Ardwick Heritage Trail

**We are no longer taking bookings for this event** Unearth the industrial and social history of Ardwick with some new Manchester friends and marvel at the Georgian splendour of Ardwick Green just a mile south of Manchester City Centre. Living history epitomises Ardwick, an area rich in architectural features and cultural heritage. Originally a small village and bounded by the River Medlock, Ardwick can trace its origins back to 1282. By the early 19th century, Ardwick was an elegant suburb and its Georgian splendour is still on show at Ardwick Green, alongside one of Manchester's oldest churches St Thomas's Church, built in 1741. The clock tower of neighbouring Nicholls Hospital, designed by Thomas Worthington and opened in 1881 to educate the poor, can be seen for miles around. Evidence of warehouses and factories remain from the heavy industrialisation which transformed the area towards the end of the 19th century. It was In Ardwick that James Potter, great-grandfather of Lakeland author Beatrix Potter once lived. Other famous faces include radical politician Ellen Wilkinson MP and Benjamin Nicholls, twice Mayor of Manchester. Famous acts still flock to Ardwicks legendary musical venue The Apollo, an Art Deco building built in the 1930s. A new century has brought a new look to Ardwick thanks to regeneration linked to the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. The hard work and commitment of ordinary Mancunians has also played a massive role in saving Gaskell House, the Pankhurst Centre and Victoria Baths in order to make sure that these impressive and important historical gems play a role in Ardwick's future. **We are no longer taking bookings for this event**