Haunt Manchester

“Manchester is Gothic physically - in its Gothic buildings such as the Town Hall and Chetham’s and John Ryland’s libraries - but also in a deeper, philosophical, undercurrent. Manchester was the famously dark and smoky ‘shock city’ of the industrial age, and it persists in having a Gothic philosophical identity as a place that is brooding, wild and moody” – Jonathan Schofield (Manchester Confidential)

Welcome to Haunt Manchester! This site aims to delve into the dark histories and spooky secrets of the area whilst also exploring all things alternative, Gothic and goth from across Greater Manchester. From Gothic buildings, to ghostly walking tours and Halloween fun, this is your one-stop shop for everything atmospheric, weird and wonderful in the region.

In partnership with:

Review
5 minute read

For the Love of Sci-Fi: Manchester’s premiere science fiction convention review

Review by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, Reader in Film Studies and American Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University. Following the wildly successful For the Love of Horror event in November this year, Monopoly Events and Andy Kleek presented the 6th and final convention (for now) at For the Love of…

6 minute read

Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on a 1980s Gothic Revival

Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on a 1980s Gothic Revival, interviewed by Daisy Brocklehurst. The return of Stranger Things after a three-year hiatus has enveloped the world. Kate Bush is back in the charts, Top Gun is in cinemas, and the rise of the mullet is undeniable. Welcome back to the 80s. It can be…

3 minute read

An Evening at a Chorlton Death Café

by Daisy Brocklehurst, with thanks to Dr Emma Liggins (Manchester Met), the Special Collections Museum, and Tea Hive Chorlton. On the hottest week of the year so far, in a café in Chorlton, strangers conversed and shared their experiences of death. From the outside it would appear as if this was…

10 minute read

Flesh Tattoo: tattoo artists in the shadow of the City Centre’s most iconic landmarks

By Rebecca Alaise (PhD Candidate, Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies) Housed in Lloyd Street’s Fabric Building, Flesh Tattoo is poised to draw inspiration from all that Mancunian culture has to offer. Specialising in realism, dotwork, illustrative, blackwork, Kawaii and traditional tattoo styles…

Guide
6 minute read

10 Mysterious Music Venues in Manchester

What’s better than live music? Live music amplified by a layer of darkness and mystery. Manchester has a history of unusual and atmospheric gig venues – from the rough-around-the-edges nature of The Roadhouse to the buzz of the Boardwalk. There still are a number of out-of-ordinary places where you…

Guide
4 minute read

Manchester’s Gothic College: British Muslim Heritage Centre

In the first of a new series of posts on the built and often hidden heritage and design of Manchester, Dr Peter N. Lindfield, Honorary Research Fellow in History at Manchester Metropolitan University, here explores an impressive yet little-known building tucked away in Manchester’s residential…

6 minute read

Uncovering the history of Manchester’s John Rylands Library

The John Rylands Library is a stand-out neo-Gothic building located on Manchester’s busy Deansgate – and as well as it being of significant cultural value, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city centre. But where does the name (and the fame) come from? The Library was founded…

9 minute read

Manchester: Something Rich and Strange – a book exploring the hidden aspects of the urban

What is Manchester? That is the question a brand new book 'Manchester: Something Rich and Strange' seeks to explore, through a range of writings and stories as diverse as the city itself. It was published in November 2020 by Manchester University Press and launched in an online event with the…

Information
7 minute read

The weird magic of Manchester music venues: The Peer Hat

Interview and introduction by Emily Oldfield Tucked down the backstreets of the Northern Quarter – on Faraday Street - you will find a seriously atmospheric music venue with an intriguing underground stage, off-the-wall music, a chilled-out vibe and plenty of passion: The Peer Hat. Old English…

8 minute read

A History of Manchester's Gothic Clubs

By Aidan Cross Often known for 'Madchester', Fac 51, The Haçienda and Acid House, Manchester’s club culture is not widely associated with Goth as a cultural or musical movement. Yet the city has a very strong and rich history of Goth clubbing and subculture, and so to overlook its Goth clubs would…

7 minute read

Historian Dr Michala Hulme’s recreation of a photograph of Peterloo Veterans using their living descendants is award-shortlisted

Around three years ago, a 135-year old photograph (pictured below) was sent to Dr Michala Hulme, showing 11 survivors of Manchester’s 1819 Peterloo Massacre (hence known as the ‘Peterloo Veterans’). Men and women make up the group, all of them aged in their 70s and 80s when the photograph was taken…

Guide
5 minute read

Hidden and alternative places to eat in Manchester

From restaurants right underground to eateries tucked down alleyways, Manchester’s complex network of streets and snickets boasts a variety of alternative places to eat. And by alternative, that doesn’t just mean that the location is unusual – these places often serve exotic cuisine and are…

11 minute read

Exploring the literary and film history of horror across the world: an interview with Gothic academic Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes

October marks Halloween month, with all-the-more attention turned to exploring all things horror, Gothic, weird and wonderful in culture and creativity. Embracing such an approach is Manchester-based academic Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, whose busy schedule over the coming months provides many…

Guide
6 minute read

A Gothic Guide to Afflecks

Afflecks (often affectionately known as Afflecks Palace) is a cornerstone of alternative culture, as well as Mancunian spirit. Spread across four floors in an ex-drapery business and department store at the heart of the Northern Quarter, here you will find over 100 small and independent businesses…

13 minute read

Manchester’s Forgotten Burial Sites

There are a number of burial sites and cemeteries in Manchester which have themselves been buried over the years – whether by layers of history or new structures. Here Michala Hulme gives an account of some of the city's secrets: St Augustine’s Catholic Burial Ground, Granby Row 1820-1909 Date…

7 minute read

Delve into ‘The Book of Witches’ – researchers and creative writers come together to explore the history of witches in the UK

Did you know that witchcraft still is very much alive in the UK? Published in August 2020 (link here) with Kristell Ink Publishing 'The Book of Witches' reveals more, a thrilling collection that not only explores the past of witchcraft, but also its continued practice, and what it is to be part of…

Information
11 minute read

Building a Civic Gothic Palace for Britain’s Cotton Empire: the architecture of Manchester Town Hall

The twenty-third instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

7 minute read

Discover Manchester’s Surviving Georgian Gothic on Byrom Street

The twenty-third instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

10 minute read

A Tour of Southern Cemetery

In this article Dr Emma Liggins accompanies local guide Emma Fox on a socially-distanced tour of Manchester’s Southern Cemetery. Emma Fox has been delivering her highly-informative ‘Show Me Manchester’ Tours for a number of years and considering Covid-19 Pandemic measures, she is currently offering…

9 minute read

Moving Manchester’s ‘Tudor’ Shambles

The twentieth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

10 minute read

The Zenith of Manchester’s Gothic: Chetham’s Library

The nineteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

8 minute read

A Hotchpotch of History: Sacred Trinity, Salford

The seventeenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

13 minute read

The Peer Hat: a catalyst of Manchester’s creative underground - and how to support it

Not just a music venue, but a melting pot of ideas and inspiration with community at the heart of it. A haven for people from so many walks of life. The Peer Hat, tucked away behind Stevenson Square in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, has been a place of gutsy gigs, eclectic events and a much-loved…

8 minute read

Cottonopolis: Reaching to the Sky - the history behind some of Greater Manchester's Gothic towers

The sixteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

13 minute read

St Chad’s, Rochdale: Where Medieval and Victorian Gothic Collide

The fifteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

9 minute read

The Real Cost of Heritage: Preserving our Gothic Buildings

The fourteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

7 minute read

What can we learn from Victorian attitudes to contagion? Dr Emma Liggins considers

In this article by Dr Emma Liggins, a walk in Manchester’s Southern Cemetery (pictured below) inspires a reflection on graveyards, Victorian attitudes to illness and its spread – contagion, a range of literary examples and a unity in living through strange times. Dr Emma Liggins is a Senior Lecturer…

6 minute read

Manchester’s ‘Renaissance Gothic’ Building?: Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices – now Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

The thirteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the…

5 minute read

How do Manchester's libraries contribute to the sense of the city as a Gothic place?

The twelfth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

9 minute read

Wait! What? St Philips, Salford, is a Gothic building? Never!

The eleventh instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

9 minute read

Gothic’s ‘Constitution’: The Great Hall at The University of Manchester

The tenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

10 minute read

Gothic Beyond Architecture: Manchester Cathedral

The ninth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

14 minute read

A ‘Bastard’ Building; a Child of Strawberry [Hill] uglier than its Parent: St John’s Church, Deansgate

The eighth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

9 minute read

Manchester’s Modern Gothic in St Peter’s Square

The seventh instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian…

10 minute read

A Hidden Gem in Salford: Arlington House, Bloom Street

The sixth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, and the…