Secrets of The University of Manchester with Interior Visits

Epic architecture, hidden green spaces and ideas that changed the world. The University of Manchester is home to some incredible stories, and this walking tour places you at the heart of them.

First, the architecture. Your knowledgeable and experienced tour guide will tell you the stories behind a number of superb historic buildings, including the old quadrangle with Whitworth Hall and Christie’s Bistro. You’ll also nip over the road and into the fabulous neo-Gothic Holy Name Church, whose spectacular interiors could rival any church in the North West.

There are newer structures, too, including The Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD). Opening its doors in early 2022, it’s perhaps the most spectacular university engineering building in the world, and inside, there are some incredible things going on – not least a science-fiction-esque room that generates lightning. You’ll also take an extra-curricular trip over to the Royal Northern College of Music, for a look at its 1960s interior.

But it’s not just about the buildings. The University of Manchester has a magnificent roll call of achievement, including 25 Nobel Laureates. For every corner you turn, there’s a story to tell of the great and good from around the world who have contributed to Manchester life and indeed global life. After all, this is the place where Ernest Rutherford split the atom, where Tom Kilburn and Freddie Williams built the first stored-program computer, where Alan Turing pioneered artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, in the last few years The University of Manchester has embarked on a landscaping project that creates beautiful – and largely unknown – green spaces around these buildings, making a stroll around the campus a real joy.