Half-day Tours: 14 August 2007

One half-day tour to a place of interest in the Manchester area is included in the registration fee. An exciting selection of tours is offered. Half-day tours will be assigned in order of receipt; we cannot guarantee your first choice. Participants are asked to indicate their first three choices on their registration form. Tours may be cancelled if the minimum numbers have not been reached by the end of February 2007.

For any inquiries related to the half-day tours, please contact 2007halfdaytours@ifuw.org.

You will receive your half-day tour assignment when you arrive in Manchester.

Half day tours

Photo credit	A. Quarry Bank Mill / Styal Estate Restored 18th century water-powered cotton mill with working machinery and demonstration of the process from the bales of cotton to the finished product. It is surrounded by workers' cottages and the Apprentice House illustrates the life of the children under 7 years old who were employed, housed and educated on the site in the 1830s. Areas of interest – social history, engineering, industrial heritage.
Photo credit	B. Dunham Massey Country Estate, Gardens and Deer Park A country estate with an impressive garden and deer park. The house, including the servant’s quarters, was built in the 18th century and showcases an exceptional collection of furniture, silverware and paintings from that period. Areas of interest – history, architecture, art and culture.
Photo credit	C. Lyme Park - THIS TOUR IS NOW FULL A lavishly decorated 16th century house, expanded in the 17th century into an Italianate palace, with vast gardens, woodlands and a fine collection of English clocks. Lyme appeared as 'Pemberley' in the BBC's adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Areas of interest - history, architecture, horology, art and culture.
Photo credit	D. Jodrell Bank Observatory Part of Manchester University's School of Physics and Astronomy and site of the Lovell radio telescope and astronomy research centre. 3D theatre show illustrates research being carried out and there is an environmental discovery centre. Areas of interest – astronomy, other sciences.
Photo credit	E. Chetham's School of Music The most complete late-medieval residential complex to survive in north west England. Originally a 15th century residence for clergy, later a free school for boys from poor families, and the first free public library in the world, Chetham’s now houses a world-renowned music school and a library with illuminated manuscripts and many rare books published before 1850. Areas of interest – music, education, history, libraries, art.
Photo credit	F. Manchester Cathedral - THIS TOUR IS NOW FULL A largely 15th century building with exceptional wooden carving and modern stained glass windows. An interactive display offers insight into mediaeval Manchester, the Cathedral and its links to the wider world. There is an arch from the original city defences, 1250. Mentioned by Elizabeth Gaskell in her novel ‘Mary Barton’. Areas of interest - religion, architecture, history, art.
Photo credit	G. Imperial War Museum Housed in an architecturally impressive building, the Museum’s collection examines how people’s lives have been and still are shaped by war and conflict. Opened in 2002, the design by Libeskind has attracted world wide acclaim as it represents the globe shattered by war. Innovative audio-visual display techniques are used in the presentations. One section overlooks the Ship Canal and Manchester Docks with a panoramic view over the city. Areas of interest – history, war studies, modern architecture, industrial past and regeneration.
Photo credit	H. The Lowry Arts Centre An innovative arts complex constructed on the site of the docks to celebrate the millennium. The Lowry Centre houses 300 paintings by L. S. Lowry depicting the industrial landscape of English northern mill-towns. Areas of interest – painting, modern architecture, urban regeneration, theatre.
Photo credit	I. Pankhurst Centre - THIS TOUR IS NOW FULL Small Georgian town house, the home of the Pankhurst family, pioneers in obtaining voting rights for women, with displays on women suffragettes and domestic life in Edwardian England. Areas of interest – social history, women’s studies, suffrage.
Photo credit	J. John Rylands University Library One of the finest collections of rare books and manuscripts in the world, including the Gutenberg Bible (1455), Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales printed by Caxton in the 16th century, and many beautiful medieval manuscripts. Areas of interest – architecture, libraries, manuscripts, history.
Photo credit	K. Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester Based in one of the world's oldest train stations, fifteen galleries reveal the development of Britain's first industrial city, including its history, science and industry, and the lives of the famous people who lived and worked there. Included among the many exhibits are ones on textiles, printing, architecture, electricity, the first computer, and communications.
Photo credit	L. Law Courts An opportunity to visit the new civil law courts, to observe the proceedings and view behind the scenes. Areas of interest – law, architecture.
Photo credit	M. Gallery of Costume One of the finest collections of clothing and fashion in England, dating from the 17th century through to the modern day. Set in a Georgian house (1764), once the home of one of Oliver Cromwell's supporters. Areas of interest – architecture, social history, textiles.
Photo credit	N. Whitworth Art Gallery Internationally famous, the Whitworth Gallery, part of the University of Manchester, is home to an impressive range of watercolours, prints, drawings, modern art and sculpture, as well as one of the largest collections of textiles and wallpaper outside of London. Areas of interest – social history, industrial history, painting, other arts.
Photo credit	O. Town Hall Manchester's civic center is an impressive neo-Gothic building, completed in 1887 and lavishly decorated with mosaic floors, statues, and a sequence of 12 impressive murals by Ford Madox Brown, reflecting life in Victorian Manchester. We intend to have a French-speaking guide. Areas of interest – history, architecture, civic Manchester.