NORTHWEST ENGLAND redesign and bloodygoodmusic:lookandlisten foryourself. order, nodoubt,buttheregion knowsathingortwoaboutmightyachievements, urban that leaves itsimprintonthe21stcenturyinwaythatitdidforlastcouple. Atall were putthroughtheiroriginal paces. first moderncitywasconceived; andwhere theendlesspossibilities oftheAge ofReason born andraisedintotheoverwhelming forceofcapitalism;where, inManchester, theworld’s most beautifulcountrysideinEngland.Notbadforaregion thatchangedtheworld. for thoseeagerabitofrespite fromtheconcrete pawprintofman,there’s someofthe oftheworld’sbest-ever band,barnone.birthplace Life, music,historyandhedonism.And stomach-turningrollercoaster we’vethe mosteye-popping, ever beendizzyon.Oh,andthe whoserichlayersofhistoryarea picture-postcard revealed initsmultitiered architecture and and theheavinghulksofindustrialpast? visit; after all,whatcouldthere possiblybeofenduring interest conurbations injam-packed ofgreata fact fascinationtohistoriansandgadgetboffins, but it’shardlyaninvitationto ofEngland,whichmaybe thumpedloudestinthenorthwest Britain’s industrialheartbeat England Northwest 554 © LonelyPlanetPublications These days, however, the northwest is all about looking forward,aboutbeingtheregion isallaboutlooking These days,however, thenorthwest wastheveryThat’s placewhere right,forthenorthwest theIndustrialRevolutionwas Crammed intotherelatively tightconfinesare acoupleofthemostexcitingcitiesinBritain,
HIGHLIGHTS
POPULATION: 6.7 MILLION Catching theferry acrossthe Experiencing thesimplymarvellous Exploring the Gettingqueasyontherollercoasters at inRomanfootsteps aroundChes- Walking Exploringthestunning Blackpool’s ter’s Museum North of Liverpool hum thesongwhile enjoyingthebestviews Museum Liverpool for tax-dodgers andpetrol-heads city walls Pleasure Beach Isle ofMan (p568) 50) n Manchester in ( p560) ( p574) Imperial War ( p585 ) –notjust (p583) Mersey World (p582): AREA : 5473 SQMILES Isle ofMan Blackpool Liverpool Chester Manchester lonelyplanet.com (See Inset) (42mi) Isle ofMan To Douglas, NORTHWEST ENGLAND 0 0 Rhyl 54ºN Denbigh Port Erin Irish Sea Peel Corwen 54ºN Irish Prestatyn Sea Liverpool To Douglas, Isle ofMan (See Inset) WALES Bay Ravenglass 6 miles 10 km Bellaugh Castletown Holywell of Man National Park Lake District Ruthin Isle Hoylake Bride Llangollen A595 Estuary Barrow-in- Dee Ramsey Douglas Isle ofMan Northwest Northwest England Furness Mold Eglwyseg Flint (511m) A55 Hawkshead Heswall Queensferry Port Sunlight Ulverston Wallasey Birkenhead in-Furness Dalton- Fleetwood Cleveleys SEFTON Blackpool Bootle St Anne's Lytham Southport Crosby M53 Formby Newby Ainsdale Bridge
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Halifax
Reeth 555 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND Manchester andLiverpoolare majorhubs. Manchester inthenorthwest; coach services express.com) Extensive transformation of Manchester into theenvy rupted byabomband hasclimaxed in the began withamusical revolution, wasinter- nearlyasdramatic.It and ahalfhasbeen the world? a thingortwoabout altering thehistoryof inflating urbanredesign toaburgh thatknows sowhat’salittleself- Industrial Revolution, the citythatgave andthe birthto capitalism dramatic responsibility. After all,this was shiedawayfromscenarios andhasnever its urbansoulmate andinspiration. chester tofind lookspastLondontoBarcelona than justnorthernone-upmanship thatMan- Northern bluster? Sure, butit’ssurely more of theuncrownedcapital thenorth. call itself supported footballteam. Oh,anditlikes to decades camefrom;andithastheworld’sbest- much of thebestmusicof thelastcoupleof change like few others inEurope;it’swhere the job.It’samodernmetropolisembracing wherewithalwith thenecessary totake on Manchester wouldbeareadymade substitute fired for somekindof terrible wrongdoing– –orwas London wastoquitbeingcapital If ever % MANCHESTER National Express Merseytravel ity Author- Passenger Transport Manchester Greater information: connected. Trythefollowingfortransport to thenorthof bothcities,andisalsowell via theM56motorway.Blackpoolis50miles easily accessiblefromManchester bytrainor only 18milessouthof Liverpool, butisalso Chester is by hourlybusandtrainservices. pool, are only34milesapartandare linked The twomaincities,Manchester andLiver- Getting Around the wholeof thenorthwest. touristauthoritythatcoversis thecentralised England’sNorthwest Discover 556 and itsenvirons. Taking care ofalltravelinMerseyside. Information (www.gmpte.com) For extensive info on Manchester infoonManchester (www.gmpte.com)Forextensive The change andinfluenceof the last decade Manchester knowsallabout improbable 0161 /pop394,270 ACETR • itr MANCHESTER ••History ( % ( % 236 7676;www.merseytravel.gov.uk) 08705 808080;www.national (www.visitnorthwest.com)
Their reward waslife inanewkindof urban most of gottheirhandsonanyof itnever it. 100 years later, twomillion)whoproduced swollen citizenry(1801,population90,000; made sure thatthevastmajority of thecity’s the goodburghers of 19th-centuryManchester powered gravy train. gear andtookoff onthecoal-fuelled, steam- dubbed ‘Cottonopolis’–kicked intohigh in1776,Manchesterand theopensea –now When thecanalwasextended toLiverpool again. bethesame and theworldwouldnever cotton millin1769.Thereafter, Manchester with Richard patenting Arkwright hissuper and thecoalminesatWorsley in1763,and Manchesterthe Bridgewater between Canal happened inthe1760s–withopeningof very industrialcity.Itall bigdisease-infested provincialsmall disease-infested townintoa how Manchester wastransformedfroma andsteam-poweredCanals cottonmillswere HISTORY future holdsinstore. that hasalready offered usavisionof whatthe ambitious programmeof urbandevelopment mementos of itspastwithaforward-looking, dustrial Age, butithasmanaged toweave the of developments role inthepioneering theIn- thatreflectfascinating museums itsunique and technology like nootherinBritain. tropolis thathasembraced21st-centurystyle of anyurbancentre inEurope,amodernme- evidence today. evidence the glass-and-chrome revolution somuch in city centre, butfromthewreckage sprung In 1996anIRAbomb wrecked a chunk of the ton producedinthe citytomake atablecloth. gether. ByWWIIthere cot- washardly enough began toslowdownandthenitstopped alto- textile trade;productioninManchester’s mills overand wastaking asizeablechunk of the had beguntoflexitsownindustrial muscles toward theendof the19thcentury.TheUSA for Victorianvalues. and Deathwouldbeunnoticeable’.Somuch Manchester the‘transitionbetween because commented thathewouldlike tolive here wereand fatalities commonplace. Mark Twain hours, child labour,work-related accidents impossiblyditions were long scarcelybetter: theindustrialslum.Workingcon- settlement: There wasplentyof gravy togoaround,but ManchesterNot onlydoes have awealthof The wheels started to come off thetrain tocomeoff started The wheels lonelyplanet.com ( £1; official websiteforGreater Manchester. Quarter, with its offbeat boutiques, hip cafés Quarter, withitsoffbeat boutiques,hipcafés rectly northistheon-the-upboho Northern Gardens, justsoutheastof the cathedral.Di- All publictransportconverges atPiccadilly ORIENTATION lonelyplanet.com Manchester Royal Infirmary Manchester Chemist Cameolord Services Medical Manchester Visit Manchester Virtual Manchester Real call:are youmadforit? clarion usingtheManchester and othernight-timeactivities ForIt Mad City Life Internet Resources easyInternetcafé Library Central Access Internet Police station Ambulance Emergency Waterstone’s Cornerhouse Bookshops INFORMATION chester United’s stars earntheirkeep. where footballstadium, Man-the OldTrafford North.Notfarawayis Imperial WarMuseum Quays, hometothefabLowrycomplexand Metrolink –are therecently Salford developed things. Furtherwestagain–andaccessiblevia weekend playgroundforthecity’sfineyoung canalside industrialinfrastructure intoagroovy that hassuccessfullyconverted the19th-century Deansgate Locks,asupertrendy development restaurants clustered aroundPortlandSt. just nexttoit,Chinatown,basicallyabunch of east istheGayVillage, centred St,and, onCanal and fabulousrecord shops.Afew blockssouth- h guide tonightlife. form. paperinelectronic evening h kitschy cards. kitschy andfilmbooks,specialistmagazines Oxford St)Art % Southwest of thecentre and isCastlefield h 8am-10pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pmSat&Sun) 8am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm) 837 3000) internet access1-6pmMon-Sat) (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk) Thecity’s (www.madforit.com) Restaurants, bars,clubs Restaurants, (www.madforit.com) ( % (
( Deansgate % % ( 436 3999) % (www.visitmanchester.com) The (8-10ExchangeSt;per30min£1; (www.realmanchester.com) Online 200 1514; www.cornerhouse.org; 70 200 1514;www.cornerhouse.org; MANCHESTER ••Orientation 872 5050;BootleSt) (www.manchester.com) ( 234 1982;StPeter’s Sq;per30min % ( % 236 1445;StPeter’s Sq; 832 1992); ( % 276 1234;Oxford Rd) StAnne’sSq miles of shelves. largest municipallibrary,withmore than 20 Champneys’ breathtaking Reading Room, footinside Basil toolongsince weset been the libraryfor latest. Come on,people!It’s ping ourfeet attheendof that summer–call after amajor renovation, butwewere stilltap- It wasslated toreopen bythemiddleof 2006 lands’ widowtoremember herhusbandJohn. 5343; 35Deansgate) VictorianGothic this marvellous An easycandidate fortopbuildingintown, LIBRARY RYLANDS JOHN Moore and David Hockney. Freud, Spencer,Henry Stanley FrancisBacon, of Lucien 20th-centuryBritish artstarring new galleryfeatures apermanentcollection best collectionof Pre-Raphaelite art.The Turner watercolours, aswellthecountry’s has animpressive collectionthatincludes37 (of ofBarry Houses Parliament fame)in1834, Tue-Sun) MosleySt;admissionfree; tergalleries.org; at thecity’stop number of Europeanmasters are ondisplay A superbcollectionof Britishartandahefty MANCHESTER ARTGALLERY &Sat) Fri Peter’s Sq;admissionfree; Pantheon lookalike which departsfromthetouristoffice. accessasyoudobyorganised tour,same main administrative centre youwon’tget the the buildingonyourown,butasit’scity’s an impressive tower. 85m-high Youcanvisit decoration, whiletheexterior iscrownedby Sq. Theinterior isrich insculpture andornate h superb VictorianGothic The city’s main administrative centre isthe City Centre SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES office Tourist Tourist Information Post office Post round andcostadult/child£5/3. ofguidedwalks,whichoperatealmostdailyyear- sorts forall tickets 5.30pm Mon-Sat,10am-4.30pmSun)Sells .gov.uk; StPeter’s TownHallExtension, Sq; Just behind the town hall, the elegant Roman Just behindthetownhall,elegantRoman tours 2pm Sat Mar-Sep) tours 2pmSatMar-Sep) . The older wing, designed by Charles . Theolderwing,designedbyCharles wasbuiltin1934.Itisthecountry’s
(Brazennose St; ( % wasonehellof awayforRy- gallery 0871 2228223;www.manchester h Central Library Central h that dominates Albert ( 10am-8pm Mon-Thu, 10am-6pm % 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) 235 8888;www.manches town hall (
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S t NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND ter, alandscape of enormous, weather-stained The heart of 19th-century industrialManches- Castlefield Urban HeritagePark large bay windowinthemainreading room. and Engels, favourite were whose seats bythe tury twoof itsregular users were Messrs Marx it notforthefactthatduringmid-19th cen- (1421). Itwouldn’tbehalfasinteresting were Mon-Fri) admissionfree; .uk; LongMillgate; Beautiful CHETHAM’S LIBRARY &SCHOOLOFMUSIC what it’slike onapark bench. tosleep away fromencouragingvisitors toconsider themes of shy urbanliving,andUrbisdoesn’t lessness, rootlessnessanddislocationare major a real storytohammerhomethetruth.Home- butthere’sand goodtotheorise, nothinglike and howtheyfare inManchester. It’sallwell people fromradicallydifferent backgrounds interactive videos,which tell storiesabout real informative timelines,butthebestpartsare the pelling photographs, interesting and statistics walls of thethree floors are covered incom- a cityworksand–often work.The –doesn’t Sun-Wed, 10am-8pmThu-Sat) fortemporaryexhibits; 2-4,chargevaries to levels 9099; www.urbis.org.uk; CityPark, CorporationSt;admissionfree The stunningglasstrianglethatis URBIS Hey, somefolksjust of earlyprinted booksandrare manuscripts. the chance togawkatthestunningcollection designed tolooklike amonasticlibrary,orhad 560 the spend more before timeperusingthecity’sexcellentshoppingdistricts examiningtherichesof Spread itineraryover thetwo-day three days,includingawholedaydevoted totheSalfordQuays; Four Days and roundthenightoffinaclub.The day,headtowards next posite ). Pick arestaurant – Museum North the hop onatramandgetdowntoSalfordQuaysitstriooftopattractions: After you’ve explored theglorioustrophiesofIndustrialAge around Two Days MANCHESTER IN… breaking upthespendfestbreaking withavisitto ( below ) before indulging inaspotof retail therapyaroundthe boutiques andoffbeatshopsofthe ACETR • ihs&Atvte MANCHESTER ••Sights&Activities isthecity’soldestcomplete structure Manchester Gallery Art Chetham’s eo , the ( below),
( % love is a museum about how abouthow is amuseum 834 7861;www.chethams.org h books! 9am-12.30pm & 1.30-4pm 9am-12.30pm &1.30-4pm Yang Sing ( p557). Lowry Urbis h ( opposite ) andthenthe Northern Quarter Northern (
10am-6pm 10am-6pm % ( p564) Urbis 907 907
will do to kick offtheevening –thenfindabarwill dotokick ( below ). Venture eastandgoalternative inthe exhibitions; .org.uk; forspecial LiverpoolRd;admissionfree, chargevaries The city’slargest MUSEUM OFSCIENCE&INDUSTRY itsfinepubsandtrendypatronise restaurants. of thousands peopleambleabout theplaceand it;insummertime runsthrough water Canal draw here TheBridge- Basin. isthe Castlefield Aside fromthehuge thebig sciencemuseum, transformed intoaninteresting heritage park. successfully ket hasbeen buildings,Castlefield canals, viaducts,bridges, warehouses andmar- strategy (toysoldiers optional),but Daniel hardwarea fascination formilitary andbattle generally with War museums appealtothose IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMNORTH Harbour Citystop. NorthandtheLowrylook forthe Museum via Metrolink (£1.80);fortheImperialWar It’s acinch toget there fromthecitycentre sure theyhave outletstospendtheirmoney. in thepunters, andashopping centre makes West of thecity,three major attractionsdraw Quays Salford story of Manchester up. fromthesewers mills, andtheexcellentexhibitiontelling the and locomotives, factorymachinery fromthe find itamongthecollectionof steam engines olution andManchester’s key roleinit,you’ll about theIndustrial(andpostindustrial)Rev- minal. Ifthere’s anythingyouwanttoknow railwayter-and theworld’soldestpassenger spread about twohuge Victorianwarehouses brick buildingsandrustingcast-ironrelics of ( p567). h Manchester United Museum Castlefield UrbanHeritage Park 10am-5pm) Millennium Quarter museum comprises 2.8hectares comprises Albert SquareAlbert (
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with tragicregularity. War ishell,ittells us,butit’sahellwerevisit Nov-Feb) Rd;admissionfree; Wharf seum North Libeskind’s visuallystunning lonelyplanet.com from Bangkok toBuenosAires,from Bangkok isthemost and supported footballclub,beloved of fans Here’s aparadox: theworld’smostfamous MUSEUM &TOUR) UNITED (MANCHESTER TRAFFORD OLD p566 ), galleries,shops,restaurants andbars. drawings. Italsoencapsulates twotheatres (see morecontains than300of his paintingsand impressions of northerntowns.TheLowry mostly noted forhisindustriallandscapesand land’s favourite artists,LSLowry,whois than amillionvisitors ayear. proved anunqualifiedsuccess,attractingmore quite astir whenitopenedin2000,buthas 11am-6pm Sun&Mon) Pier 8,SalfordQuays; really, butthe is afuturisticshipinpermanentdock.No,not Directly acrossthecanalfromwarmuseum LOWRY air,landandsea. of war: shards, thatrepresent the three maintheatres signed three separate-but-linked structures, or are genuinely breathtaking. Libeskindde- of theattraction,andexhibition spaces isahuge part aluminium-clad buildingitself are quite compelling,theextraordinary Although theaudiovisualsAlthough anddisplays The complexisnamedafter oneof Eng- worth checking out. checking worth If youcan’tgetenoughofannotated exhibits,Manchester hasanumberofothermuseums MORE MUSEUMS Hill Rd; adult/child Rd; £2.50/1.75; Hill Hill Rdin1894.FromPiccadillyHill bus59,89,135or167. Gardens, take TomSpencerat20Cheetham refugee Marks, whoopenedhisfirstshopwithpartner Michael tells thestoryofcity’sJewishcommunityinfascinating detail,includingthestoryofPolish Hill; adult/child£4/2; Hill; built inthelast100years. political struggles. leading lightofthe Britishsuffragette movement. life Ithasdisplaysonherremarkable and h The The Nearby, the wonderful Nearby, thewonderful 10am-5pm Mon-Fri) takes aradicallydifferent approach. Manchester Jewish Museum Pankhurst Centre (
% Lowry 836 4000; www.iwm.org.uk/north; Trafford 836 4000;www.iwm.org.uk/north; MANCHESTER •• Manchester forChildren MANCHESTER ••Manchester h looksabitlike one. Itcaused h ( 11am-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-8pmSat, 11am-8pm Tue-Fri,
h % istheconverted childhoodhome ofEmmelinePankhurst (1858–1928), a 10am-6pm Mar-Oct, 10am-5pm 10am-6pm Mar-Oct, 10am-5pm Wed,Sat&Sun) 876 2020;www.thelowry.com; h
Museum ofTransport ( % 10.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, to5pmSun), Imperial WarMu- Imperial 273 5673; www.pankhurstcentre.org.uk; 60-62NelsonSt;admission free;273 5673;www.pankhurstcentre.org.uk;
( % 834 9879;www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com;190Cheetham is packed witholdbuses,fire ispacked engines andlorries
of different activitiesandexhibitssuited to the perfect all-daydestination,offering ahost UrbanHeritageCastlefield Park ( opposite ) is the interactive displaysquite engaging,and Urbis ( opposite ) isalwaysfullof kidswhofind MANCHESTER FORCHILDREN can viewyourfavourite goals. call-upsystem soyou and astate-of-the-art ently, hasacomprehensive historyof theclub is partof thetourbutcanbevisited independ- museum get.will ever It’spretty impressive The stuff. asmanyof toecstasy theclub’sfans close tunnel tothepitchside dugout,which isas invited by the players) andawalkdownthe (from which themanager isbannedunless changing attheplayers’ rooms,apeek lounge astopinthe inthestands, includes aseat h you take the you’ll dohere. Westrongly recommend that stadium heraldingthearrivalofirritating, ABCs). dominanceisjustas Chelsea’s though (even since Fergie’s boyshave wonachampionship afewand cheer thefactthatit’sbeen years the rest of usintoABUs (AnyoneButUnited) toturn minor deities.Such arroganceisenough holy groundandthestars thatplaythere like BusbyWay; (www.manutd.com; SirMatt jealousy, whiletreating the fans snigger anddismiss thisassmall-minded cross-town rivals,Manchester City.United inManchesterbase thanitsfarlesssuccessful hated club in Englandandhasasmallerfan ( % But there’s nodenyingthatavisittothe every 10min9.40am-4.30pmexceptmatchdays) every 205 2122;www.gmts.co.uk; BoyleSt,Cheetham
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( % 0870 4421994;adult/child£9/6; h Old Trafford stadium Old Traffordstadium 9.30am-5pm) h 9.30am-5pm) , which , which
561 like NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND member that during the football season (Au- member that duringthefootball season ofmainstay thecity’s accommodations. Re- Designer digsand businesshotels are the SLEEPING mosphere located in…aformerpublictoilet. ( p564 pubwith aterrific at- ), atinybasement with apintintheTemple of Convenience KurtCobain. really scruffy it’s bestifyoulooklike Marilyn Manson ora Palace ( p567 ), where inordertogounnoticed cry fromthealternative circusthatisAffleck’s above ), aplacevirtuallynobody visits.It’safar theboxed (see text, Observatory the Godlee lous) viewof thecity,climbto theparapetof foradifferentHowever, (andaltogether fabu- cadilly Circusandyou’llknowwhatwemean. timeonPic- ity inManchester: spend enough You don’thave toworktoohardfindodd- QUIRKY MANCHESTER House,QuaySt) Overseas from thekids, family-oriented Manchester. prehensive aspectof guidetovirtuallyevery office andallbookshops inthecity,isacom- war notbeingabunch of laughs. into doublefigures on withitsthemesbased is designedtoengage theinterest of kidsbarely while the ImperialWarMuseumNorth( p560 ) fans, whoare getting younger andyounger, ( Old Trafford p561 ) isalwayspopular with younger visitors. Manchester United’s ground 562 When you’re done,you’llhave tounwind If you’re lookingforsomefree timeaway City Life Kids nology (UMIST). Manchester Institute ofScienceandTech- are exceptional.It’slocated atUniversity of but theviewsofcityfrombalcony glimpse theheavens (iftheweatherallows), telescope are original. Notonlycanyou even theropeandwheelsthatmove the with itsoriginal Grubbtelescope inplace; observatory in 1902,itisafullyfunctioning the mostinteresting placesintown.Built admission free; St; nastro.co.uk; Bldg,UMIST,Sackville flG,Sackville GodleeObservatory but hardlyanyoneever visitsthefabulous Maybe it’sthevertiginous spiralstaircase, THE SKY’SLIMIT ACETR • uryMnhse MANCHESTER ••QuirkyManchester h Early Years &Play (£4), available atthetourist by appointmentonly) isacity-centre crèche. ( % 200 4977;www.ma
( % , oneof 234 7117; successful warehouse conversion thathasre- tional residence hallstosmart,modernflats 9000 bedsinavarietyof rooms,fromtradi- with ensuite, andahostof goodfacilities. class facilitywithfour- andsix-bed dorms,all one of thebesthostels inthecountry.It’sa top- area built canalsidehostel intheCastlefield is dminclbreakfast £20.95; Wharf; get thebestof alternative Manchester. Northern Quarter, youwon’thave togofar location toboot.Smackintheheartof the now oneof thebesthostels intown,with only leftovers of thisformermilliner’sfactory, The old-styleliftandporcelainsinksare the ton St;dm/s/d/trfrom£15.50/27.50/50/68; andbookings. day) fordetails theoffice(9amto5pmMondayFri- Call the university aroaringsummertrade. does spread andsuburbs, thecampuses throughout Rd; dm/dfrom£11/26; Centre, Oxford Precinct 2888; CentralAccommodationsOffice, ofScience&TechnologyInstitute (UMIST) ofManchester ofManchester/University University BUDGET City Centre (£3) can help. service a bed,thetouristoffice’s accommodation home. Ifyou are finding having difficulty to findifManchester United isplayingat gust toMay), roomscanbealmostimpossible palaces has resulted inapretty specialboutique of Manchester’s mostmagnificent Victorian St; rfrom£80) Palace Hotel TOP END for thelocation. heart of It’sthebestdealintown Castlefield. above afinegastropub (see opposite ) inthe nine oxblood-red rooms withtidyamenities extra), butanexcellentchoice nonetheless: Not quite yourtraditionalB&B(breakfast is free toguests. including afitnesscentre andpoolthatare roomsandexcellentamenities, comfortable overlooking thecanalbasin.Ithasspacious, modernbusinesshotelsulted inathoroughly Liverpool Rd;s/dfrom£45/80; Castlefield MIDRANGE Ox Hatters YHA Manchester ( % 839 7740;www.theox.co.uk; 71LiverpoolRd;r£50)
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( % 827 4000; www.rfhotels.com; 50Dearman’s 827 4000;www.rfhotels.com; Coronation Street MANCHESTER ••Eating
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£4; pura onion rings, beefsteak tomatoes and tomatoes pura onionrings,beefsteak about anoven-roasted T-bone steak withtem- in theprocess.TheBrit andearnedplentyofwhole newlevel kudos boozer-dininggastropub haselevated toa mains £9-12; Ox MIDRANGE is£5. salad The house discuss theday’sgoings-on.Awonderfulspot. types –tositaroundover aspotof lunch and body comeshere –fromcrustiestocorporate sit-down eatery inonelarge, airyroom.Every- New York–styledeli,smallsupermarket and Northern Quarter’s mostpopularcaféisa and vegan-friendly menuissubstantial. teas tohomeopathicremedies. Thevegetarian- about yourplaceintheworld,fromFairtrade tomake everything and sells youfeel good friendly hang-outisafavourite withstudents proved after amajor cleanup,thisenvironment- back formore. excellent organic soupsthatkept uscoming toasties andwrapsare delicious,butit’sthe in theNorthernQuarter.possibly need The youmight this isyouronestopforeverything art galleryandretro furniture shopallinone, trendy café,hiprecord store, contemporary h And Café BUDGET is butasmallstarter course. over. Many bars andpubsalsodofood.Below the city’sfancyfare isspread pretty much all also findsomeexcellentveggie spots),while day intheNorthernQuarter (where you’ll Pakistani eateries. Organic istheorderof the concentrationofunsurpassed Indianand Oxford St/Rd),akatheCurryMile,withits h Love Saves theDay Saves Love Eighth Day
TOP FIVEPUBSFORAPINT ( 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pmSat,noon-5pmSun) 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, % Temple ofConvenience ( p564 ; Liverpool) (p579; Philharmonic Liverpool) (p579; Hannah’s Manchester) (p564; Protection Britons Albion( p571 ; Chester) Manchester) 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat) 839 7740;www.theox.co.uk; 71LiverpoolRd; ( % h
( 834 1136; 74-76 High St;sandwiches£3; 834 1136;74-76High % lunch &dinner) 273 4878; 111 Oxford Rd; mains around 273 4878;111OxfordRd;mainsaround
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A NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND chester withsomestyleandplentyof success. primarily, butlotsof English touches) toMan- French cuisine with worldinfluences(Asian Blancbringshiswinningformulaof Raymond this basement restaurantthis basement andfindyourself in Chinese restaurant YangChinese inBritain, Singat- King St;mains£9-18; King h pretty, but it’svery good. best.Itain’tespecially count of theseason’s and itchanges monthorsototake every ac- menu atthisNorthernQuarter restaurant – at night untilclosing. Sandwichesat night are £2.50. the punters inatlunch, while DJskeep itgoing An excellentbarmenu (mains£7to£9)packs this terrific barinthemiddle of student-land. ice-cool handof Scandinavian designisallover one of thechoice spotsinthearea. average barmenu(mains £5to£8)make this andabetter-than-to be. Great nicestaff beer, try itdoesn’t hemian crowdprecisely because Quarter very stalwart, popularwiththebo- Bar Centro Bars a mere handful. hood intownhasitsfavourites; belowwelist the atmosphere of afreezer. Every neighbour- were designedbyateam of architects buthave but have plentyof character, totheonesthat chester, fromthereally grungyonesthatsmell There’s kindof every drinking holeinMan- DRINKING dinnerSat) Fri, St;mains£10-14; rant.com; 104High pronounce thedishes’names. cies of each item topunters whocanbarely the waiters willpatientlyexplaintheintrica- banquetthefoodissuperb,and a fullevening cuisine. Fromadim-sumlunch to Cantonese tracts diners fromallover withitsexceptional so bookahead. Madrid thanManchester. It’salwayspacked and thekindof buzzmore inkeeping with posterswatering tapas, depictingbullfighting a littlecornerof Spain,complete withmouth- £9-13; an almostexclusively Australianwinelist. Portobello mushrooms –iscomplemented by 564 El Rincón delRafa El Rincón Kro Bar Restaurant Market Le Petit Blanc Yang Sing lunch &dinner) ACETR • rnig MANCHESTER ••Drinking h lunch &dinner)
( %
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( % 274 3100;www.kro.co.uk; 325OxfordRd) 835 2863;72-74Tib St) ( % h A serious contender forbest A serious 236 2200; 34 Princess St;mains£9-16; 236 2200;34Princess 832 1000;www.lepetitblanc.co.uk; 55
lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) ( % ( % Descendthesteps into 839 8819; Longworth St;mains 839 8819;Longworth 834 3743;www.market-restau h lunch &dinnerWed- ANorthern Top chef Topchef The The umbrella factory. ambienceinthisformer you’ll findtheright old-fashioned boozer. Whatever yourmood, isbothtrendydoors new-stylebarand Ra!n to Dukes 92forbestoutdoordrinking, in- beverage of choice atthisliver-threatening, St) meals (mainsaround£6). Manchester good-value HQ.Italsodoes bar who workjustacrossthestreet intheBeeb’s employees old-timers andacliqueof BBC It’safavouritein thebasement. withstudents, PrincessStthatbrewsclassic off itsownbeer Lass O’Gowrie Pubs public toilet.Hardly pub. yourbog-standard tion of spirits,allcrammedinto aconverted about 30hasagreat jukebox andafineselec- ter St) good secret. Youkindof are. that willmake youthinkyou’re ontoareally menus intown,thisterrific baristhekind cool andboastingoneof the best cocktail as theoriginal. tothecitybutnotquite asclassy It’s closer younger brotherisnexttotheBBC. Bar’s Oxford St;admission £6-12; favourites. News socheckclub nights, the floor. There’s aforever-changing mixture of at thevanguardof theculture of the dance city hasaterrific clubsceneanditremains Madchester isdead,longlive Madchester. The Nightclubs ENTERTAINMENT no better spottoenjoyapintof ale. –hencethename. Ifit’ssunny,there’sCanal outside, overlooking lock92of theRochdale sofascomfy, deep inside andplentyof seating once belonged totheduke of Bridgewater, has inconvertedbest pub,housed that stables fancy stuff. around £7).Anold-fashioned boozer, no style meals(boar,venison andthelike; mains Tudor-proper English pub thatalsodoes Socio Rehab Whisky–200different kindsof it–isthe Music Box Box Music Protection Britons Temple ofConvenience Kro 2 Ra!n Dukes 92 Dukes This tiny basement barwithacapacityof Thistinybasement for details of are fordetails what’son.These our
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% h ( 236 5895; 50 Great Bridgewater 236 5895;50Great Bridgewater
% Wed-Sat) Manchester Evening 288 9834;Great Bridgewa- lonelyplanet.com Deep inJilly’s Deep Tiny, super- Castlefield’s Castlefield’s AVictorian Arival Kro and café. releases; alsohasagallery,bookshophouse lonelyplanet.com .manchestertheatres.co.uk; QuaySt) .manchestertheatres.co.uk; premiere fringe venue in town. Room Green Theatre stream screens. releases onitsseven Oxford Rd) centre; there’s alsoanIMAXtheatre. complex inthemiddleof thePrintworks ExchangeSq) Printworks, Oxford St) Cornerhouse Cinemas eclecticmixofsame alternative anddance. Saturday isDiscoRescue,which ismore of the from IbrahimFerrer toNorthernSoul;and featuring everything isRock’n’RollBar, night theweekend:ment clubtokickoff Friday St;admission£5-6; King to garage andfunkyhouse. withitsdevotion club defiesallexpectations really goodmusic,butthislittlebasement always augurwellifyou’re lookingforsome names like Angel andVenus Deelite don’t & Sat) terrific one-offs. KeepMr Scruff’s itUnreal, aswellahostof suchfor thesuperbmonthlyclubnights, as too. else’s, most everyone Thepunters come club intownand–judgingbythequeuesal- Rockworld complexyou’llfindourfavourite Manchester Opera House Manchester Odeon Cinema Filmworks Club V South Lesbian &Gay Foundation 166 0434;www.manchesterpride.com) clubs, restaurants andhotels thatcater almostexclusively tothepinkpound. is www.visitgaymanchester.co.uk. and groups. Italsorunsthe Lesbian VillageGuide, The city’sgaysceneisunsurpassedoutsideLondon,andcaters toevery taste. The useful MANCHESTER LESBIAN & GAY tracts moretracts than500,000people. .queerupnorth.com) other information,checkwiththe tour ofthecity’spinklinks,somewhichdateminute backtotheearly1800s. walking For White leathersofas with andclubnights The country’s biggest gay and lesbian arts festival,The country’sbiggestgayandlesbianarts ofitallistheGayVillage,At centred theheart ongorgeous Canal St.Here youwillfindbars, Youronlydestinationforgoodart- Chaincinemathatshowsonlymain-
( ( % %
( 834 9975;111Deansgate;admission£5; ( % ( 831 7756;www.south-club.co.uk; 4aSouth % % (
0870 0102030;www.thefilmworks.co.uk; MANCHESTER ••Entertainment % 236 1677; 54 Whitworth StW) 236 1677;54Whitworth 228 2463; www.cornerhouse.org; 70 228 2463;www.cornerhouse.org; , takes placeevery inspring2007. , takes twoyears–thenext h 0870 5050007;www.odeon.co.uk; 1 Ultramodern20-screen Fri &Sat) Fri availablefromthetouristoffice,listsnumerousgaybars,clubs,galleries
Anexcellentbase- WestEnd shows ( % ( % Lesbian &Gay Heritage Trail 242 2509; www isa10-dayfestival inthemiddleofAugust eachyearandat- 235 8035;www.lgf.org.uk; Manchester Gay Centre The h Fri Fri beneath the Central Library. beneath theCentral and basketball teams). well asbeingthehomeof thecity’sice-hockey arena that hostslarge-scale rockconcerts(as an enthusiasticcrowd. theirpacesinfrontofthrough whatisusually houselive.co.uk; 8-10NewtonSt) events. as wellexhibitionsandindoorsporting concerts bynot-quite-supersuccessful bands -micc.co.uk) good measure. splashes of jazz,bluesandfolkthrowninfor fromrocktoworldmusic,with everything .org; 25SwanSt) Band ontheWall ROCK MUSIC Live Music magnificent, moderntheatre-in-the-round. ing contemporary playsare atthis standard Sq) programme. and lavish musicalsmake upthebulkof the Oldplaysandnewworkinasmalltheatre MEN Arena Roadhouse Manchester Royal Exchange Library Theatre G-Mex ExhibitionCentre G-Mex TOP FIVEMANCHESTER ALBUMS
Queer Up North Queer UpNorth Strangeways Here We Come Stone Roses Some Friendly Pills Thrills &Bellyaches Permanent h ( 4-10pm). % Amidsizevenue thathostsrock
(£5; 274 3814;SydneySt,Salford)
Atop-notch venue thathosts ( h % JoyDivision The city’sbestpinkwebsite The StoneRoses
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% ( % Manchester Pride % 3pm 1stSunofmonth) Charlatans 950 5000;Great DucieSt) 236 7110;CentralLibrary,StPeter’s 833 9833;StAnne’sSq) 834 1786;www.bandonthewall (IQUP;
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( Local bandsare put % HappyMondays % 228 1789;www.theroad 834 2700;www.gmex 833 2288;www The Smiths
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565 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND equals football, andfootball meansMan- For most people,Manchester plussport Sport other contemporary offerings. of extremely classicalmusicand high-quality .rncm.ac.uk; 124OxfordRd) groups. Choirandensemble Cantata of concertsbythe Hosts asummerseason of performances,fromdancetocomedy. and 460-capacityQuays–hostadiverse range Quays) music. children’s shows,comedy andcontemporary programme thatincludesopera,folkmusic, ayear,withwidespreadconcerts andevents impressive concerthall,which hostsupto250 Orchestra hasitshomeatthisenormousand .co.uk; Lower MosleySt) Hall Bridgewater CLASSICALMUSIC 566 Royal Northern College of Music CollegeofMusic Royal Northern Cathedral Manchester Lowry Drawn Boy or the funky hip-hop beats of Rae &Christian.Drawn Boyorthefunkyhip-hopbeatsofRae Music Box; see p564 thefolksyguitarstyleofBadly), forinstance,doesn’tsoundanythinglike jazzy housegiant itUnreal MrScruff(whoseexcellentKeep nightsare yoursforthedancingat engendered, sound: mostofthecity’smusicaltalentsrefuse tobelabelledashaving anyparticular but give andco anydayoftheweek. usMorrissey, Maher selves They asanythingotherthanasuper-successful mayhave flash-in-the-pan. theirmillions, as thetiresome posturingoftheGallagherbrothers,resulted intheirinabilitytoestablishthem- or two–butOasis’almosttotaldebttotheBeatles’chordstructures andmelodylines,aswell familiar isolation.AndthenOasishitthescene. The crossover disappeared fertile apart. andthetwo genres scenevirtually withdrew intoamore The Haçiendawentbust,theHappyMondaysnutsandStoneRoseseventually fell knownasMadchester wasofficiallyopened. Thescene withtheinfectious party ‘Hallelujah’. a druggie guitarsoundthatdrove dancerswild.AroundthesametimeHappyMondayshit released ‘FoolsGold’,apulsatinghitwiththerapidshuffleofJamesBrown’s‘Funky Drummer’and their soundstosuittheclubbers’needs. The mostsuccessfulwastheStoneRoses,whoin1989 late intownwas‘madforit’. inthedecade,itseemedthatevery kid Park apostles,andwhenecstasyhitthescene andJonDaSilvawere themusic’smostimportant Pickering,embraced thenewsoundcomingoutofChicagoandDetroit:house. DJsMike Graeme day thebest-selling 12ininBritishhistory. Records –thelabelthatin1983released ‘BlueMonday’,tothis NewOrder’sground-breaking presenter and musicimpresariothen thechiefengineer wasTV TonyWilson,founderofFactory It isoften claimedthatManchester istheengine roomofBritishpop.Ifthisisindeedthecase, THE MADCHESTER SOUND Twotheatres –the1750-capacityLyric ACETR • netimn MANCHESTER ••Entertainment Today, there isnosuchthingasMadchester. Eagertotranscendtheclichésthattheirsuccess They mayhave beenManchester’s mostsuccessfulever band–andauthorsofacatchytune It wasover by1992.Overdancedandoverdrugged, upwithaterrible thecitywoke hangover. Heavily influencedbythesenewarrivals,thecity’sguitarbandstooknoticeandbeganshaping With thecash,Wilsonopenednow-legendaryHaçienda,whichreally tookoffwhenit
( % 876 2000;www.thelowry.com;Pier 8,Salford
( % Theworld-renowned Hallé Presents afullprogramme 907 9000;www.bridgewater-hall
( % 833 2220; Victoria St) 833 2220;Victoria ( % 907 5555;www
1894; www.mcfc.co.uk; adult/child £8.75/4.75; ( Cricket isabig dealhere, andthe CLUB CRICKET LANCASHIRE COUNTY booked inadvance. being steered intothekitshop.Tours mustbe dressing before roomsandmuseum inevitably 4.30pm Mon-Sat,11am-3pmSun) enjoy the Stadium chester team moved tothespanking-new underachiever, Manchester City.In 2003the Manchester’s best-loved team istheperennial CITY MANCHESTER machine. huge heartratherthanthewell-oiledfootball supporting thescrappyunderdogwith ers, mostMancunians are more comfortable here inManchester. Like allgoodnorthern- &Activitiessection, Sights p561 ) butnot (which iswhyUnitedelse are covered inthe chester United. Thatmaybetrueeverywhere % 282 4000;Warwick Rd) Manchester City Experience CityExperience Manchester
(Sportcity, Rowsley St) (Sportcity, , founded in1816asthe , atourof theground, lonelyplanet.com . Here youcan Lancashire ( % City ofMan- h 0870 062 9.30am-
club
Northern Quarter, thisisafour-storey ware- Britain. by17locations throughout don; it’s served in Lancashire’s calendar is the Roses match calendaristheRoses in Lancashire’s championship since1930.Thereally bigmatch teams, despite nothaving wonthecounty one of themostbeloved of allEngland’scounty Aurora before changing itsnamein1864,is lonelyplanet.com airport.co.uk) Airport Manchester Air GETTING THERE&AWAY West End. grown andinternational –isnowcalledthe attractive boutiquesfordesigners, bothhome St Anne’sSq,KingandBridge St–fullof ditionally upmarket shoppingarea around Everything acatchy needs name,sothetra- West End terrific retro gear fromthe1960sand’70s. ( shops, includingthemarvellous turned intoasocialdayout. Goths andtherest of thegloomeratihave fullofhouse outletsthatManchester’s teenage centre threads. urban wear,retro fashionsandotherleft-of- dependent retailers stockingallmannerof hip wholesalers have givenRag-trade waytoin- Northern Quarter Cathedral St). ment stores, chichi boutiquesandthekingof alldepart- cade isthehotnewshopping district,fullof Sq andtheimpressive Triangleshoppingar- The area St,Exchange aroundNewCathedral Millennium Quarter budget iscatered for. taste intoorbit;every and a shopper’spulse ofThe huge selection shops here willsend SHOPPING played here occasionally. local heroAndrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff,are also thesummer. runsthroughout season (admission £10to£15)are agreat dayout.The that one,theothergamesincountyseason against Yorkshire, butifyou’re notaroundfor % The rest of theneighbourhood isfullof great International test matches, recently starring Affleck’s Palace Affleck’s 839 3160;Unit8,SmithfieldBldg,OldhamSt) isthelargest airport outsideLon- Harvey Nichols Harvey MANCHESTER ••Shopping
(Oldham St)
( % 489 3000;www.manchester , Attheheartof the ( % 828 8888;21New Oxfam Original , which has , which has
express.com) Piccadilly train stations andG-MexPiccadilly trainstations (for Salford stations. with rail links toPiccadilly, Oxford Rdand byDeansgate station isserved Castlefield TRAIN machine. Quays. Buyyourtickets fromtheplatform aswellfurtherafieldtoSalford Castlefield) .metrolink.co.uk) There are frequent METROLINK Gardens. fromPiccadilly start office. Mostlocalbuses You canpickuparoute mapfromthetourist the heartof Manchester 10minutes. every bus4providesCentreline a BUS Gardens; ( contact buses, port, includingnight Metrolink £7).Forinquiriesabout localtrans- £5; trainandMetrolink £5.50;bus,trainand £3.50; busandtrain£4.50;Metrolink withavarietyofused DaySaver tickets (bus The excellentpublictransportsystem canbe Public Transport and acoach £3. costs£3.40, train toorfromVictoriastation The airport is12milessouthof thecity.A To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND London (£101,three daily). hours, seven Newcastle (£40.70,three hours, sixdaily)and Lime St(£8.30,45minutes, half-hourly), Liverpool (£11.75, 1¼hours, half-hourly), by Metrolink. TrainsheadtoBlackpool areand Bradford.Thetwostations linked Halifax serves Victoriastation try, although for trainstoandfromtherest of thecoun- Manchester Piccadillyisthemainstation Train hourly). hour, hourly)andLondon(£21,4¾hours, (£7.80,one (£5.80, 1¼hours, hourly),Leeds city centre. DestinationsincludeLiverpool hourly fromChorltonStcoach inthe station National Express Bus % 228 7811; www.gmpte.com; 9 Portland St,Piccadilly 228 7811;www.gmpte.com; 9Portland h serves mostmajor citiesalmost serves 8am-8pm). trams between Victoria and tramsbetween ( % Metrolink Metrolink 08705 808080;www.national free service around free service ( % 205 2000;www Travelshop 567
NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND 10am-4pm Sun May-Oct, 10am-5pmMon-SatNov-Apr) 10am-4pm SunMay-Oct, Tourist office Tourist Post office i-station Centre Visitors’ Chester RoyalInfirmary Chester Constabulary Cheshire Information the fourprincipalgates. marks thetowncentre), fourroadsfanoutto FromtheCross(thestonepillarwhich intact. where theRomanstreet pattern isrelatively Most placesof interest are insidethewalls Orientation andshop. visitors come,see as amajor retail centre andtourist hotspot: Chester ekes living outafairlysubstantial Chester fell behind Liverpool inimportance. but theRiver silted upover Dee timeand portinthenorthwest, the mostimportant the MiddleAges Chester madeitsmoneyas Britain. thelargesttra Devana, Romanfortress in built duringRomantimeswhenitwasCas- of TudorandVictorianbuildings originally red-sandstone wallgiftwrapsatidycollection greatest giftstothecontemporary visitor. Its Marvellous Chester isoneof Englishhistory’s % CHESTER mostly about Chester. of handsome,gentle us,however, Cheshire is like abitof blingandtradition.Fortherest gates: nothinggives theillusionof goodtaste monstrosities behindthetop-grade security footballers tolive choose inthemansionsand Englande, which isprobably whysomany fields aroundthem.It’salittlebitof yeolde andtheFriesiancowsthatgrazein houses Tudor farm- on thegenuine half-timbered black-and-white kindof place–ifyoufocus pool, largely agricultural Cheshire isavery cerati millionaires of Manchester andLiver- The favourite countyof residence forthesoc- CHESHIRE 568 chester.com; Vicar’sLane; May-Oct, 10am-5pm Mon-SatNov-Apr) May-Oct, Northgate St; Northgate Besides itsobvious eleganceandgrace, Besides ittoday,butthroughout It’s hardtobelieve 01244 /pop80,130 HSIE • hse CHESHIRE ••Chester ( % (2StJohnSt; h ( 401680; RufusCt;netaccess per30min£1) % 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat,10am-4pm Sun 402111; www.chester.gov.uk; h ( h ( % ( % % 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat& 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) 350000; CastleEsplanade) 351609; www.visit 365000; St Martin’s Way) 365000; StMartin’s streets thatfanoutineach direction from of galleriedarcadesalongthefour two-level Chester’s othergreat drawisthe THE ROWS tollgate intothecity. oldest timber-framed buildingandoncea Bridge), isthe1664 gate the in1897. Victoria’sDiamondJubilee Queen builtfor after London’sBigBen, in Britain where themostfamous youcansee most eye-catching istheprominent current positionsincearound1200. the followingcenturiesbuthave retained their 70, thewallswere altered over substantially Originally builtbytheRomansaroundAD the wallsthatsurroundhistoriccentre. character istowalkthe2-milecircuitalong ofA goodwaytoget Chester’s asense unique WALLSCITY Sights&Activities Take a1¼-hour the structure from theearlymonastic years. are unaltered essentially andretain much of century cloister anditssurrounding buildings Victorianface-lift,the12th- a substantial year. wasgiven thecathedralitself Although was reconsecrated asacathedralthefollowing as partof Henry VIII’sdissolution frenzy, but in1540 to StWerburgh. The abbeywasclosed remains of anearlierSaxonchurch dedicated 1-5pm Sun) cathedral.com; adult/child£4/1.50; The OTHER SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES arrivals builttheirs ontop. against theresulting rubblebanks,whilelater traders builttheirshopscrumbled, medieval thatastheRomanwallsslowlyis believed origin of theRowsisalittle unclear,butit collection of individuallyownedshops. The afantastic and mock)buildingsthathouse some mixof VictorianandTudor(original the centralCross.Thearchitecture isahand- twisted ankle. city of ourwish wasnota thisclaimbecause wish willcometrue. Wequestionthevera- stepsuneven whileholdingyourbreath your claims thatifyoucanrunupanddownthese Just insideSouthgate, knownhere as At thesoutheastern cornerof thewallsare Of themanyfeatures alongthewalls, wishing steps (as it’satthenorthernendof theOldDee cathedral was a Benedictine abbey builtonthe was aBenedictine
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569 B2 B1 C2 B3 B2 C3 B2 B3 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND ture pointforriver (see cruises below ) oars orsmallengines.Thisisalsothedepar- through areconstructedthrough Romanstreet with down totheriverside promenadeknownas little more than steps buriedingrass. tators (makingitthecountry’slargest), now of the duke andduchess of Westminster. All a forayintothegorgeous Estate, home Eaton including upanddowntheDee, long cruises led by Caius Julius Quartus; perfect if you’ve kids intow. ifyou’vekids perfect led byCaiusJuliusQuartus; h thousand yearsofChesterhistory. Thu, Sat & Sun May-Oct) Exactly whatitsaysonthetin. Exactly Thu, Sat&SunMay-Oct) Groves andcostfrom£6to£13.50. departures are fromtheriverside alongthe .co.uk) tact You canalsotake acruise con- along theDee; Chester Secret Roman SoldierPatrols Hunter History Trail Ghosthunter 1½andtwohours. tourlastsbetween Each walking tours departingfrombothcentres. The twotouristoffices offer abroadrange of Tours boats the sion free) find what’sleftof the tors outsidethecitywalls.Here Centre, you’ll Roman remains isopposite theChester Visi- was like. the aimof showingyouwhatRomanlife £4.25; .dewaromanexperience.co.uk; Pierpoint Lane;admission ing room,bedroomandbathroom. completeGeorgian withkitchen, house, draw- At thebackof isapreserved themuseum 570 tour, looking forthingsthatgobumpin thenight. tour, looking Theubiquitousghost SatonlyNov-May) Thu-Sat Jun-Oct, Steps atthebackof theamphitheatre lead The city’s most complete set ofThe city’smostcomplete set genuine The visitor attractions. at more than200restaurants, shopsand ist officesoronline, toget20%discount Buy thenew A BITOFCHARISMA charisma.com; £5.99), charisma.com; 1.45pm Thu-Sat Jun-Aug) This tour of Fortress Deva is Deva 1.45pm Thu-SatJun-Aug)ThistourofFortress Groves Bithell Boats for details of fordetails its 30-minute andhour-
h HSIE • hse CHESHIRE ••Chester (per hr£6-8; ; onceanarena 7000spec- thatseated Dewa RomanExperience 9am-5pm) . Here youcanhire different kindsof (adult/child£4/3; (adult/child £4.50/3.50; h
( Charisma Card (adult/child£4.50/3.50; , just off Bridge, justoff St,takes you % 9am-6pm Apr-Sep) 9am-6pm Apr-Sep) availablefromthe tour- 325394; www.showboatsofchester (adult/child£4.50/3.50; Roman amphitheatre Roman amphitheatre h
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www.chestergrosvenor.com; 58EastgateSt;s/d/stefrom action and you’ll sleep inrelativeaction andyou’llsleep luxury. make foraterrific option–you’re tothe close withinthecitywalls some 17th-centuryhouse p antique bedsandgreat river views. home overlooking Theroomshave theDee. than thiswonderfullypositionedVictorian You won’tfindamore tranquilspotintown premises. also acafeteria, akitchen andashoponthe fromtwoto10people;there’sthat sleep city centre, thishostel hasavarietyof dorms elegant Victorianhomeabout amilefromthe .org.uk; 40HoughGreen; dm£17.50) per person. ple of good-value B&Bsfromaround£22 price B&Bs. to theM53/M56,islinedwithlow-mid- centre and leadingbeyondtherailwaytracks Hoole Rd,a10-to15-minute walkfromthe ofbut withineasywalkingdistance thecentre. the accommodationisoutsidecitywalls options –includingthecity’sbestmostof tember, forahandfulof bookearly.Except If you’re andSep- Easter visitingbetween Sleeping opposite ). Somepubsdogreat menu standard. grub (see quality of the fare isoften barely above tourist- There’s noshortage of places toeat,butthe Eating downstairs (see opposite ). There’s alsoaMichelin-starred restaurant residents) offers arange of body treatments. all modcons;thespa(which isopentonon- rooms have exquisite periodfurnishings and with thebestlocation.Thehuge, sprawling £120/190/380; posters. beds, includingahandfulof elegant four- furniture andperiodcast-ironwooden fabrics andwallcoverings, superbantique styled roomsare dressed inthebestItalian a worthywinneritwastoo. Theindividually Small Hotel of theYear’ awardfor2006–and wonEnglandTourism’s‘Best rian townhouse .co.uk; 60HooleRd;r from£150) Chester Grosvenor Hotel &Spa Hotel Grosvenor Chester o Townhouse Chester Villa Grove YHAHostel Chester Brook St, near the train station, hasacou- Brook St,nearthetrainstation, ) Five beautifullydecorated roomsinahand- Green Bough Green Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com pi
( % 349713; 18TheGroves;s/dfrom£30/48) ) Thebesthotel intown ( %
( ( % % 350021; 23 King St; s/d £45/70; St;s/d£45/70; 350021; 23King This exclusive Victo- 0870 7705762;www.yha 326241; www.greenbough Located inan
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Edwardian classic pub is a throwback to a time Edwardian classicpubisathrowbacktotime plenty of UnionJacks). This ‘familyhostile’ music, andnomachines orbigscreens (but bar, coffee bar and tapas bar.bar, coffee barandtapas pain auchocolat is perfect fora French placeonthetoptierof theRowsthat town isalsooneof themosthandsome:avery meals £5-7; lonelyplanet.com leave from the TownHall Bus Exchange. On the chester (£5.70,1¼hours, three daily). don (£21,5½hours, three daily)andMan- Liverpool (£6.20,onehour, three daily),Lon- (£10.20,2½hours,Birmingham fourdaily), city insidetheringroad.Destinations include 808080; www.nationalexpress.com) The coachfor station BUS Getting There&Away sion £3-10,free before 10pm) meals(mains£8to£10). Also serves itdoggedly refuses because tomodernise. cisely one of thefinestpubsinnorthwestEnglandpre- other wordforingrainedprejudices. Still,thisis when ale-drinkingstillhaditsown role. Great for both apintandbite. casse- peppered sausage orspicyItalian beef from £4.95)offers updishes such asJamaican the surprisinglyadventurous menu(mains fashioned boozer withalovely atmosphere; Falcon Drinking to prove it. sophisticated andhasaMichelinplease), star baby squid.It’selegant(gentlemen injackets, with air-dried turbotwith hamandbraised inspired classicssuch astranche of monkfish upasumptuousfeast of French-Arkle serves Irish champion SimonRadley’s racehorse, £55; ter GrosvenorHotel&Spa,58EastgateSt;3-coursedinners private bar. It’sbehind thecathedral. which include theDiningRoomandStudy Chester version isspread over three floors, a very pleasingandpopularoneatthat.The mains £9-11; Boulevard delaBastille Boulevard For information on local bus services, ring For informationon localbusservices, Alexander’s JazzTheatre Arkle Living Room Albion h Cheshire Bus Line Cheshire ( % dinner Tue-Sat) (
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573
B2 D2 E1 F3 D2 F3 D3 C1 C2 C1 E1 F3 D1 F3 E3 C2 C3 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND Prescot St) of the tourist office. of thetourist Themainbranch 6pm Mon-Sat,11am-4pmSunOct-Mar) h area.Greater Mersey the sungoesdown. Everything youneedtoknowaboutwhatgoesonwhen Maritime Museum; Museum; Maritime £1; with the tourist office; check fortimes. newly renovated hallare runinconjunction then relax toastringquartet. it wasbuiltaslaw courts offering of neoclassicalarchitecture. Curiously, .com) ing, Arguably Liverpool’s mostimpressive build- ST GEORGE’SHALL Centre City find mostof Liverpool’s real day-to-daylife. city’s history,butthecitycentre iswhere you’ll tourist drawandthekey tounderstanding the The wonderful AlbertDockisthecity’s biggest SIGHTS office Docktourist Albert office O8 Placetourist ( the city.Italsohasan The hasthreetourist office branches in Tourist Information Post office Post Hospital University Royal Liverpool Pharmacy Mars Services Medical office Tourist to thecityandsurroundingarea. Today Merseyside Guide Mersey Clubs inLiverpool 08 Place Internet Resources Planet Electra CaféLatte.net Access Internet 574 culture. £1; until 10pm every night. until 10pmevery presumably ajudge and couldpass sentence % h h 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun Apr-Sep, 9am- 9am-8pm Mon-Sat,11am-4pmSunApr-Sep, 0845 6011125). wasbuiltin1854andisthefirst European St George’s Hall St George’s IEPO • Sgt LIVERPOOL ••Sights 9am-6pm) 9am-5pm) (www.liverpool08.com) Infoonthecapitalof
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according tothedesignof SirFrederick Gib- length of HopeSt.Atthenorthernend, The city’stwocathedralsare bythe separated CATHEDRALS recommended. Highly the planetarium. ure trove; andSpace&Time, which includes ageological treas-live colonies;Earth, insect which includesanewaquariumaswell collections inthecountry;NaturalWorld, Human World,oneof thetopanthropological isdividedintofourmajor the seum sections: This vastlyentertainingandeducationalmu- includes thecountry’sonlyfree planetarium. from birdsof prey tospaceexploration.Italso admission free; 4399; www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml; WilliamBrownSt; the themesof thissprawling Natural history,scienceandtechnology are WORLD MUSEUMLIVERPOOL sculpture. Pre-Raphaelite art,modernBritishand covered strongsuitsare inexquisite detail; of artfromthe14thto 20th centuriesis dentials inthelead-upto2008.Thehistory to criticswhoquestionthecity’sculturalcre- WilliamBrownSt;admissionfree; .org.uk/walker; foremost The ‘NationalGalleryof theNorth’,city’s WALKER ARTGALLERY Construction onanewvisitor centre was ably the world’s largest operationalmodel. while theorgan, withits9765pipes,isprob- andheaviest(with theworld’s highest peal), The centralbellis theworld’sthird-largest the largest Anglicancathedral intheworld. here: thisisthelargest church and inBritain home totheTate Modern. Sizeisabigdeal in Londonthatisnow and thepowerstation tions totheworldwere thered telephone box, othercontribu- Scott (1880–1960),whose h .liverpoolcathedral.org.uk; HopeSt;voluntarydonation£3; Gothic Paddy’s Wigwam. soaring concrete tepee, henceitsnickname, impressive modernbuildingthatlookslike a cryptisinside. It’samightily Lutyens, whose berd andafter theoriginalplansbySirEdwin Sat, 8am-5pmSunOct-Mar) the King Roman Catholic 5pm Mon-Sat,noon-5pmSun) At Hope St’s southern end stands theneo- At HopeSt’ssouthernendstands 8am-6pm)
( % Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool gallery , h
709 9222;offMtPleasant; the life workof SirGilesGilbert 10am-5pm)
( % Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ ofChrist Cathedral Metropolitan 478 4199;www.liverpoolmuseums was completed in1967 isLiverpool’s answer , whose exhibitsrange , whose
( % lonelyplanet.com museum h 709 6271;www 8am-6pm Mon- h
( % 10am- 478 of enormouscast-ironcolumnsandimpres- 2.75 hectares of water ringed byacolonnade lonelyplanet.com punches initsportrayal of theshameful trade SlaveryTransatlantic exhibit, which pullsno board really were. isthe Butthereal highlight conditionson cal shipshows justhowtough modelofAustralia; thewalk-through atypi- toget toNorthAmericaand and theirefforts which tells thestoryof ninemillionemigrants great exhibitsisEmigrationtoaNewWorld, and compellingpage-turner. Oneof themany free; Dock; admission .liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime; Albert theme of thisexcellent The storyof oneof theworld’sgreat portsisthe MUSEUM MARITIME MERSEYSIDE of top-classrestaurants andbars. of London’sTate Gallery,aswell asacouple andanextension museums eral outstanding thedocktolife;brought here you’llfindsev- programmehasreallyfabulous development buildings, nowaWorldHeritage Site. A the country’slargest collectionof protected sive five-storey warehouses thatmake up Dock Liverpool’s biggest touristattraction is Albert Dock 3pm Mon-Sat) the topof the101m open inearly2007. 2006,butshould be underway throughout There are terrific viewsof Liverpool from Spend thefirstnightinLiverpool –checkintothe Liverpool andManchesterand historicrivalriesofnearlyepicproportions, are only37milesapart. Let’s getalittlegreedy separated anddoatwo-for-one weekend: bythespineofPennines FORTHEWEEKENDSOMETHING style. It’sFridaynight,sodinnerat Sunday afternoon thetrek wouldseeusmake to toseeLiverpooltickets play(andbeat)ChelseaonSaturdayafternoon at War Museum North an unhealthychoiceofclubsifyou’re onaSunday-morningstart. notthatkeen do alittlewindowshoppingbefore grabbingabite. Pick going:there’s abar,anyandkeep forsomethingalittlemoreif you’re demure, looking the yourtraintoManchester.plenty oftimetomake Dock,whichshouldleaveSaturday isallaboutthemuseumsofcitycentre you andAlbert Philharmonic get adrawagainstManchester Cityinthederby.Ah,tosleep,perchancedream... h
( But, ifdreams we’dhave couldcometrue,thiswouldbeouridealwaytospendtheweekend: You have yourchoiceofthingstovisit,butwerecommend Claim yourroomatManchester’s % 10am-5pm) 708 8854; www.albertdock.com; admissionfree) 708 8854;www.albertdock.com; . , and believe us,it’sagraphic , andbelieve LIVERPOOL••Sights ( p579 ) oraspotofdancingatonethemanyclubsinandaroundRopewalks. tower ( p560 ) foramere taste ofthecity’scoolculture. museum (admission £4.25;
( %
478 4499;www Alma deCuba Great JohnStreet Hotel h Albert Albert 11am- , Old Trafford century artistsacrossitsfourfloors aswell Yellow Duckmarinetours (see p577 ). departure pointfor theMagical Mystery and isalsothe cians tokeep thefaith.Themuseum quid) should inspire budding,pennilessmusi- crappy first (nowworthhalfamillion guitar their first singles,whileGeorge Harrison’s Abbey Roadstudiowhere thelads recorded Cavern Club(which wasactuallytiny)andthe Particularly impressive isthe full-sizereplica memorabilia tokeep a fanhappy. Beatles the FrogSong–butthere’s plentyof genuine tion of internal discord,drugs,YokoOnoor most famousfoursome –there’s ne’eramen- corners intheturbulenthistoryof theworld’s h Dock;adult/child£8.99/5.99; www.beatlesstory.com; Albert Liverpool’s mostpopular STORY BEATLES world-famous Tate. with noneof theenergy we’dexpectfromthe Butit’sallalittlesparse, London’s Bankside. touring exhibitionsfromtheMotherShip on May) child £4/3; Dock;admissionfree, specialexhibitionsadult/ pool; Albert north, this Touted as thehomeof modernartin the LIVERPOOL TATE and shouldonnoaccountbemissed. scourge of modern racism.Thisisheadystuff, ( p579 ) shouldbefollowedbyapintinthe that madeLiverpool rich andleftuswiththe Hope Street Hotel 10am-6pm) features check-list asubstantial of 20th- Ox h ( p562 ) offers affordablecool–then ( p563 ) –yup,we’re stillstylin’,but gallery won’tilluminate anydark,juicy 10am-5.50pm Jun-Aug, Tue-Sun onlySep- ( p561 ) toseeUnited struggleto Urbis (
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575 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND centre. Woodbourne Rd) off at as youcanget yourfeet onthesacred turf. tour of Liverpool ( FC’s Anfieldstadium p581 ) intofootball–willenjoythe especially those winner. older(andvery Slightly old)kids– Duckmarine Tour( opposite ) isasure-fire Story( on –andtheBeatles p575 ). TheYellow has acoupleof boatsforkidstomessabout Merseyside Maritime ( Museum p575 ) –which extremely popular withkids,especiallythe The complex of onAlbertDockis museums LIVERPOOL FORCHILDREN symbol, thefamous5.5mcopperLiver Bird. Friendly Society.It’scrownedbyLiverpool’s ofin 1911astheheadoffice theRoyalLiver Building Liver the CunardSteamship Line. Finally,the in thestyleof palazzo,onceHQto anItalian pleted in1907. Nexttoitisthe isthe Cathedral, ernmost, withthedomemimickingStPaul’s wasstillascending.Thesouth- pool’s star Graces’, datingfromthedayswhenLiver- Edwardian buildingsknownasthe‘Three withEuropeansoil. contact and was,formillionsof migrants,theirfinal ferries across theRiver Mersey (see p582 ), 1760s. Thisisstillthedeparture pointfor as The area tothenorthof AlbertDockis known North ofAlbertDock 576 Need abreakNeed fromthetots?Dropthem Today thisarea isdominated byatrioof ( opposite ). Nighthawkscantear itupinthebarsandclubsofhip lous Round offyourevening withdinnerat towardstheCavern aroundMathewSt. totheBeatlesthemeandheadnorth Quarter Keep or walkon holygroundat The day,explore next thecity’stwo and docks fromthewater. acoupleofpilgrimagestosuit your interests: Make visit itinerarybutaddina Follow thetwo-day Four Days World Museum Liverpool Maritime Museum Dockmuseums–the andexploreHead tothewaterfront theAlbert Two Days LIVERPOOL IN… Pier Head IEPO • LvrolfrCide LIVERPOOL ••LiverpoolforChildren Zoe’s ChildmindingService 20 Forthlin Rd 20 Forthlin Philharmonic , after astonepierbuiltinthe (pronouncedlie-ver) wasopened ,
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and the ( p581 ), homeofLiverpool FootballClub. 228 2685;15 cathedrals , com- London Carriage Works Royal Yellow Duckmarine tour Walker Art Gallery Walker Art , ( p574 ) andcheckoutthetwindelightsof Magical Mystery Tour Mystery Magical Tour Beatles Liverpool TOURS expect. concerto youmight ent andavant-garde instead of theBeethoven often throwupsomethingcompletely differ- the concertsatPhilharmonic Hall ( p581 ) the Englishreally dolove theirhorses, and Experience ( the songtoo will give youmore thanastare ifyousing something special–thetired commuters across theRiver Mersey ( opposite ) isalways guides are theferry hilarious,andtaking tion of AlbertDock,isabitsillybutthe Tour ( opposite ), anamphibiousexplora- ( p579 ) isjustthat.TheYellow Duckmarine cial, andthemen’slooatPhilharmonic traction, youknowhave somethingspe- When aworkingpublictoiletistouristat- QUIRKY LIVERPOOL -liverpool.co.uk; £12.95; booking. intheband.Pick-upswere actually are arrangedupon by theendofwhichyou’llpresumably beconvincedyou excursiontoADayintheLife, HelterSkelter the two-hour the Beatles,fromcradletograve.Tourlengthsrange bitofminutiaeassociatedwith personalised tourofevery tours.co.uk; fromadult£18; Albert Dock. Albert fromoutsidetheBeatlesStoryon Departs the original). Field –before finishingupintheCavernClub(whichisn’t schools andplacessuchasPenny LaneandStrawberry childhoodhomes, related landmarks–theirbirthplaces, inallBeatles- tourtakes Sat Jul&Aug)Thistwo-hour ( p574 ). p581 ) atAintree isproof that loudly. The GrandNational ( p579 ), apint atthemarvel- ( opposite ) toexperiencethe Tate h ( Ropewalks area ( 55) and (p575) % % h 2.30pm year-round,plusnoon Beatles Story 709 3285;www.cavern 281 7738;www.beatles Hope Street Hotel 2hr-1 day)Yourown Mendips lonelyplanet.com Merseyside ( p575 ). ( p580 ). (p578)
.co.uk; 4 SHunterSt;dm/d£18/40) has since been convertedhas sincebeen intoa decenthostel wastheVenezuelangian house consulate; it memorabilia auction during thelastweekofAugust. during memorabilia auction the Beatlesfeatures sixdaysofmusic, aconventionand .mathewstreetfestival.com) to Theworld’sbiggesttribute Grand NationalonthefirstSaturdayinApril. racemeetculminatingintheworld-famous A three-day It takes placeattheDaresbury EstatenearHalton,Cheshire. It takes inAugust. thelastweekend togetherduring and danceacts someoftheworld’sbestDJs thatbrings Alfresco dance-fest River Explorer Cruise Explorer River Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com and a self-catering kitchen. and aself-catering lounge, agamesroom times. There’s alsoaTV free tea, coffee andtoastatall that serves Falkner Sq;dm£14.50) Embassie Hostel BUDGET City Centre convention of inthelastweek August. problem withEverton) andduringtheBeatles Liverpool FCare playingathome(it’slessof a arefor theprivilege. tofindwhen tough Beds improved dramatically,you’llenduppaying down, withtheresult thatwhilethechoice has andforcedthemtobuckuporclose stalwarts chains have muscledinonthetraditional its hotels. Stylish newarrivals andbusiness As Liverpool’s culturalsceneheatsup,sodo SLEEPING Festival Street Mathew Creamfields much everywhere. andmusiciansfrompretty byartists outdoor performances culture beginninginmid-July indoorand andfeaturing ofworld extravaganza Athree-week .brouhaha.uk.com) Festival Street International Merseyside Festival Aintree FESTIVALS &EVENTS Beatles Story. Dock,nearthe fromAlbert but itisabitoffun.Departs main pointsofinterest. It’s notespeciallyeducational, tourofthecitycentre’s aquickie amphibious vehicleafter h lowduckmarine.co.uk; adult/child/family£11.95/9.95/34; Yellow Tour Duckmarine ferries.co.uk; adult/childreturn £4.95/2.75; from Pier Head. asyougo. Departs thebayandallitsattractions exploring aferrythe Pacemakers ’crosstheMersey, wantedandtake & 10am-5pmSat&Sun)DoasGerry 10am-3pm Mon-Fri, International Inn International from 11am)Take tothedockwatersinaWWII ( % (
0208-969 4477;www.cream.co.uk) % ( % Until1986thislovely Geor-
( % 522 2929;www.aintree.co.uk) ( 707 1089;www.embassie.com;1 % ( 709 8135;www.internationalinn ( % % 639 0609;www.mersey Asuperb converted 239 9091;www 708 7799;www.theyel h LIVERPOOL••Festivals &Events hourly (www .hopestreethotel.co.uk; 40HopeSt;r/ste from£140/205) letries as standard. letries asstandard. drench showersscreen andElemis toi- TVs, fabulously different suites comewith plasma- contemporarying withasexy, style. The20 the traditionalVictorianfeatures of thebuild- wonderful newpropertysuccessfully blends boutique hotel asyou’llfindanywhere, this 62 CastleSt;s/d£145/175; classy stay. exclusive toiletriesare allteasers toapretty tuous Frette linen,free-standing baths and egant choices intown.Antiquebeds,sump- This boutiquehotel isoneof themost el- minimalist chic (often room). inthesame range fromFrench toJapanese countryhouse dividually styledroomswithinfluencesthat .org.uk; Hargreaves Bldg,5ChapelSt;r£110) Club Racquet Liverpool TOP END There’s also aniceparkonthegrounds. luxuries, such asCDplayers andPlayStations. handsome place. Mostof theroomshave extra the more centralFeathers, butit’safarmore merchant’s home,Aliciaisasister hotel to Park; Dr,Sefton r£55) Aigburth breakfastbuffet isawelcomemorningtreat. as full-package satellite TV. Theall-you-can-eat the building)andallfeature nicetouches such cept forthewardrobe-sizesinglesattopof Theroomsare (ex- Cathedral. allcomfortable to theMetropolitanof close Georgian houses rambling placespreads acrossaterrace itself most of thesimilar-priced chain hotels, this 125 MtPleasant;s/dfrom£52.50/75) part of thewelcoming,offbeat atmosphere. patterns andcrazycolourschemes –butit’sall strictly late ’70stoearly’80s–lotsof flower both shared orwithensuite. Thedécoris withamixofis thisfunkylisted house rooms Mt Pleasant;s/dfrom£32/50) Hotel Aachen MIDRANGE internet caféisnextdoor.CafféLatte.net are terrific24-hour frontdesk.Thestaff andthe include alounge, baggage storage, laundryand accommodate fromtwoto10people. Facilities heated roomswithtidywoodenbedsandbunks warehouse inthemiddleof uni-land:ensuite, o St 62 Castle Alicia Hotel Feathers Hotel Hope Street Hotel Hotel Hope Street (
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( 709 3477;www.aachenhotel.co.uk; 89-91 % % 727 4411; www.feathers.uk.com; 3 727 4411;www.feathers.uk.com; 709 9655; www.feathers.uk.com; 119- 709 9655;www.feathers.uk.com; 702 7898;www.62castlest.com; ( % pi Aperennial favourite Onceawealthycotton 236 6676;www.racquetclub Abetter choice than
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NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND families –children forfree. under12stay Albert Dock.Great locationandperfect for style roomsinapurpose-built hotel nextto .yha.org.uk; 25Tabley St;dm£20.95) 36-42 ChalonerSt;rfrom£45) ping &ChalonerSts;r£46.50; rails, andrates includebreakfast. The en-suite have dormseven heated towel you’llfindanywherefortable inthecountry. memorabilia,isoneof themostcom- Beatles but thisaward-winninghostel, adornedwith Europeanapartment complex,an Eastern International YHA Liverpool Around AlbertDock ( opposite ), isnotincluded. Works LondonCarriage in themarvellous this supremely cooladdress. Breakfast, taken are butthemostobvioustouches of classat with arange of REN bathandbeautyproducts players) modernbathroomsreplete andsleek (withDVD heating, LCD wide-screen TVs Egyptian cotton,oakfloors withunderfloor Venetian palazzo. King-sizebedsdrapedin design inspired bythestyleof a16th-century have incorporated intoacontemporary been columns andplentyof brickwork– exposed features –heavy woodenbeams,cast-iron most elegantstreet. Thebuilding’soriginal is thisstunningboutiquehotel onthecity’s Luxurious Liverpool’s pre-eminent flag-waver 578 Dolby Hotel Campanile home where Paul grew up;youcanonlydosobyprebooked John lived withhisAunt from1945to1963,and Mimi For decentmemorabilia,checkoutthe You shopandtheLucy intheSkyWithDiamondscaféshouldgive youan idea ofwhattoexpect. theRubber SoulOyster Bar,theFromMetoin ontheband’sseeminglyunendingearning power: –basicallyasmallwarrenQuarter ofstreets aroundMathewSt–has beentransformedtocash dead, butthephenomenonlives onand isstillthebiggesttouristmagnetintown.The Cavern success andcrassmarketing. John, Paul, George whoemerged andRingo intothesunlightofsuperstardom,unparalleled They shared the stagewithotherlocalbandswhohelpeddefineMerseyBeat,butitwas Mathew StcalledtheCavern, whichwasessentiallyabasementwithstageandsoundsystem. Between March1961andAugust 1963,theBeatlesplayedastaggering275gigs inaclubon DOING THE BEATLES TODEATH and map, and (see p582 ) canalsovisitbothfromthere. & 11.20amWed-SunEaster-Oct) IEPO • Etn LIVERPOOL ••Eating True fanswillundoubtedly want tovisittheNationalTrust–owned yearslater, upandtwoofitsmembersare theclubisgone,bandhaslongbroken Forty If you’dratherdoit yourself,thetouristofficesalsostock the
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% 708 7272;www.dolbyhotels.co.uk; 709 8104;fax8725;cnrWap- p Well-runhotel with
( ) Functional,motel- % from outside the National Conservation Centre. fromoutsidetheNational Conservation Visitors Hall toSpeke Itmaylooklike 0870 7705924;www Beatles Shop . mostly vegetarian hang-out with a sensational mostly vegetarian hang-outwithasensational around £5; a terrific atmosphere. home –withgoodreason. Great tucker and beneath theEveryman Theatre theirsecond on abudget make thisgreat café-restaurant actors andothercreativeOut-of-work types 7; Bistro Everyman BUDGET City Centre is packed withrestaurants. Park, neartoSefton which Lane, afield inLark St intheheartof further Chinatown;orslightly along Hardman StandHopeSt;alongNelson time. There are plentyof choices inRopewalks; Liverpool’s diningsceneisgetting better allthe EATING including ahealthclubandswimmingpool. lous waterfront locationandplentyof facilities business hotel, theCrownePlazahasamarvel- The paragonof themodernand luxurious Dock,Pier.com; StNicholasPl,Princes Head;rfrom£90; applaud itforit. agreatchains. TheDolbydoes jobandwe rival someof themore renowned budget good-sized, well-equippedroomsaimedto the city’salternative-lifestyle crowd. wine cellarthatisthefavourite resting placeof h Crowne PlazaLiverpool Keith’s WineBar Keith’s
(www.thebeatleshop.co.uk; St) 31 Mathew 20 Forthlin Rd 20 Forthlin noon-2am Mon-Fri, 11am-2amSat,7-10.30pmSun) noon-2am Mon-Fri, h tour 11am-11pm) Discover Lennon’s Liverpool
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) conversion hascreated this top-classrestau- is beingledbyPaul Askew’s award-winning ple crowdinandthere’s more roomforyou. itjustensuresbut inthiscase thatfewer peo- underground isn’tnormallyidealfordining, genuine restaurant. atthisbasement Going goodies areand otherCaribbean hearty and h & dinner) pig (themenuheavily favours meat)orclink restaurant where youcanfeast onasuckling Miami-style Cubanextravaganza, abarand the transformationof aPolishchurch intoa h lonelyplanet.com drinks from theChampagne Lounge. American classicscanbewashed downwith dresses in town. Fancy steak dinners andother rant andbar,easily oneof thebestdiningad- Dock; mains£12-22) Club Pan-American Around AlbertDock cornerofinfluences fromevery theworld. vellous, eclecticethnic menu,which reveals shards –andindulge themselves inthemar- box of dividedonlybyaseries sculpted glass dining room–actuallymore of glass abright gade whoshare thelarge, openspacethatisthe andothermemberssocceristas of thestylebri- restaurant. Itsfootsoldiers are thefashionistas, Sat, 8am-8pmSun) 40 HopeSt;2-/3-coursemeals£35/45; at thelongbar. a perfectly made ner) St Peter’s St;mains£15-24; Church,Seel Alma deCuba TOP END the shadowof Europe’slargest gate. Chinese carnivore. bythewindowtoeatin aseat Get themostavidbanquet couldbringroundeven cuisine usuallycomesouttops.Theveggie Beijing voices:YuetBen’s many dissenting foodintown,youwon’theartoo Chinese watering cake. of orjust acoffee andasliceof pasta mouth- mer’s day.It’sperfect foralunchtime plate forthatelusive sum- with outdoorseating Quarter MIDRANGE Quynny’s Quisine London Carriage Works London Carriage Yuet Ben 5-11pm Tue-Sun) 9.30am-9pm) This extraordinarynewventure hasseen Agorgeous littlewinebarandbistro
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( 707 1965;7Falkner St;mains£8-13; % ( Refried beans, plantains, salads salads Refried beans,plantains, % 709 5772; 1 Upper Duke St;mains£9-13; 709 5772;1UpperDuke Liverpool’s diningrevolution Atrulybeautifulwarehouse LIVERPOOL••Drinking ¡Salud! (
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(rum-based cocktail) (rum-based cocktail) 705 2222;www.tlcw.co.uk; h h 8am-10pm Mon- lunch &din- h lunch or Tom Waits would feel right athome.or TomWaitswouldfeel The right New York–dive atmosphere where Pop Iggy booths, plentyof velvet seedy andasuitably Atlantic Pavilion) Blue,aprivateglam Baby members’ bar. footballers gone? Downstairs, tothefar more egant waterside lounge. Sowhere have all the finally enjoytherelaxed ambienceof thisel- more, which meansthatmere can mortals a premiership contracttoguarantee entryany- Blue Bar Albert Dock heritage-listed lav inthecountry. insidethemarblemen’stoilets,only see and ifyouthinkthat’sgood,justwaituntil andceramictiling– iron,mosaics glass, wrought interior isresplendent withetched andstained the mostbeautifulbars inallof England.The whobuiltthe shipwrights 11.30pm) DJnames. mostestablished Britain’s and supported withguestslotsbysomeof best musicintown,spunbyup-and-comers while downstairs thedancefloorshakes tothe upstairs barisvery chilled coolbuttotally out, get drunkin. music make thisoneof thebetter placesto easy-going crowdandsomepretty decent ofthe event openlate, rain.Staying afriendly, onthe outdoorpatio,whichtable iscovered in student bars a intown.Trytolandyourself longer summerevenings. out;thepatioisperfectgood night duringthe ite watering holewith anyonelookingfora is packed andremains mostnights a favour- and stillthebestof Liverpool’s stylebars, Baa Baa Bar City Centre a nominalentrycharge after 11pm. mosthave2am MondaytoSaturday,although specified, allthebars includedhere openuntil walks, theheartof which isConcertSq.Unless party actiontakes placeinandaroundRope- bars taste tosuitevery imaginable. Mostof the may beindespair,butLiverpool haspubsand official: Scousers love boozing. Health officials top of theAll-Englanddrinkingleague. It’s A hasputMerseysiderecent survey atthe DRINKING Baby Cream Baby Cream Philharmonic Hannah’s Magnet Thisextraordinarybar,designedbythe
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closes 579 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND our favourite clubintown.Thefortnightly h of music,fromtrash totechno. featureline. Othernights asuperbmixed bag –ifyou’re house hop todeep intown,get in Gilles Peterson. Themusicranges fromhip- superstars such asDmitrifromParis and (formerlyofincluding Yousef Cream) and all of England,ledbyamixof superbDJs buku.com) isoneof in thebestclubnights Saturday ChibukuShake Shake (www.chi outby3am. 11pm andturfeveryone of business foreveryone. Mostclubsopenat we’reSaturday night, guessingthere’s plenty number of punters inthearea onaFridayor with atonof late-night bars; consideringthe Ropewalks, where theycompete forcustomers Most of thecity’sclubsare concentrated in Nightclubs Liverpool Echo. out of Forallinformation,consultthe seven. hours, andthrobstothewee sixnights pulses beat provided bythecity’sclubscene,which concert. Andthenthere’s back- theconstant the superbPhilharmonic oranall-dayrock it’s excellent fringe theatre, aperformanceby The schedule ispretty days,whether fullthese ENTERTAINMENT homewithyou. nightclub price) –it’slike apieceof taking thefamous ofa databank more than4000tracks(fora you canmake yourowncompilationCDfrom ofCreamselector –aset touch screens where measure. Onepretty coolfeature, is though, is gorgeous andpretentious inalmostequal defunct-but-still-legendary Cream nightclub, crowdthatcreatedthe same Liverpool’s now- 580 Barfly to and baraimedprimarily atthelesbianandbicommunity, hasreally off;itis agoodrival taken crowd. The lane offDaleStbehindMetrolink,isthe city’spremier gaybar,even amixed though itattracts spread aboutDaleStandVictoria StinRopewalks. There’s inLiverpool, nodiscerniblegay quarter withmostofthegay-friendlyclubsandbars GAY & LESBIAN LIVERPOOL the gaynights atGarlands forafewlesbians andbislooking laughsandasing-song. less provocative, the guysgettingtoknow eachother.bar, withlotsofhairy,tough-looking Forsomethingalittle Mon-Sat) IEPO • Etranet LIVERPOOL ••Entertainment Superstar Boudoir Many clubshostgay nights,but
( % Thisconverted theatre ishometo 0870 907 0999; 90 Seel St;admission£3-11; 0870 9070999;90Seel Curzon ( % Masquerade Bar (22-24 StanleySt) 236 5160;8Temple Lane)
(see above Babystorm ) . Foronline listings,checkout www.realliverpool.com. as the best gay club in town. Also worth checking outare checking as thebestgayclub intown.Alsoworth ( % 236 7786;10CumberlandSt ( is whatonemighteuphemisticallyterm aman’s % theatres andanavid supporter of localtal- is oneof England’smostfamousrepertory all sounds and guises rulestheroostatthis all soundsandguises bands. ROCK MUSIC Live Music premises. challenging. There’s alsoagreat baronthe theatre keen ontheunusual and forthose Bleasdale. ent, which hasincludedthelikes of Alan on offer. mind, butthere isalsomore interesting work that are as easy ontheeyeastheyare onthe bag of revues, musicalsandstage successes Most of Liverpool’s theatres feature amixed Theatre bands aswellpumpingtechno nights. home of Cream. days,italsohostslive These at thecity’spremier danceclub,formerlythe but it’sthebig-nameDJsdroppingbombs admission £4-13) in England. Mixmag puntersbanging club,whose were extolledby 8-10 EberleSt;admission£6-10; local bands,andlookoutforall-daygigs. struction. There’s of usuallyagoodselection their careers, butit’safairlyfaithfulrecon- venuebasement where theFab Fourbegan world’s mostfamousclub’isnottheoriginal St) Academy 07845 298863;12Stanley St This is the best venue to see touringmajorThis isthebestvenue tosee G-Bar Cavern Club Cavern Unity Theatre Nation Garlands Everyman Theatre Everyman ( magazineasoneof thebestcrowds
( % % ( %
( 794 6868;LiverpoolUniversity,11-13Hotham % 255 1148;1-7EberleSt) Itlookslike anair-raid shelter,
709 1693;40SlaterSt/WolstenholmeSq; ( % 236 2307;www.garlandsonline.co.uk;
) attracts areal) attracts mixofgays, ( % 236 1965; 8-10 Mathew St) 236 1965;8-10Mathew
( % 709 4988;HopePl) ), arelatively newclub 709 4776;13 h Fri-Sun) lonelyplanet.com , inasmall
Hope St) House in House Fringe ‘The This lonelyplanet.com Stanley ParkStanley before 2010. The experienceof a astone’sthrow awayincapacity stadium but plansare afoottorelocate toanew60,000- once more fortheReds. thingsare goodGerrard, lookingseriously bylocalboy andlegendcaptained Steven and Benitez bySpanishmanager Rafa Led time andfolloweditwithanFA Cupin2006. became Europeanchampions forthefifth championship since 1990,butin2005they 1970s and’80s,theyhaven’t wontheleague formuchclub. Virtuallyunbeatable of the Anfield Rd) ( identity more powerfullythan theMerseysents of spiritandstrongsense maniacs, butnosingleinstitutionrepre- Doff o’thecaptoEvertonians andBeatle- FC LIVERPOOL theboxed(see text, above ). weekend inAprilatAintree, northof thecity –thatisruninthefirst event steeplechase the GrandNational–world’smostfamous Yetits inhabitants. Liverpool isalsohometo clubs are soinextricably linked of withthose England where thefortunesof itsfootball interest inthecity.There isnoothercityin pretty much thealphaand omegaof sporting Liverpool FCandthebluesof Everton –are Liverpool’s twofootballteams –thereds of Sport and NickCave. avant-garde musicianssuch asJohn Cage cal orchestra, butitalsostages theworkof Deco Phil is hometothecity’smainclassi- Liverpool’s mostbeautifulbuildings,theArt Hall Philharmonic CLASSICAL MUSIC % The club’s home is the marvellous Anfield, The club’shomeis themarvellous that doesn’t tune in, betting slips nervously inhand. that doesn’ttunein,bettingslipsnervously andthere’sappositely namedLotteryhardlyahousehold theracetoheart –Britainhastaken ficult fences inworldracing. SincethefirstrunningofGrandNationalin1839–wonby veteran ofthejumpslineupatAintree torace across4.5milesandover stalwarts themostdif- butnever moreEngland loves sothanonthefirstSaturdayinApril,when40-odd thegee-gees, THE GRAND NATIONAL of allGrandNationalwinners. inthestableyardandgravetour, whichtakes winnerRedRum,themostloved ofthree-time includes aracesimulator–thosejumpsare very steep indeed.Werecommend theracecourse National Experience 263 9199, ticket office 220 2345; www.liverpoolfc.tv; office2202345;www.liverpoolfc.tv; 263 9199,ticket You canbook , England’smostsuccessfulfootball LIVERPOOL •• Getting There &Away LIVERPOOL••Getting
( tickets % 709 3789;HopeSt)
( %
( % 523 2600;adult/childwithtour£7/4,without£3/2) 522 2929;www.aintree.co.uk) Liverpool Oneof
FC seven daily), seven daily) and London(£22, five to sixhours, daily), Newcastle (£18.40,6½hours, three (£10.20,2¾hours,hourly), Birmingham five including Manchester (£5.80,1¼hours, to/frommostmajorThere towns, are services St) Norton The Bus and theIsleof Man). London as destinationsintheUK(Belfast, DublinandParis,sterdam, Barcelona, aswell of international destinationsincludingAm- www.liver Airport Lennon John Liverpool Air GETTING THERE&AWAY matches. the yearexceptonFridaybefore home Sun-Wed &Fri) locally. winning pedigree butthey’re justaspopular .com; GoodisonPark) ton FC Liverpool’s ‘other’team are thebluesof FC EVERTON European Cups. plenty of five memorabilia –aswellthose visit tothe inthedugout,orsimplya tunnel andaseat home dressing room,awalkdownthefamous couple ofhoursexceptmatchdays) ( come by.Youmayhave fora tosettle Walk Alone’,buttickets are pretty trickyto sound of 40,000fanssinging‘You’ll Never live match isamemorable one,especiallythe % Tours fortheGrandNational,orvisit 260 6677;withmuseumadult/child£9/5.50; National Express
( %
( pooljohnlennonairport.co.uk) is300mnorthof LimeStstation. % 330 2400, ticket office3302300;www.evertonfc 330 2400,ticket of GoodisonPark runthroughout museum 330 2277;adult/child£8.50/5; , whomaynothave theirrivals’ (admission £5)
Coach Station , avisitorcentre that thatincludesthe
( serves avariety serves , which features % ( %
0870 7508484; h 08705 808080; Grand 11am &2pm h 581 Ever- every tour
NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND abled visitors. and hassomecabs adapted for dis- services Cabs Mersey Taxi Approaches Museum). Albert Dock)andMoorfields(forthe Western (handy forRopewalks),James to St (close four stopsinthecitycentre: LimeSt,Central with theGreater Merseyside area. There are linkingLiverpool tensive suburbanrailservice Merseyrail MERSEYRAIL Paradise Stbusstation thecity. throughout at shopsandpostoffices Merseyside.throughout Tickets are available peak travel onallbus,trainandferry services child £3.70/1.90), which allowsoneday’soff- recommended istheSaveaway ticket (adult/ seytravel Local publictransportiscoordinated by Public Transport nothing of valueinthecar. ins are amajor problem, soleave absolutely of openandsheltered break- carparks.Car parking meters aroundthecityandanumber in car-park fees. Ifyoumustdrive, there are erpool, andit’llendupcostingyouplenty You won’thave foracarinLiv- much use Car Building tothenorthof Albert Dock. Pier Head Ferry Terminal, nexttotheLiver 1.05) The famouscross-Mersey Boat to thecentre should costno more than £14. 20minutes.half anhourandrunevery Ataxi take frombothstations Buses Lime Ststation. 500 depart fromParadise and Ststation Airlink The airport is8milessouthof thecentre. To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND and Wigan(£4.15,50minutes). three hours), Manchester (£8.30,45minutes) ing Chester (£4,40minutes), London(£56.50, toalmosteverywhere, includ- hourly services Liverpool’s is mainstation Train 582
for Woodside and Seacombe departs from departsfrom forWoodsideandSeacombe (£2; RUDLVROL • otSnih Sunlight AROUND LIVERPOOL••Port (£1.50; h
( %
( % 5.15am-12.15am)
( 236 7676;www.merseytravel.gov.uk). h % 702 2071;www.merseyrail.org) 6am-11pm) 298 2222)
is inthecitycentre. operates tourist taxi operates touristtaxi buses fromoutside buses buses 80Aand180 buses ferry
Lime St.Ithas
(adult/child £1.35/ Airport xpress xpress Airport isanex- Highly Highly Arriva Arriva Mer- to holdMasses. AnyairportbusfromPara- priests couldhidewhentheywere forbidden holes where 16th-centuryRomanCatholic suburb of Speke. priest’s several Itcontains Nov-Mar) £6.50; (NT; hallcanbevisited at half-timbered exampleof ablack-and-white A marvellous SPEKE Woodside willget youthere. alternatively,from thestation; bus51from Wirral line;thegalleryisafive-minute walk pottery. as wellsomefineexamplesof Wedgwood works of thePre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, 5pm) offGreendale Rd;admissionfree;.uk/ladylever; Gallery Art reason tocomehere isthewonderful workershouse initssoapfactory.The main created family to bythephilanthropicLever isapicturesqueSunlight 19th-centuryvillage River Mersey ontheWirralPeninsula, Port Located southwestof Liverpool across the SUNLIGHT PORT AROUND LIVERPOOL resorts. press of traditional English seaside thetacky, the west,ever-popular Blackpool,em- Georgian countytownof and,to Lancaster north of the RibbleValley isthehandsome District beyonditsnorthernborder. Just a gentle andbeautifulwarm-upfor theLake chapter) –totheRibble Valley inthenorth, (andgivenseparately inthis itsownsection the south–sobigthatit’sadministered of Manchester frommighty everything, in Industrious, isolated Lancashire hasatouch LANCASHIRE Liverpool. book atSpeke Hall oratthetouristofficesin theboxed (see Cartney text, p578 ) –youcan childhood homesof andMc- bothLennon ( with aNationalTrust–run,1½-hour entrance. Speke Hall canalsobecombined of the Stwilldropyouwithinahalf-mile dise % Take theMerseyrail onthe toBebington % 486 4006; with Speke Halladult/child£12/free) 486 4006;withSpeke , where someof thegreatest youcansee h , 6milessouthof Liverpool intheplain 0151-427 7231; www.spekehall.org.uk; admission 0151-427 7231;www.spekehall.org.uk; 1-5.30pm Wed-Sun Apr-Oct, 1-4.30pmSat&Sun 1-5.30pm Wed-SunApr-Oct,
( % 0151-478 4136;www.liverpoolmuseums.org lonelyplanet.com Speke Hall Speke h Lady Lever Lady Lever tothe 10am- tour
unashamedly bold and brazen in its efforts to unashamedly boldandbrazeninitsefforts type resorts isunquestionably Blackpool. It’s of bee England’sfun-by-the-sea-The queen % BLACKPOOL Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com queues, but spare a momenttocheck out the way toshiftthecontents of yourstomach. spun 360degrees at60mph– it’stheperfect riders are 40mintotheairandthen brought earth at80mph;and,newin2004,Bling, where you upa65msteel towerbefore returning to descent of 75m;theIceBlast,which delivers reaching 85mphbefore hittinganear-vertical andfastest rollercoasterthe tallest inEurope, find anywhere inEurope. As parksgo,thisisthebestyou’ll amusement that attractssome7millionvisitors annually. collection of more than145different rides ( popularity isthesimplyfantastic The mainreason forBlackpool’simmense PLEASURE BEACH Sights office Tourist Promenade. run theentire 7-milelengthof theseafront still bemanaged easilywithoutacar;trams Blackpool issurprisinglyspread out,butcan Orientation &Information neon lights. illuminated of withthousands electricand November, 5milesof thePromenadeare toearly FromearlySeptember holiday season. a successfulploytoextend thebriefsummer piers; anditsIlluminations, itsPleasure Beach; here isallabout pure, unadulterated fun. the mostcynicalobserver. aholiday Basically, thatwillthrilleven 21st-century amusements ish holiday-by-the-sea formulawithhi-tech, mastered thetime-tested, traditionalBrit- don’t either. care 16millionpeople pool doesn’t because and, inrecent years, Black- alittlebittawdry, most visited townafter London.Tacky, trashy cement itspositionasthecountry’ssecond- mission free; enade h 4.15pm SunApr-Sep); % The park’smajor ridesincludetheBigOne, ithas Blackpool workssowellbecause The hi-tech, modern ridesdraw the biggest The townisfamousforitstower;three 01253 /pop142,290 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) 0870 4445566;www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com; ad- ( % 403223; h (www.visitblackpool.com); from 10am Apr-early Nov) from 10amApr-early h Clifton St 9.15am-5pm Mon-Sat,10.15am- ( % 478222; 1 Clifton St; 478222; 1Clifton ,
a 16-hectare Central Prom- LANCASHIRE••Blackpool Pleasure Beach Pleasure
mous –andthelongest –isthe place tohave aswim. Forget thebeach –thisisthemostpleasant water complexcomplete withitsownrides. is free. its plethoraof assorted ridesandattractions ing apennyadmission. Todayadmission to built in1862andopenedayearlater charg- along Albert andHornby Rds,300mback for anoisy, boisterous accommodation night; tothewaterfront, prepare close want tostay booking aheadduring theIlluminations.Ifyou visitors Even upfor thenight. so,itisworth catering units,Blackpoolknowshowtoput With more than2500hotels, B&Bsandself- Sleeping sharks andagiantoctopus. £8.95/6; Centre Sealife Sat&SunonlyNov-Feb)10am dailyMay-Oct, Waterworld Wurlitzer organ. floor tothemelodramatictonesof ahuge gliding acrossthebeautifullypolished wooden plasterwork, murals,chandeliers andcouples with extraordinarysculptured andgilded ballroom indoor junglegymandaMoorishcircus. ride,Europe’slargestincluding adinosaur complex thatshouldkeep thekidshappy, built in1894.Insideisavastentertainment blackpooltower.co.uk; adult/child£12.95/8.95; 150m-high Blackpool’s mostrecognisable landmarkisthe OTHER SIGHTS how busyitis. all ridescosts£29foroneday,£43two. a mixture of themall.Anunlimited ticket to can buytickets forindividualcategories orfor sombre-toned announcementnotto). plete withriders waving theirhands(despite the experience thatistypicallyBlackpool–com- carriages trundlealonga1½-miletrackinan have agoontheGrandNational(1935),whose world’s first BigDipper(1923),butbesure to coasters, the knownas‘woodies’.Youcansee collectionof old-style woodenroller marvellous Of thethree Victorianpiers, themostfa- Near the Central Pier is the state-of-the-art Pier isthestate-of-the-art Near theCentral isthemagnificentrococo The highlight Across is fromPleasure Beach There are closingtimes;itdepends noset Rides are dividedintocategories andyou h
( h 10am-8pm)
( % Blackpool Tower 10am-6pm Mon-Fri &Sun,to11pmSat) 10am-6pm Mon-Fri
( % 343602; adult/child£10.50/8.50; 622445; NewBonnySt;adult/child , which features 2.5m-long
( % 622242; www.the , anindoor h North Pier North Sandcastle 10am-6pm) h 583 from
, , , NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND p BlackpoolPleasure Beach;s/d/stefrom£65/75/149; .uk.com; .com; 1 St Lukes Rd;s/dfrom£70/120; .com; 1StLukes into Blackpool’sfuture, thishotel caters to buses ranging from one day to a week are ranging fromonedayto aweek buses avail- A hostof travel-card optionsfor tramsand Getting Around 30 minutes, half-hourly). most otherarrivalschange inPreston (£5.65, Liverpool daily),but (£12.60,1½hours, seven and chester (£11.75, 1¼ hours, half-hourly) Talbot fromMan- Rd.There isadirect service about five blockseastof theNorthPieron is BlackpoolNorth, The maintrainstation TRAIN (£6.20, 1¾hours, five daily). (£25, 6½hours, five daily)andManchester pool (£7.80,1½hours, onedaily),London the towncentre. DestinationsincludeLiver- The centralcoach isonTalbot station Rd,near BUS Getting There&Away often spicy)dishes withatropicalflavour. upcolourful(and eatery thatserves nonsense ( possibility istheAfro-Caribbean bot RdandCliftonSt.Themostinteresting St,Tal-Sq (nearthetouristoffice) onQueen vegetables often costsjust£5ahead. people eatattheirhotels where roastandthree burgers, andfish andchips. doughnuts Most yourfacewith perience isallabout stuffing Forget gourmetmeals–theBlackpoolex- Eating South PromenadenearPleasure Beach. justbackfromthe fast. It’sonaquietroadset modconstothetop-notchhigh-end break- elegance, fromthedark-woodfurniture and rary style. Everything exudesakindof discreet isallluxuryandcontempo- tique guesthouse around,thisstunningbou- than anythingelse hassomethingtodo.everyone shouldensureentrance toPleasure that Beach ter games,whileitslocationatthesouthern rooms comewithDVDplayers andcompu- 21st-century demands:smartlykitted-out willassistist offices youinfindingabed. isthatlittlebitquieter.from thesea, Thetour- 584 % There are afew restaurants aroundTalbot Number One Big BlueHotel ) 293837; 37QueenSt;mains£8-10) Cool, minimalistandvery much alook ACSIE • acse LANCASHIRE ••Lancaster
( % ( % 343901; www.numberoneblackpool 0845 3673333;www.bigbluehotel , afriendly,no- p ) Far fancier Lagoonda
locked upinthedungeon. a chance toexperiencewhatitwaslike tobe .co.uk; 29 Castle Hill; .co.uk; 29CastleHill; tour visit thecastleaspartof a45-minute youcanonly role asaprison.Consequently, tially altered tosuititsnew,andstillcurrent, 19th centuries,whenthecastlewassubstan- dates today,however, fromthe18thand see added inthe14thcentury.Mostof whatyou twin-towered Witches Trial of 1612,andtheimpressive ofincarcerate theaccused thefamousPendle to itwasused the Witches’ Towerbecause the additionsinclude nally builtin1150.Later castercastle.com; admission£5; imposing Lancaster’s LANCASTER CASTLE&PRIORY Sights office Tourist Post office Information portintheslavewas animportant trade. than duringthe18thcentury,whenLancaster since Romantimes,nonemore successfully Ribble Valley. Folkshave donebusinesshere asadecentstopoverposes, onthewayto and,forourpur- asitscountyseat Lancashire agoodjob of does representingLancaster Lined withhandsomeGeorgian buildings, % LANCASTER Blackpool, you’llhave noproblem parking. With more than14,000car-parking spacesin andmostnewsagents. able atthetouristoffices graces the Houses ofgraces the Houses Parliament) andaMu- builders work Gillows of (whose Lancaster ofhome toaMuseum Furnishings by master thepoorPendle‘caught’ women),itisnow home of witch-hunter ThomasCovell (hewho 2-5pmMon-SatOct-Jun) 2-5pmSatJul-Sep, Fri, ( lead downtothe17th-century thecastleand churchThe steps between OTHER SIGHTS elled intheMiddleAges. 5pm) fine 9am-12.30pm Sat) % Immediately nexttothecastleisequally 01524 /pop45,960 32808; admission£3; , foundedin1094butextensively remod- Well Tower ( priory church priory h every 30min,10.30am-4pm) every (85 Market St; (85Market ( % gatehouse , more commonlyknownas (
h 841656; www.citycoastcountryside % 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) 65338; admissionfree; h h castle 10.30am-1pm &2-5pmMon- h –bothof which were 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm)
( , % lonelyplanet.com
but youdoget Judges’ Lodgings 64998; www.lan wasorigi- . Oncethe h guided 9.30am-
north. Inthemiddleof the park isthe Morecambe andtheCumbrianfells Bay tothe from which there are great viewsof thetown, recent renovation hasresulted pretty ineight world lookthatstopsatthebedroomdoor;a in a300-year-old buildingwitharustic,old- hours aspark) local historicalandarchaeological exhibits. h grub, decentaleandlive music. Quay; admission£3; picture: the from theturnof the20thcentury. ofseum Childhood,which hasmemorabilia Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Morecambe (15minutes, half-hourly). Manchester (£12.20, onehour, hourly) and (£21,onehour,hourly), tions includeCarlisle line andontheCumbrian coastline. Destina- isonthemainwest-coastrailway Lancaster Getting There&Away around £5-6) excellent diningchoice (mainsaround£11). frequented theplace. Thehotel restaurant isan the mid-19thcenturywhenCharlesDickens glass windows,oneof theonlyleftovers from interior. Lookoutforthebeautifulstained- rooms andanall-roundbusinesslikefortable withmodern,com- top hotel isaperiodhouse St;s/dfrom£55/80; -hotels.com; Market from,withmealsfrom£8to£15. choose bit of grub;there are three different menusto is oneof thebestintownandatop spotfora quarters.snazzy sleeping Thepubdownstairs 63 ChurchSt;s/dfrom£40/60; &Bar Sun Hotel Sleeping &Eating steep three-quarter-mile walkupMoorLane. Take it’sa orelse bus25or25Afromthestation, House Tropical Butterfly isthe EdwardianPalmever, nowthe House, Williamson) forhiswife. More beautiful,how- Ashton (thesonof thepark’sfounder,James Memorial admission free; spread of the ing portatthecentre of theslave trade;and recalls wasaflourish- thedayswhenLancaster Nov-Easter) Lancaster’s highest point is the 22-hectare pointisthe22-hectare highest Lancaster’s Old JohnofGaunt ArmsHotel Royal King’s A coupleof complete the othermuseums 10am-5pm Mon-Sat) City Museum , a 67m baroque folly built by Lord , a67mbaroquefollybuiltbyLord , in the 18th-century Custom House, , inthe18th-centuryCustomHouse, Youronestopfortraditionalpub , full of exotic and stunning species. , fullof exoticandstunningspecies. Williamson Park h Maritime Museum Maritime (
% 10am-5pm Easter-Oct, 11-4pmNov-Easter) 10am-5pm Easter-Oct,
( h % 66006; www.thesunhotelandbar.co.uk; , which hasamixed bagof
11am-5pm Easter-Oct, 12.30-4pm 11am-5pm Easter-Oct, 64637; Market Sq;admissionfree; 64637; Market ( %
(adult/child £4.25/2.75; p 32358; 53 Market St;mains 32358; 53Market
( (www.williamsonpark.com; (www.williamsonpark.com; % ) An excellenthotel (
% 32451; www.swallow p 64637; St George’s 64637; StGeorge’s ) ISLE OF MAN •• Orientation &Information ISLEOFMAN ••Orientation Lancaster’s Lancaster’s h Ashton Ashton same same , five daysinJune. Itonlykicked in2004, off Festival five days to complete. The circuit of the islandandnormallytakes about a well-marked path thatmakes a complete the 95-mile most demandingof alltheisland’swalksis scenery.The island amidsomespectacular a walkingpaththatrunsthelength of the inDouglas.The ist office the Isle of Man ers thewholeisland,whilefree Map (OS)Landranger 95(£6.49)cov-Survey There are plentyof walkingtrails.Ordnance Walking &Cycling pick itupatanyof thetouristoffices. into fourof theisland’sheritage attractions; Site Pass (adult/child £10/5)grantsyouentry toOctober.daily, Easter TheManx Heritage 4 648000; www.gov.im/mnh) indicated, otherwise Trust orEnglish Heritage members. Unless itage, which offers free admission toNational island’s historicsites are operated byManx Her- airport, 10milessouthof Douglas. Mostof the comeintoRonaldsway southeast coast.Flights rive atDouglas,theportandmaintownon about 33mileslongby13wide. Ferries ar- theIsleof Man erpool, DublinandBelfast, is fromLiv- equidistant Situated intheIrishSea, Orientation &Information biketurn theplaceintoahigh-rev fest. races,which silence, besure toavoid theTT ifyouwantasliceof tosay, tourism. Needless the river of crasscommercialismandmass down place thatdoggedly itself refuses tosell ing, cycling,drivingorjustrelaxing, thisisa surprisingly beautifulisland.Perfect forwalk- barren hillsandrugged coastlinesof what isa ers thelushvalleys, have actuallyseen never closed. case attracts around50,000petrolheads.Hardly motorbike racing,which May every andJune of TouristTrophy(TT) its summerseason reputation haven asatax forwealthyBritsand ways. As they’llpointtotheisland’s ‘evidence’ place, fullof weirdislandfolkandtheirquirky Man (EllanVannin inManx) of beinganodd Mainlanders have longsuspected the Isle of ISLE OFMAN Chances are mainland- same thatthose
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Ramsey n 0870 7877879;www.euro Bay Stranraer (100mi); To Belfast(85mi); ( (Summer Only) % Maughold 0800 0837783;www lonelyplanet.com Liverpool Heysham (75mi) (65mi) To To oughly satisfying wayof satisfying gettingoughly fromAtoB: speed catamaran service fromLiverpool and service catamaran speed bends thatmake forsomeexcitingdriving – return) Glasgow Prestwick; linked with British Airways. withBritish Glasgow Prestwick; linked return) return) Loganair Flybe Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 5pm Mon-Sat) bookings forfree. & 9am-12.30pmSatNov-Mar) 9am-5.30pmMon-Fri 9am-5pmdailyApr&Oct, daily May-Sep, www.visitisleofman.com; Terminal Sea Bldg; tax-allergic Brits.The frequentedfinance houses soregularly by and restaurants –as well asthebulkof the ing. Still,ithasthebestof theisland’shotels a shame,asthetownisn’tallthat endear- All roadsleadto Douglas, which isabitof % DOUGLAS SnaefellMountainRailway Laxey–Summit Tramway Electric Douglas–Laxey–Ramsey Train Steam Erin Douglas–Castletown–Port services from £30perday. operators have desksattheairport,andcharge route. Car-hirepopular drive isalongtheTT there’s limit.Naturally,themost nospeed and thefactthatoutsideof Douglastown Rd;perday£14-18; 624909; 8aVictoria Snaefell andDouglas’horse-trams. on allpublictransport,includingthetramto you free transportfortheapposite period (adult/child 1-day£10/5,3-day£20/10) tickets. the and sells Italsosells inDouglashastimetables the touristoffice The islandhasacomprehensive busservice; Getting Around mid-September). toDublin(three hours, mid-Aprilservice to Heysham toDouglas.There isalsoasummer & 2passengersreturn £138) footpassengersingle/return £15/30,car .steam-packet.com; Packet Steam Isle ofMan BOAT Birmingham. The 19th-centuryelectricandsteam Petrol headswilllove thescenic,sweeping Bikes canbehired from The 01624 /pop22,200 ( %
Manx Museum Manx ( ( % % 0871 7000535;www.flybe.com)From gives anintroduction toeverything 01624-663366; 0870 8509850;www.loganair.com) From
isacarferry andhigh- (MH; admission free; makes accommodation h tourist office tourist
( % Easter-Sep) Easter-Sep) Eurocycles 0870 5523523;www h ,
which gives Island Explorer Mon-Sat). h ISLEOFMAN ••Douglas are athor-
( % (
% 9.15am-7pm h (£5.20 (£7.40 686766; (£8.40 01624- 10am- rail
for all things from the sea, thiseleganteatery for allthingsfromthesea, guesthouse overlooksguesthouse theharbournear of standard comfort,thiselegant to ahigh bers, 3 Hill St) bers, 3Hill as wellcakes, snacks. buns andothersweet shop inDouglasdelivers kicks propercaffeine Loch Promenade;s/d£50/80; h h local brew, BushyAles. Return the trendy There are afew goodpubsaround, including Drinking are recommended. grill. Reservations twistsorjust aspellonthehot Continental theboats,given off fish straight themerest of fresh is thetrendiest placeinDouglas,serving rooms have terrific harbourviews. beautiful limestonebathrooms.Theexecutive –aswell ternet connections andfancyTVs with allthelatest gizmos–DVDplayers, in- las, theClaremont hasvery airyrooms bright, word incontemporary businessstyleinDoug- 19 LochPromenade;d/ste£105/140; You’ll save upto10%ifyoubookonline. views. betterperb, even thantheoneswithsea rooms overlooking thewater gardenare su- and comfytoelegantvery luxurious.The water gardenandroomsthatrange fromplain hotel isanupmarket oasiswithitsownindoor Promenade;s/dfrom£80/90; Harris mainsforaround£9to£12. town, serving restaurant thatisprobablythebesteatery in the smartCiapelli’sisatop-notch Italian B&Bs.Inthebasement, a lotof otherseafront are acheerful alternative tothe wornlookof ferry port.The23spotlessandmodernrooms island. information sheet listssites allaroundthe each sideof it.Thetouristoffice’s camping andtheweeks week commodation duringTT there’showever, littlechance of findingac- B&Bs. Unless youbooked backinthe1990s, promenadeiscrammedwith The seafront Sleeping &Eating racewinners. TT from theisland’sprehistoric pasttothelatest Tanroagan Claremont Hotel Sefton Spill theBeans Admiral House 9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat) lunch & dinner Mon-Fri, dinneronlySat) lunch &dinnerMon-Fri,
( % 676459; 11Church St) andtheoriginally named Bar George
( % ( %
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( 698800; www.sleepwellhotels.com; 18- ( % % 472411; 9 Ridgeway St;mains£9-15; 472411; 9Ridgeway % The most pleasant coffee coffee Themostpleasant 645500; www.seftonhotel.co.im; 614167; 1 Market Hill; snacks £2-4; snacks£2-4; Hill; 614167; 1Market 629551; www.admiralhouse.com;
( p % ) 617799; St George’s Cham- 617799; StGeorge’s Newlyrefurbished , specialising inthe p pi Douglas’best ) Theplace Thelast ) Rover’s Rover’s
587 NORTHWEST ENGLAND ENGLAND NORTHWEST NORTHWEST ENGLAND crosses andancientinscriptions. crosses of quiteshelter agoodselection houses stone on thesite of anancientmonastery; asmall The church inthesmallvillage of small islandjustoff Cregneash, isabirdsanc- traditional Manx rurallife. The pride andjoy, the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse,access tothischapterisnotdigitally Tomake 588 king shipburialsite. Iron Age hillfortat neash Village FolkMuseum neash Village mission £3) There’s also asmall fineviewsofaffords thetownandcoast. Rushen Castle dominated bytheimpressive 13th-century ofthe capital theIsleof Man. Thetownis town, aquietharbourtownthatwasoriginally At thesouthernendof theislandis Castle- CASTLETOWN &AROUND Christian cross. Old Church crossat the world.Thewheel-headed governor, it’sthelargest of wheel itskindin Named after thewife of the then lieutenant- of water perminute fromadepthof 550m. it measures 22macrossandcandraw1140L to pumpwater fromamine,as‘great’ wheel; Wheel Isabella Laxey Life Museum onthecoast. electric tramfromLaxey an easywalkuptothesummit,ortake the Snaefell tothesummitof close route goes mountain orwindaroundthecoast.The the mountain course upandover You canfollowtheTT AROUND DOUGLAS (MH; admissionfree) a school datingbackto1570in There initsoriginalboathouse. still housed is It’s noexaggeration todescribethe On thesoutherntipof theisland, the Between Castletown andCregneash, Castletown the Between On the edge of Ramsey isthe On theedge of Ramsey SEO A • Aon oga ISLE OFMAN ••AroundDouglas (621m), the island’s highest point.It’s (621m),theisland’shighest displaying,amongotherthings,its istheisland’smostimpressive early
(MH; admission£3;
(MH; admission£4.25) Peggy behindthecastle. (MH; admission£3)
, aboatbuiltin1791and Chapel Hill Nautical Museum
(MH; admission£3) h . Theflagtower 10am-5pm Apr-Oct) encloses aVi- encloses Calf ofMan Calf , builtin1854 St Mary’s church St Mary’s Maughold Grove Rural Grove
recalls recalls (MH; ad- Lonan Lady , the , the Creg- is .
average bite, headforthe prices includebreakfast. Forabetter-than- serves Manx queenies (scallops served with Manx (scallopsserved queenies serves rooms from£35. andhasself-catering white sauce) cheese £8) 842216; [email protected];EastQuay;mainsaround h Pde;rperpersonfrom£21; modation/fernleigh; Marine leigh Hotel ceremony takes placeon5July. St John’s, where theannual parliamentary costs£7. both thecastleandmuseum traditions.Acombinedticket for seafaring tive displaystoexplainManx historyandits £5; and joinedtoPeel byacauseway. stunningly positionedatopStPatrick’s Island is the11th-century beach, butitsrealhas afinesandy attraction The westcoast’smostappealingtown, Peel PEEL &AROUND viewsarediscomfort. Thesea sensational. in time,minustheinconvenience of coldand tographs onthewalls;it’slike stepping back and claw-foot baths totheold-fashioned pho- over fromthegorgeous detail, every brassbeds s/dfrom£35/70) StMary; Port ( land andlinked bysteam train. PortStMary,tion, asdoes acrossthehead- tory of steam railwayontheisland. £1; plays hosttothesmall ting) £10/5; tuary. % , opposite the House of, opposite the House Manannan, which The excellent The splendidVictorian-style Port Erinhasagoodrange of accommoda- resort,Port Erin,anotherVictorianseaside Peel B&Bs,includingthe hasseveral Three mileseastof Peel is h h Feb-Nov) runs between PortErinandtheisland. runsbetween 01624-835702; www.aaronhouse.co.uk; ThePromenade, h 9.30am-5.30pm dailyApr-Oct) 10am-5pm year-round) Calf IslandCruises Calf 10.15am, 11.30am & 1.30pm Apr-Oct weatherpermit- 10.15am, 11.30am&1.30pmApr-Oct
( , which has12decentbedrooms; % 01624-842435; www.isleofman.com/accom House ofManannan Peel Castle is a B&B that has fussed is aB&Bthathasfussed (
museum uses interac- uses museum % Railway Museum Railway 01624-832339; adult/child 01624-832339; adult/child Creek Inn Creek depictingthehis- lonelyplanet.com (MH; admission£3)
Tynwald Hill (MH; admission Aaron House Aaron
( % (admission
01624- Fern- at ,
www.lonelyplanet.com
589 NORTHWEST ENGLAND NORTHWEST