Ramsbottom: Day trip guide

Kate Feld

Our resident expert runs through the best bits of Ramsbottom (less rude than it sounds), and makes a persuasive case for spending a day there.

Ramsbottom is the newest addition to our roster of day trip guides. It may have a reputation as the kind of boho suburb that Manc hipsters graduate to when they’re ready to “settle down” (and yes, a vegan and raw food restaurant is poised to open). But this isn’t Chorlton. At its core it’s still a cussedly out-of-the-way mill town buried in the armpit of the Pennine moors. It’s a little bit too full-on, a little bit too grim on winter days, a little bit too Lancashire. But those of us who live there love it precisely because of that. Ramsbottom has character. It’s in a beautiful part of the countryside. And as a day-trip destination, it’s a corker.

Discover its walks and ways, its pubs, grub and places to spend your hard-earned pennies. It might be a bit of a faff to get to, but Ramsbottom has our vote.

Culture Guides

Cinema

Northern flicks, sci-fi masterpieces and some brand new film festivals feature in this month’s cinema preview.

Exhibitions

Spring weather might be dragging its feet a little, but the world of exhibitions isn’t slowing down with new shows popping up everywhere to greet the new season.

The Giant Easter Egg Hunt at RHS Garden Bridgewater

Families

With spring’s indecisive weather in mind, we’ve pulled together a whole load of fun indoor and outdoor family events and activities taking place in Manchester and the North.

Jen Calleja

Literature

Books are most definitely back, with a whole host of live events by writers local as well as international, from pop-up performances to regular reading series, plus some hybrid festival specials and online launches allowing access wherever you happen to be.

Music

From Father John Misty to The Flaming Lips, The Waeve to Big Thief, here are the gigs on our radar for early spring.

Theatre in Manchester and the North

Theatre

You’ll find everything from work-in-progress scratch nights to multi-award winning musicals in this month’s theatre guide.

Classical Music

We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.

Food and Drink

Get ready for spring and summer with the best restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.

Tours and Activities

From indie markets to bit-sized meditation, spoon carving workshops to gallery tours, here are the headlines in the world of tours and activities.