[221] Another attempt was made with the North West Enquirer, which hoped to provide a true "regional" newspaper for the North West, much in the same vein as the Yorkshire Post does for Yorkshire or The Northern Echo does for the North East; it folded in October 2006.[221]. [20][25] The library, which opened in 1653 and is still open to the public today, is the oldest free public reference library in the United Kingdom.

[27] Around the 14th century, Manchester received an influx of Flemish weavers, sometimes credited as the foundation of the region's textile industry. Manchester's unplanned urbanisation was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution,[11] and resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialised city. [196] and supports 12,000 jobs. [83], Due to being already highly urban, the city contains limited portions of protected green-belt area within greenfield throughout the borough, with minimal development opportunities,[84] at Clayton Vale, Heaton Park, Chorlton Water Park along with the Chorlton Ees & Ivy Green nature reserve and the floodplain surrounding the River Mersey, as well as the southern area around Manchester Airport.


[241], Manchester is home to the largest group of consuls in the UK outside London. Three managed 25 per cent or less: Plant Hill Arts College, North Manchester High School for Boys, Brookway High School and Sports College.[209]. [192], Public houses in the Canal Street area have had an LGBTQ+ clientele since at least 1940,[192] and now form the centre of Manchester's LGBTQ+ community.

[12] Manchester achieved city status in 1853.

[20] By 1963 the port of Manchester was the UK's third largest,[45] and employed over 3,000 men, but the canal was unable to handle the increasingly large container ships. The latter exemplifies a new surge in high-rise building. This was attributed to a 5.6 per cent increase in house prices and local investment in infrastructure and in Manchester Airport.

It was Manchester's first municipal airport and became the site of the first air traffic control tower in the UK, and the first municipal airfield in the UK to be licensed by the Air Ministry. [220], An attempt to launch a Northern daily newspaper, the North West Times, employing journalists made redundant by other titles, closed in 1988.

It is conjectured that the population of the area that became Belluno was largely Venetic with a strong Celtic minority.

Anglo-American author Frances Hodgson Burnett was born in the city's Cheetham Hill district in 1849, and wrote much of her classic children's novel The Secret Garden while visiting nearby Salford's Buile Hill Park. Where do the images come from? ", "Release Edition Reference Tables: Business Demography, 2012", "Manchester Airports Group dividend windfall for councils", "South Manchester: Living in the area: Introducing South Manchester", "The English Indices of Deprivation 2010: Local Authorities District Summaries File Notes", "Boom city Manchester has more super-rich than anywhere outside London", "Education and skills in your area: Manchester LA", "The Big Nine – Regional Office Review – Q4 2014", "Prepare for regional renaissance as businesses favour 'northshoring, "One Angel Square, Co-operative Group HQ", "A History of the World: Liverpool Road Station sundial", "Extra track suggested to ease Manchester's rail bottlenecks", "HS2 to enter Manchester via tunnel under city", "George Osborne launches £600m Northern Hub rail project", "UK's railway stations with most train delays revealed", "New Metrolink line to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport to open on November 3 – a year ahead of schedule", "Light Rail and Tram Statistics: England 2016/17", "Passenger trams start running to and from Rochdale town centre for first time in 80 years", "Metrolink's Trafford Park £350m Tramline Approved", "Enabling works begin on new Trafford Park Metrolink line", "Stagecoach welcomes government funding for Greater Manchester transport strategy", "Manchester Airport is Officially 'A380 Ready, "Giant Airbus A380 lands at Manchester Airport", "Airport History: City Airport and Heliport", "Where to start: City Airport and Heliport", "Manchester's Waxi water taxi service runs aground after two years – and the boats are being sold off too", "Census shows more people in Manchester are cycling to work", "Pollstar Concert Industry Awards Winners Archives", "M.E.N Named Most Popular Entertainment Venue on Planet", "Trof presents the Deaf Institute: café, bar and music hall", "Manchester: the UK's rock and indie music capital", "New home for Cornerhouse and Library Theatre in £19m arts centre plan", "The Guardian view on Manchester's new cultural space: from one kind of factory to another", "The Factory Manchester £110m arts venue approved", Executive meeting: 16.

A smaller City Airport Manchester exists 9.3 km (6 mi) to the west of Manchester city centre. [115], Manchester has the largest UK office market outside London, according to GVA Grimley, with a quarterly office uptake (averaged over 2010–2014) of some 250,000 square ft – equivalent to the quarterly office uptake of Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle combined and 90,000 square feet more than the nearest rival, Birmingham. The largest open space in the city, at around 260 hectares (642 acres),[68] is Heaton Park. Many of the big clubs suffered problems with organised crime at that time; Haslam describes one where staff were so completely intimidated that free admission and drinks were demanded (and given) and drugs were openly dealt. [126] The High Speed 2 link to Birmingham and London is also planned, which if built will include a 12 km (7 mi) tunnel under Manchester on the final approach into an upgraded Piccadilly station. [46] Heavy industry suffered a downturn from the 1960s and was greatly reduced under the economic policies followed by Margaret Thatcher's government after 1979. The town was ruled by quattorviri juri dicendo, by quattorviri aedilicia potestate, and by a Council of Elders.
[66] The River Mersey flows through the south of Manchester.

[167] Later the council stated it had secured a further £32 million.

In the 1950s, the city was home to a so-called "Manchester School" of classical composers, which was composed of Harrison Birtwistle, Peter Maxwell Davies, David Ellis and Alexander Goehr.

[63] In 1974, by way of the Local Government Act 1972, the City of Manchester became a metropolitan district of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.

Manchester Town Hall, in Albert Square, was built in the Gothic revival style and is seen as one of the most important Victorian buildings in England.