Manchester: Well who would have thought it?

Manchester. Well who would have thought it?

JB and I have just returned from two days in Manchester, all in aid of research for my Masters. It is the city where Elizabeth Gaskell (of Cranford, Mary Barton and North and South fame) lived until 1865. Gaskell and her works are the subject of my latest essay and so, in order to get really close to my subject, we decided to spend a bit of time frequenting the places that Gaskell herself would have visited.

Our first stop, other than the grotty Travelodge, was Portico Library. A members only library (it's over £100 to be a member) where Gaskell and her husband borrowed books from. My tutor had emailed the library, which allowed me access to their rare and unique collection of books however I really only wanted to see the beautiful architecture, which included a fantastic domed ceiling. I can honestly say that this was one of the most quaint and beautiful libraries I have ever been in. A true hidden gem.

Next we moved onto the Manchester Art Gallery, which was free entry and excellent and after this we walked a short distance to the People's History Museum which again was free. I have actually realised how many things there are to do that don't cost a penny.

In the evening we returned to Portico for the launch of Alan Shelston's biography of Elizabeth Gaskell's life; I sat and tried to discreetly take notes in the audience! The we had some tea in the reading room of the library. It was the kind of room that JB and I can only dream about. Dark bookcases lining every inch of the wall, filled with leather bound classics and a large fireplace in the centre. Literary bliss!

To finish off out stay in Manchester city centre we visited the John Ryland's Library. This place was just spectacular. Gothic style and simply stunning and again completely unexpected. This is a picture of the reading room in the library.

A visit to Manchester to research Elizabeth Gaskell would not be complete without a stop at Knutsford. Knutsford is where Gaskell spent most of her childhood and is the place where many of her novels are set, most notably, Cranford.

JB and I found her house, which was by any standards rather lavish. It overlooks the heath, which in Gaskell's time was home to a racecourse.

We also visited her grave, which was a bit surreal and then spent the rest of the afternoon eating our sandwiches in the sun on the heath.

One thing, other than the research, that we discovered during our visit was how lovely Manchester is. It's a place that gets a bad press; I imagined it to be dismal, dirty and uninspiring. Actually it was the opposite. The city is vibrant with a comfortable mix of the old and the new. It's fantastic for shopping but there's more to it than that. There is so much to see and do you could easily spend a good few days there without getting bored. We will definitely be going back.