking. Visitors are most welcome to call in between 11am-4pm and visit the Heritage Corner but we cannot guarantee that the Nave will always be available. Special Heritage & Visitor Open Days are held all year round on every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday when the Nave, Cafe & Shop are open between 11am-4pm. Tours and talks can also be pre-booked on these open days. The Nave is very occasionally closed to visitors on these Special Heritage & Visitor Open Days or has limited access.