Manchester ~ M1

Situated in the north west of England and connected to the River Mersey and the Irish Sea by the Manchester Ship Canal, the city was originally a Roman settlement known then as Mancunium. Residents of the city are still known as Mancunians. Manchester appears in the Domesday Book and was an important wool centre before later becoming the heart of the cotton spinning (and other textiles) industry. Indeed, Manchester in the 18th, 19th and early 20 th centuries was one of the most important international sites for cloth manufacture, dealing in cotton imported from the American cotton fields. During this period and particularly during the industrial revolution, the city also increased its heavy engineering industry and today, many of the old cotton mills have been converted to cater for other industrial use. Manchester has seen much turmoil and notably was the scene of the 'Peterloo Massacre' in 1818 when local magistrates, fearing a breach of the peace during a Parliamentary reformist meeting, ordered the armed militia to charge the crowd, resulting in many deaths and serious injuries. Much more recently, in 1996 a devastating IRA bomb smashed the commercial city centre and ironically became the driving power that revitalised the city into building a modern, stylish and attractive city area.

Places of Interest

Modern redevelopment and damage inflicted during the second world war by enemy bombing has resulted in the destruction and disappearance of most of 'old Manchester'. Some notable exceptions are the cathedral, which dates from the 15th century and has the widest medieval nave in Britain. Shambles Square is home to one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city - The Old Wellington Inn, dating from the 14th. Century. Other more modern attractions include the Granada studios in The Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, where among other attractions; the set of Coronation Street is open to visitors. The city is surrounded by beautiful countryside and is close to the Lake District.

Living in Manchester - Education, Shopping and Travel Links

Manchester has excellent communication links with the rest of the UK. The M62, M6, M56, M61 and the M60 Motorways all run close by and London is reachable in around three and a half hours by road. There are also excellent rail links with the rest of the country. Manchester also has its own international airport.

There is first class shopping to be found in the city. As well as the usual high street names, The Arndale Centre and the Trafford Centre provide a number of smaller, individual stores and the regular farmers markets held in the city are a wonderful source of fresh fruit, fish, meat and vegetables.

The city's education authority maintains 3 nursery schools , 136 primary schools and 22 secondary schools. It is also home to the Manchester Grammar School founded at the start of the 16th century, and four universities- University of Manchester, UMIST, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Salford.

Manchester can boast two top class football teams - United and City. It is home to the Halle Orchestra and has numerous good galleries and exhibition centres. It has a vibrant popular music scene most famously including the group 'Oasis' among its successes.

Estate and Letting Agents for Manchester M1