Photos: LimeSpiked, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Graham Robson , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 ShimG777, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: LimeSpiked, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Graham Robson , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 ShimG777, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Manchester's industrial engines, a history call
Your local guide
Emily Ashworth
View profile
Highlights
- Steam engines explained on screen
- Photographs of the engine hall shared live
- What powered the cotton mills
- The pace industry set for the city
- A history session, wherever you are
About this tour
This is a video call rather than a live walk, a chance to talk through what actually powered Manchester's cotton mills. We cover the working steam engines held at the Science and Industry Museum and the pace of life they set across the city. I bring photographs to share on screen.
We start with a short sound check, then work through the history in two parts, leaving plenty of room for your own questions. Afterwards I send a short list of sources and what to look for if you visit yourself.
It suits anyone curious about how the industrial revolution actually worked here without needing to be on the ground. It also works well as a rainy-day session.
Included
- A 45-minute call with a local guide
- Honest tips on where to eat, stay and what to skip
- A short follow-up note with every place mentioned
Not included
- Bookings made on your behalf
- Phone or data charges from your provider
Itinerary
-
Hello, and what you want to know 5 min
The guide calls you and asks what you are after: planning Manchester, recommendations, or just questions.
-
What we cover 15 min
We start by mapping out how steam power spread through Manchester's cotton mills, and I check whether you want more on the machines themselves or the working lives around them.
-
Questions and sources 15 min
I answer your questions on specific mills or engines, sharing photographs from the museum's collection, and finish with a short list of what to look for if you visit the engine hall yourself.
-
Your questions 7 min
Ask anything that is still on your mind, there is no fixed script.
-
A written note after the call 3 min
You get a short follow-up message with everything mentioned, so you do not have to remember it all.
Good to know
- A stable phone or internet connection, whichever the guide uses to reach you.
- No app to install. You answer when the guide calls, or join a video call if you would rather.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The call is not recorded. Keep your own note of anything you want to remember, or wait for the follow-up message.
- Have your questions ready, though there is time to think of more as you go.
Questions about this tour
What will the call cover?
The guide talks you through Manchester: where to go, what to eat, and answers to whatever you ask.
What happens if the call drops?
The guide will try you again straight away.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- Your guide calls the number you give at booking.
- We talk over a video call rather than walking a route, and I share photographs of the engine hall on screen as we go.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Fri 30 Oct · 4 seats left From 20,00 €
Book