Liverpool
Britain's largest church, this magnificent neo-Gothic building is also the world's largest Anglican cathedral. It was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott …
Must-see attractions in Northwest England
Chester
Besides the City Walls, Chester's other great draw is the Rows, a series of two-level galleried arcades along the four streets that fan out in each…
Chester
A good way to get a sense of Chester's unique character is to walk the 2-mile circuit along the walls that surround the historic centre. Originally built…
Liverpool
Museums are, by their very nature, like a still of the past, but the extraordinary International Slavery Museum resonates very much in the present. It…
Manchester
Manchester's rich industrial legacy is explored in this excellent museum set within the enormous grounds of the old Liverpool St station, the oldest rail…
Manchester
The story of Britain's 200-year march to democracy is told in all its pain and pathos at this superb museum, housed in a refurbished Edwardian pumping…
Northwest England
Lancaster's most imposing building is the castle, built in 1150 but added to over the centuries: the Well Tower dates from 1325 and is also known as the…
Manchester
Manchester's second most important art gallery is arguably its most beautiful, following a restoration that saw the doubling of its exhibition space…
Liverpool
Liverpool's most popular museum won't illuminate any dark, juicy corners in the turbulent history of the world's most famous foursome – there's ne'er a…
Liverpool
The city's foremost art gallery is the national gallery for northern England, housing an outstanding collection of art from the 14th to the 21st centuries…
Liverpool
Natural history, science and technology are the themes of the oldest museum in town, which opened in 1853. Its exhibits range from live bugs to human…
Manchester
A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best…
Chetham's Library & School of Music
Manchester
Founded in 1653 in a building that dates from 1421, Chetham's is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, a trove of dark shelves lined…
Manchester
Designed to be the grandest baths in Britain when they opened in 1906, this Grade II–listed Edwardian classic retains much of its former grandeur despite…
Isle of Man
Castletown is dominated by the impressive 13th-century Castle Rushen, one of the most complete medieval structures in Europe. You can visit the gatehouse,…
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Northwest England
Built in 1894, this 154m-high tower is Blackpool's most recognisable landmark. Watch a 4D film on the town's history in the Blackpool Tower Eye before…
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Isle of Man
It's no exaggeration to describe the Lady Isabella Laxey Wheel, built in 1854 to pump water from a mine, as a 'great' wheel: it measures 22m across and…
Northwest England
The lifeblood of Blackpool's commercial life is the Pleasure Beach, a 16-hectare collection of more than 145 rides that attracts some seven million…
Liverpool
Liverpool's most impressive building is the Grade I–listed St George's Hall, a magnificent example of neoclassical architecture that is as imposing today…
Chester
Chester Cathedral was originally a Benedictine abbey built on the remains of an earlier Saxon church dedicated to St Werburgh (the city's patron saint);…
Manchester
Less a library and more a cathedral to books, Basil Champneys' stunning building is a breathtaking example of Victorian Gothic, no more so than the…
Manx Museum & National Art Gallery
Isle of Man
This modern museum begins with an introductory film to the island's 10,000-year history and then races through it, making various stops including Viking…
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King
Liverpool
Known colloquially as Paddy's Wigwam, Liverpool's Catholic cathedral is a mightily impressive modern building that looks like a soaring concrete teepee,…
Manchester
Manchester's most impressive building is the Grade I–listed town hall, completed in 1877 after a design by Alfred Waterhouse. The Great Hall is decorated…
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Liverpool
A marvellous example of an Elizabethan half-timbered hall, Speke Hall is filled with gorgeously timbered and plastered rooms. The house contains several …
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Williamson Park & Tropical Butterfly House
Northwest England
Lancaster's highest point is the 22-hectare spread of this gorgeous park, the highlights of which are (besides the views) the Tropical Butterfly House,…
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Greater Manchester Police Museum
Manchester
One of the city's best-kept secrets is this superb museum housed within a former Victorian police station. The original building has been magnificently –…
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Liverpool
Between 7 February 1941 and 15 August 1945 the secret command centre for the Battle of the Atlantic was in the basement rooms of Derby House. Known as…
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Isle of Man
Until the early part of the 20th century, most farmers on the island engaged in a practice known as crofting – a social system defined by small-scale…
Liverpool
Liverpool's storied past is explored through an interactive exploration of the city's cultural and historical milestones: the railroad, poverty, wealth,…
Manchester
The BBC's northern home is but one significant element of this vast 81-hectare site. Besides hosting six departments of the national broadcaster (BBC…
Liverpool
The story of one of the world's great ports is the theme of this excellent museum and, believe us, it's a graphic and compelling page-turner. One of the…
Liverpool
Beneath the Catholic cathedral is a huge crypt designed by Edwin Lutyens for an immense neo-Romanesque cathedral that was never built. The original design…
Chester
The largest of its kind in the country, Chester Zoo is about as pleasant a place as caged animals in artificial habitats could ever expect to live. It's…
Manchester
This museum charts the evolution of British football from its earliest days to the multi-billion-pound phenomenon it is today. One of the highlights is…
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Manchester
If you're into natural history and social science, this extraordinary museum is the place for you. It has galleries devoted to archaeology, archery,…
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Isle of Man
The former home of the Manx Parliament (lower house of the Tynwald) has been restored to its 1866 appearance – a key date in island history as it was then…
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Isle of Man
This small island just off Cregneash is on one of western Britain's major bird migration routes, and 33 species breed annually here, including Manx…
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Isle of Man
From Viking kings to ’70s disco, this abbey has lived its fair share of history. Founded in 1134, it was one of the island's most important centres of…
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Manchester
With multiple performance spaces, bars, restaurants and shops, this contemporary arts centre attracts more than a million visitors a year to its myriad…
