For two evenings only, join me for a special extended version of my Medieval Quarter walking tour. Beginning in the fading daylight and ending after dark, we’ll explore Manchester’s oldest neighbourhood through its documented history… and the ghost stories, strange sightings and superstitions that have gathered around it.Meeting in Exchange Square, we’ll begin at Hanging Ditch, following the line of one of Manchester’s early watercourses before crossing Hanging Bridge and entering the area where the post-Roman town began to take shape.
From Manchester Cathedral and its medieval arches, we’ll continue past the Palatine Buildings and Chetham’s before circling Victoria Station to uncover the old bridge and mills once found here. Returning along Long Millgate, we’ll explore the stories of Manchester Grammar School, Chetham’s Library and the Cathedral School, together with the vanished Cathedral Hotel and the bomb that once exploded in Fennel Street.
As daylight fades, the Medieval Quarter’s darker stories will begin to emerge. We’ll encounter the mysterious Grey Lady said to haunt the ancient passageways of Chetham’s, the legend of astrologer and alchemist Dr John Dee summoning the Devil, and the extraordinary discovery of a mummified cat concealed in the roof… possibly placed there to protect the building from witchcraft and evil spirits. History, folklore or something less easily explained? You can decide.
From the Corn Exchange, we’ll trace the former Market Place before finishing back at Shambles Square, where the old workhouse and the remarkable travels of Sinclair’s and the Old Wellington reveal yet another chapter in Manchester’s changing story.
Along the way, we’ll also explore how this small but important part of the city has been repeatedly reshaped by trade, religion, learning, Victorian growth, the railways, wartime bombing, the IRA attack and modern redevelopment… for better and for worse.
Event venue
Shambles Square, Manchester, United Kingdom
Tickets
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