Manchester: Women & Queer History Walking Tour｜United Kingdom

Meet your guide in St Peter's Square, outside the Emmeline Pankhurst statue, and set off on a 90 minute walking tour exploring the women and LGBTQ+ people who helped shape Manchester.

We'll begin in the heart of the city, exploring Manchester's important role in the women's suffrage movement and the campaigns for political and social change. From here, we'll make our way through some of the city's most significant historic locations, including Manchester Central Library and the former Free Trade Hall.

As we continue towards the Gay Village, we'll explore Manchester's industrial past and the lives of the women who helped build the city. We'll pass through the historic Whitworth Street area and the former site of The Haçienda before reaching the Rochdale Canal and Canal Street.

In the Gay Village, we'll discover the history of Manchester's LGBTQ+ community, from discrimination and criminalisation to the growth of a vibrant and visible community. We'll then continue to Sackville Gardens, exploring more of Manchester's queer history and the city's changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people.

The final part of the tour takes us towards the University of Manchester, where we'll explore the history of women in education and the connections between feminism, social change and queer history.

Throughout the tour, we'll look at the people, places and events that challenged ideas about who was allowed to vote, work, study, love and take up space in Manchester.

The tour begins at the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter's Square (opposite St Peters Square Metrolink stop) and finishes in the Sackville Street and University area (close by to Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink stop). The tour takes place entirely outdoors, so comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing are recommended.