Next June, we (three couples) are planning a Narrowboat hire from Chirk, Wales. The nearest International airport seems to be Manchester. We plan a couple of nights to de jet lag before proceeding. Manchester, at first glance, does not look very interesting. What am I missing?
Thanks
Manchester was one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution - known as Cottonopolis back then, it's retained a lot of fascinating industrial heritage, there are canals and the city centre is full of Victorian warehouse buildings now converted into apartments, shops etc.
It's a very vibrant busy city and the city centre is surprisingly compact and attractive. It's great for shops and restaurants, a good place if you like Victorian architecture and industrial heritage and a very lively, trendy young city with a strong gay scene.
I absolutely love it, but it's not a "quaint" city of the sort that so many tourists love.
Chester sounds like a great idea. It is a relative short train ride directly from the airport. It looks no more complicated than getting into London from one of the airports.
That was good input for me on Manchester, but I certainly lean toward Chester.
Thanks!
https://www.visitmanchester.com/
The sprawling industrial museum is gearhead heaven. But there's also a decent regional arts museum with a permanent collection of paintings etc. connected to that region.
http://manchesterartgallery.org/
https://www.msimanchester.org.uk/
The so-called Curry Mile, running through the immense Manchester University, takes South Asian cuisine from cheapo counters for students to ritzy tablecloth dining rooms. And of course there will always be pubs in a working city.
The two soccer teams are in a virtual tie for top of the Premier League (as I write, at least) and their stadiums offer tours and the inevitable pricy gift shops. With such a rivalry, the city is a natural home for the National Football Museum
http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/
http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford/Museum-And-Stadium-Tour/Welcome.aspx
"Manchester doesn't look interesting" - what kind of thing are you looking for?
Museums/galleries - the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester Museum, Manchester Police Museum, the National Football Museum, Imperial War Museum North, the Lowry or the Whitworth Art Gallery to name a few.
Several theatres and the opera house.
Architecture - great Victorian splendour including the Town Hall, the Cathedral and the Central Library.
A great live music scene.
The newspaper article details what you could do in 2 days.
Thanks for all the good words for Manchester. If Chester wasn’t so close it looks like we would be able to easily entertain ourselves in Manchester. However if we decide to fly into Manchester, we will stay in Chester.
Chester is a lovely town, the Cathedral is beautiful. You will really enjoy it.
Chester is a lovely town. If you are bored with Chester, consider taking the short (slow) train ride into Liverpool. Another alternative is to take the train to Conwy - which has a magnificent Castle. (You could take a bus into nearby Llandudno before taking the train back to Chester).http://www.conwy.com
https://www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/chester
Another advantage of Chester is that it has direct trains to Chirk. (Hope you cross the magnificent Pontcysyllte aqueduct)https://www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk
The canal ends - at the Welsh end - in Llangollen. Consider >http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk
Actually the whole point of the trip is to cross the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct and visit Llangollen. In 2016 we started for Llangollen from Middlewich but only made it as far as Ellesmere. This year we plan to cruise the canal between Llangollen and Ellesmere.
