A Treehouse, Beautiful Books and a Proper Manchester Welcome

There is something lovely about returning to a hotel you already know. You can put aside some of those questions that tend to accompany travelling as a wheelchair user and look forward to enjoying yourself. Will I feel welcome? Will people listen? And, just as importantly, will Tip receive the welcome he clearly believes he deserves?

My third visit to Treehouse Hotel Manchester brought a very happy answer. Both of us were made most welcome, and I was delighted to discover that some little suggestions I had made on previous visits had been taken on board.

Manchester had plenty waiting for me outside, too. I was visiting with the British Guild of Travel Writers, with the privilege of exploring the city in the company of knowledgeable guides. Over our couple of days, there were magnificent libraries, centuries of history, shopping and rather a lot of temptation on the food front.

A treehouse with a difference

Treehouse brings a little of the outdoors inside. There is wood, texture and a wonderful collection of quirky details. It is the sort of place where your eyes keep finding something else to investigate, and where the tactile touches invite you to explore.

Thankfully, enjoying this particular treehouse does not involve climbing a rope ladder. That would make checking in rather interesting.

What pleased me most on this visit was seeing small additions in the room following my earlier suggestions about accessibility for people with mobility difficulties. I am deliberately calling them small because improvements do not always need to involve a complete redesign. Sometimes a thoughtful adjustment can make an everyday task easier.

Finding those changes made me smile. Someone had listened and then done something about it. As a guest, that makes you feel your experience matters. It was a lovely way to begin another stay.

John Rylands: a library worth looking up for

Our guided exploration included the John Rylands Library, a building that could quite easily persuade you to spend considerably longer looking at the architecture than reading anything.

Its magnificent neo-Gothic design gives it an almost cathedral-like presence. Founded by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband, John, it opened in 1900. What an extraordinary gift to leave the city: a place where books and learning are given such a beautiful home.

I loved the sense of discovery. You enter a library expecting books, of course, but here the building itself demands your attention. There is so much to take in.

Having a guide added another dimension. Buildings become far more interesting when someone introduces you to the people behind them. Suddenly, you are thinking about the ambition, care and determination that brought the place into being.

Chetham’s: history brought within reach

Then came Chetham’s Library, founded in 1653 and recognised as the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. Its medieval home is older still, dating from 1421. That is quite a history to absorb in one visit.

This was also a particularly memorable example of people thinking carefully about inclusion.

The historic building has its limitations for wheelchair access. However, I was able to explore the ground-floor rooms and cloisters, enjoying the atmosphere of this remarkable place.

An alternative activity had been arranged for me, with the opportunity to look at old books and prints relating to Peterloo. Being able to spend time with these materials gave me my own fascinating encounter with the collection.

Those prints were a reminder that history involves real people with strong opinions, hopes and grievances. Seeing material connected with their stories brought that home far more vividly than simply reading a date.

For me, the thought behind that arrangement mattered enormously. Historic buildings can present real challenges, but there is so much value in asking what can be made possible. I came away feeling included and with plenty to think about.

A cathedral full of stories

Manchester Cathedral offered another opportunity to explore the city’s past with a guide.

The parish church became a collegiate church in 1421, receiving cathedral status in 1847. Its story stretches across centuries of change, with successive generations shaping the building we visit today.

Listening to how it developed helped me appreciate the details around me. I enjoy that moment when a guide points something out and you realise you might otherwise have passed it without a second glance.

Outside, Manchester carried on at its usual pace. Inside, there was time to pause.

Back to the bustle

We also explored the shopping centre, while trams whizzed through the city streets around us. After the quiet of the libraries and cathedral, the bustle felt particularly lively.

And then there was the street food: so many different types to choose from that deciding became an activity in itself. My memory has inconveniently filed the venue’s name somewhere inaccessible, but it has retained the important part: I thoroughly enjoyed it.

That was Manchester for me this time. Beautiful buildings, good company, fascinating stories and thoughtful welcomes.

Mackie Mayor: decisions, decisions

We also explored the shopping centre, with trams whizzing through the city streets around us. Manchester certainly keeps you on your toes. Or, in my case, my wheels.

And then there was Mackie Mayor. I have remembered the name, which is useful because this is somewhere worth sharing!

Housed in a beautifully restored market building dating from 1858, Mackie Mayor brings independent food and drink traders together under one rather splendid roof. There is communal seating and plenty of choice, making it a lovely place to gather with friends over food.

The difficulty, of course, is deciding what to eat. Just when you think you have made a perfectly sensible decision, another tempting option catches your eye. Looking around becomes part of the entertainment, although there comes a point when somebody really does need to order something.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good company, plenty of conversation and a wonderful choice of street food made for a very happy addition to our Manchester adventures.

Castlefield Viaduct: breathing space in the monster of Manchester

Among all that city bustle, Castlefield Viaduct offers something rather special: a little breathing space in the great, busy monster of Manchester.

The National Trust has transformed this former Victorian railway viaduct into an elevated garden, bringing greenery into a place built for industry. Plants now share the space with the old railway structure, giving this piece of Manchester’s history a very different purpose.

I love the idea of making room for nature like this. You do not always need miles of open countryside to enjoy a moment outdoors. Sometimes a pocket of green, tucked among the buildings, is enough to encourage you to slow down and take a breath.

For visitors with mobility difficulties, the National Trust describes a smooth bonded-gravel main route and level access throughout, with a slight incline into the visitor building. There is seating along the way, too. Do check the access information before visiting, as some lifts serving the surrounding area are currently out of order.

From the Treehouse bringing the outdoors inside to a garden finding its place above the city, nature kept appearing in unexpected corners of this trip. Add beautiful libraries, fascinating stories, street food and a warm welcome for both Tip and me, and Manchester had given me plenty of reasons for a fourth visit.