Art Nouveau and Art Deco Tour in Manchester

This fantastic tour looks at the wonderful architectural world of Art Nouveau and Art Deco through the prism of Manchester, with enthusiast and expert, Prof. Anne Anderson. As with so many other cities around the world, fuelled by the golden age of Hollywood and mass cinema and theatre attendances, Manchester was one of the UK cities that embraced Art Nouveau and Art Deco with the most vigour, leaving a legacy of outstanding buildings, which have survived the post-war building boom, both in the city centre and outlying suburbs. From civic and commercial buildings to churches, cinemas and galleries, Anne will take you on an inspirational journey back to the heyday of Art Nouveau and Art Deco a century ago.

Available Departures	From
26 – October – 2026	£ 999.00

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive independently at the Malmaison Hotel, Manchester Piccadilly from 15.00.
This evening there will be a welcome drink, dinner with wine and talk from Prof. Anne Anderson – ‘An Overview of Art Nouveau and Art Deco Buildings in the Greater Manchester Region’.

Day 2: Manchester City Centre, St Nicholas Church, Burnage and St Michael and All Angels, Wythenshawe
Our day of architectural immersion starts with a guided walk, led by Anne Anderson of the North and East districts of central Manchester, which will take in the exteriors of several significant Art Deco landmarks, including the Daily Express Building, reminiscent of their London office in Fleet Street, King Street Bank, the Town Hall extensions including Central Library and Rates Hall, St Peter’s Square Cenotaph and Charles Sargeant Jagger’s Memorial Sentry statue. After free time for lunch (not included), we head out of the city to see two extraordinary churches. The first being St Nicholas at Burnage, the first church designed by the architect Nugent Francis Cachemaille Day, built in 1931 and desbrided by architectural historian Sir Nicholas Pevsner as “a milestone in the history of church architecture in England.” From here we head west to the church of St Michael and All Angels at Wythenshawe, another of Cachemaille Day’s creations, this time from 1937, star-shaped with impressive stained glass windows and chandelier. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Day 3: Plaza Cinema Stockport, Victoria Baths and Manchester Art Gallery
Our first visit of the day is to the Art Deco cinema masterpiece – Stockport Plaza Super Cinema and Variety Theatre, that has been lovingly restored, with regular film showings as well as plays, pantomine and other performances. We’ll get to hear its famous organ as we tour the building. Next we drive to Victoria Baths, one of Britain’s finest historic swimming pools with beautiful stained glass windows, mosaic floors, and iconic green tiles. We enjoy a guided tour here to learn about the history of the building and its many decorative features. We will have free time for lunch in Manchester (not included) before our final visit of the day to the excellent Manchester Art Gallery to continue our study of the art and design of this period by viewing the superb 1920s and 1930s paintings and sculptures on show. Second talk by Anne – ‘From Arts & Crafts to Art Nouveau: Edgar Wood to Tiffany’ followed by dinner at the hotel.

Day 4: The Arts & Crafts Church and Edgar Wood Buildings, Middleton and the Haworth Gallery, AccringtonOur first visit today is to Middleton to visit The Arts & Crafts Church, a stunning masterpiece designed by Edgar Wood. We will also have a guided walking tour of the other Edgar Wood experimental buildings and see how he gradually changed the Arts & Crafts into art deco. Our final visit of the day and the tour will be the Haworth Art Gallery, Lancashire’s finest Arts & Crafts house and garden. Designed by the architect, Walter Brierley it houses the internationally important Tiffany Glass Museum, home to the largest collection of Tiffany in Europe. It was bequeathed by Joseph Briggs, a young engraver in Accrington, who emigrated to America and worked his way up to become Tiffany’s right hand man and, eventually, the President of the company. His intention was that his collection should be for the people of Accrington. Lunch will be included at the gallery before a free flow visit of its rooms, Tiffany collecton and gardens. Return to the hotel for approximately 17.00.

Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement

NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager’s discretion. Visits are a mixture of internal and external visits (many are public buildings) as time and traffic conditions allow. Most of the interest lies in the architecture which is best appreciated externally.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.

Tour Grading: Please note that this tour has been graded as moderate due to the amount of walking involved and standing for viewing at attractions. There is a walking tour on Day 2 with opportunities to sit, and mostly flat. At the Victoria Baths on Day 3 there are some steps and narrow spaces during the tour. Please visit the mobility page of our website for further information, or contact our team prior to booking if you have any questions.

INCLUDED

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Malmaison Hotel, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Welcome reception and first night dinner with wine
• Second night dinner at the hotel restaurant (no wine)
• Third night private dinner (no wine)
• Light lunch at the Haworth Gallery
• All talks, guided tours and admission fees 
• Coach transfers for selected visits
• Prof. Anne Anderson and tour manager throughout