My first Manchester walk, and the library that stole it

People told me I had to visit John Rylands Library when I went to Manchester. They were right. By the time I came out, it was easily my favourite stop, partly because it seemed to combine two things I always want to see on a trip, a cathedral and a library.

This was my first visit to Manchester, in summer 2025, and I only had about forty-eight hours. I live in Kent, so I was excited to see somewhere different, although I’d managed to arrive during a heatwave with thunderstorm warnings. A walking tour gave me a way to see a few highlights without pretending I could do the whole city.

Old buildings in the middle of everything

I started at Manchester Cathedral and loved the contrast around it. There was this historic building with modern glass buildings nearby, a path around the cathedral, buskers and construction. It felt busy, with things happening in every direction, rather than like a historic place standing apart from the city.

I wanted to get through a reasonable number of stops, so I didn’t spend the day inside the cathedral. The mixture outside was already one of the things I love about Britain. I don’t get the same combination of buildings where I’m from in North America.

The accent was giving me some trouble too. Even though everyone was speaking English, I felt a little like a new expat in England again. When I didn’t understand and asked people to repeat something, they were kind about it. That was my experience on this visit, and I appreciated it.

Architecture without pretending I love football

It started raining by the time I reached the National Football Museum. I thought the building was very interesting, and it fitted that mixture of different architecture I’d already noticed. Seeing the building appealed to me even though the subject inside didn’t particularly draw me in.

I don’t really care about football. I’ve tried, perhaps I’ll get there someday, but I wasn’t going to claim that this was the day. With limited time, I chose to carry on instead of going inside. I understood why football mattered here while knowing it wasn’t what I most wanted to spend the afternoon on.

The Royal Exchange Theatre was another quick stop, surrounded by shops, including some very expensive fashion shops on the way. Again, I liked seeing a historic-looking building in the middle of all that modern shopping. By then the rain had stopped and the humidity had eased a little, so continuing the walk was more pleasant.

John Rylands was worth going inside

The library’s dark stone exterior already caught my attention, but going in was the part I was glad I hadn’t missed. We had a wander inside, where the wood details and the architecture made me think of Harry Potter. I love visiting cathedrals despite not being religious, and I love libraries. This gave me a combination I’d never seen quite like it.

It was a working library too, with reading rooms and desks. That made it feel especially interesting to me, because the place had a use beyond visitors coming to look at an impressive building. I’d never seen a library I found more special.

I could have spent longer looking at the historic manuscripts and other items on display, but this was a short visit within a longer walk. It was hot and humid inside as well, although at that point I suspected I was going to be sweaty wherever I went. None of that stopped it being the standout.

A second library and a much-needed seat

At St Peter’s Square, I found trams, buskers, protests and the Central Library. Going from one historic library to another was a lovely part of the route, and I kept noticing how close together the places I’d chosen were. The centre felt more compact than I had expected, especially when I compared this walk with getting between places in London.

That doesn’t mean I’d seen all of Manchester. It meant these particular stops let me see a lot in a fairly short time. I was still getting tired, the rain had started again and I was going out that evening, so I wanted to save some energy.

I finished by walking along Canal Street through the Gay Village and sitting down at the Alan Turing memorial. It was a nice place to end the walk. Overall, the city felt busy and sometimes a little overwhelming to me, but also quite relaxed. I was happy with how much I’d seen, and John Rylands was the place I’d have most liked more time in.

Watch the full video on YouTube.