Greater Manchester
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

The urban conurbation enveloping one of England’s major cities, Greater Manchester was formed in 1974 – annexing land that had previously belonged to Cheshire, Lancashire, and the West Riding. This new county contains a few scattered prehistoric remains, namely earthen mounds like Brown Low and the Saddleworth Bowl Barrow, but also Iron Age earthworks such as Castlesteads. Greater Manchester also encompasses the early medieval Nico Ditch, the medieval earthworks at Buckton and Watch Hill Castles, as well as late medieval and Tudor houses like Smithills Hall and Baguley Hall. It was only in the early 19th century, however, in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, that the area became a major urban metropolis characterised by urban sprawl. The finances generated by Manchester’s industry helped pay for various prominent buildings in the city, among them the Peel Tower and the neo-Gothic John Ryland’s Library.