Brooklands

Imperial War Museum North

MediaCityUK · 3.7 miles

Overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal on Trafford Wharf Road in Trafford Park, Imperial War Museum North occupies a site that was a key industrial centre during the Second World War and suffered heavy bombing in the Manchester Blitz of December 1940. Classified as a military museum, it examines the impact of modern conflicts on people and society and is the first Imperial War Museum branch in the north of England. The museum forms part of a cultural quarter that includes the Lowry centre and MediaCityUK opposite at Salford Quays. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the building presents three interlocking shards that symbolise air, earth and water; the 55-metre air shard houses the entrance and a viewing balcony above the canal, the earth shard contains the exhibition galleries and the water shard accommodates a café with canal views. The permanent collection arranges chronological and thematic displays, supplemented by hourly audiovisual presentations projected throughout the gallery space, while a separate gallery hosts temporary exhibitions. Since its opening on 5 July 2002, the museum has run a volunteer programme, partnered with Manchester Museum from January 2007. Admission is free and the venue offers step-free wheelchair access. Opening times are published on the museum’s listing, and the nearest town identified by OpenStreetMap is MediaCityUK. As a national museum, it receives core funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and generates additional income.

Peterloo Memorial

Petersfield · 5.6 miles

A contemporary monument in Manchester, England, marks the site of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. The structure, commissioned after more than a decade of campaigning by the Peterloo Memorial Campaign Group, was presented to the public in August 2019, shortly before the bicentenary of the tragedy. The work, designed by artist Jeremy Deller, measures roughly 1.8 metres in height and stretches 11.6 metres across. Its surface consists of eleven concentric steps crafted from a range of polished British stones, each step bearing the names of eighteen victims and the locations from which they originated. The stone palette includes slate from Broughton Moor and Wales, sandstone from the Peak District and Cove, DeLank granite, red sandstone from St Bees, and Scottish dolerite, reflecting material sourced from across the United Kingdom and former imperial territories. An additional replica of the stepped pattern is reproduced at ground level, accompanied by a plaque set into the floor. While the memorial meets statutory standards for public installations, its stepped configuration has drawn criticism for limiting wheelchair access. Manchester City Council has examined possible alterations, though integrating a ramp without obscuring the inscriptions presents a technical challenge. The site is listed in OpenStreetMap as a monument and historic memorial, and it remains freely accessible to visitors.

Mayfield Park

Brunswick · 5.6 miles

Mayfield Park is a park in Manchester city centre, England, covering an area of 6.5 acres (2.6 ha). The city centre's first new park in more than 100 years, it was officially opened on 22 September 2022.

The Glade of Light

Medieval Quarter · 5.6 miles

The Glade of Light is a memorial in Manchester, England, that commemorates the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017. It opened to the public on 5 January 2022 and an official opening event took place 10 May 2022. The memorial is in the form of a garden with a stone centrepiece inscribed with the names of the 22 victims. Individual 'memory capsules' commemorating each victim have been included in the memorial and are situated within the stone centrepiece.

Christ Church

Heaton Norris · 6.2 miles

Ruined church of which only the steeple survives. Gutted by fire in the 1970s.

Rixton Claypits Local Nature Reserve

Hollins Green · 6.2 miles

The former clay-extraction site at Rixton, close to the village of Hollins Green in Warrington, has reverted to a mosaic of ponds, scrub, woodland and damp grassland. Work on the boulder-clay began in the 1920s to supply a nearby brickworks and stopped in 1965; since then natural regeneration has created a range of habitats that are now managed as a local amenity by Warrington Borough Council. Two sections covering a total of 15 hectares are designated both as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, recognised for their calcareous grassland and for supporting the largest breeding population of great crested newts in Cheshire. The reserve, formally created in 1996, offers waymarked paths that guide visitors around the water bodies and grassland, and a small visitor centre provides information about the site’s ecology. Angling is allowed on the lake that lies between the two protected sections, with the Warrington Anglers Association overseeing the activity; the principal fish species are tench, bream and roach, while carp and pike are also present. Access is via the surrounding countryside, and the reserve is under the care of the local council, which maintains the facilities for public use.