Just a stone’s throw (and easy tram ride) from Manchester is lively Salford, where industrial history meets modern creativity. We’ve planned a fun and fascinating itinerary for the perfect Salford day trip, including two free museums, a boat ride, historic gems and amazing food. There's so much to explore!
Start your day at 10:00 at Ordsall Hall, Salford’s magnificent Tudor manor house with links to Queen Elizabeth I's court. With parts dating from the 14th century, this is the oldest building in Salford and boasts a fascinating history spanning over 750 years. Now Grade I listed, Ordsall Hall has been a famIly home, a clergy training school and even a working men’s club.
Beautifully preserved today, visitors can learn all about the Radclyffe family who owned the hall for over 300 years, the resident ghosts and the other roles the building has played throughout history.
Highlights include the jaw dropping Great Hall, the Star Chamber (don’t miss the elaborate 450 year old Radclyffe bed and the fireplace scored with sword cuts) and the precious Italian Plaster Ceiling Room, featuring a rare decorative ceiling dating from the 1500s.
Ordsall Hall is open 10:00 – 16:00 Monday – Thursday, 11:30 – 16:00 (closed Fri/Sat and Bank Holidays). Entry is free!
The museum has a pay and display car park, or the closest tram stop is Exchange Quay, about a 3 minute walk from the museum. For more information, visit the Ordsall Hall website.
Recharge yourself with a toastie or tea and cake from the hall’s cafe, or if it’s too early for lunch, take a walk along the Quays to Salford’s epic theatre, art gallery and cultural centre, the Lowry, where you’ll find a cafe in the foyer.
Time permitting, nip up to the 2nd floor to the building’s art gallery and check out the world’s largest public collection of works by the theatre’s namesake, LS Lowry. His distinctive paintings of the daily lives of northern people in the industrial age were inspired by the 40 years he lived in the Salford area.
The Law Family Galleries are open 11:00 – 17:00 Tuesday – Friday (and Bank Holidays) and 10:00 – 17:00 on weekends. The whole building is closed on Mondays. They are free to visit!
At 12:45, join Manchester River Cruises underneath the blue and white Millennium Bridge right outside the Lowry and board the boat for a 60 minute guided tour of the Manchester Ship Canal and River Irwell. It reminded us of the boat we took on the Amsterdam canals: narrow, with curved glass windows all the way along its length. In sunny weather you can even sit on the roof!
The tour takes in the highlights of old and new Salford Quays with a fascinating commentary about the Manchester Ship Canal – you’ll see the BBC and ITV studios at Media City, the disused dry docks, old factory buildings, Stephenson’s 1830 Bridge, the remnants of an infamous Georgian prison and the Theatre of Dreams, Manchester United’s football stadium: Old Trafford.
Tours cost £12 for adults £6 for children (2-15 years). Under 2s are free. Book your Manchester Ship Canal tickets here!
Cross the Millennium Bridge and spend the afternoon at IWM North. This branch of the Imperial War Museum might be smaller than the flagship building in London, but it still packs an informative and moving punch. Focusing on the impact of war on people's lives in the 20th century, the museum displays an enormous number of personal items and artefacts, from a concentration camp uniform to art, letters, diaries, helmets and combat souvenirs with a particular emphasis on personal stories and experiences. The main exhibition space transforms into an impressive and emotional audiovisual experience on the hour, and you can see a Matilda II tank, a Harrier jet and an enormous piece of twisted metal from the Twin Towers.
Don't miss the beautiful Poppies installation behind the gift shop: the iconic ceramic poppy sculptures, originally part of the "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" installation at the Tower of London, cascade dramatically within IWM North's Air Shard. This permanent display serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war, allowing visitors to reflect on the significance of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
IWM North is free to enter and 10am to 5pm every day except 24th to 26th December.
For more information, visit the IWM North website.
In the evening, take a wander around the outlet shops (hello Cadbury factory shop!) before catching a show at the Lowry theatre. You can check what's on here.
For dinner, choose from a huge range of tasty street food at Kargo MKT, from Eritrean to Korean, Palestinian to Greek, or for something upscale, try the Lowry's 2 or 3 course pre theatre set menu.
How to get to Salford Quays from Manchester:
The easiest way to get from Manchester to Salford Quays, where this itinerary takes place, is by tram. From Manchester Piccadilly, take the blue line towards MediaCityUK or Eccles, hopping off at Exchange Quay after about 18 minutes for Ordsall Hall.
By car: It's about a half hour drive from Manchester to Salford Quays.
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