Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall stands on Albert Square in the centre of Manchester, England, and is one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in Britain. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1877, it expresses the wealth and civic confidence of the cotton-trading city. The building is topped by an 85-metre clock tower, and the exterior is richly carved with sculpture and decorative detail. Inside, the Great Hall is the highlight, with a series of murals by Ford Madox Brown depicting scenes from Manchester's history, from the Roman fort at Mamucium to the early industrial era. The building has been through a long programme of restoration that has returned many of its Victorian interiors, vaulted corridors and staircases to their original character, and the project has also improved visitor access. Because the town hall is a working civic building, visits are usually by guided tour or during open events, and dates and times are published on the Manchester City Council website. Tours generally last about 45 to 90 minutes and explain the architecture, the role of the council and the stories behind the murals. Where charged, tickets cost around £10 (~$13), and booking ahead is wise as places can be limited. Albert Square in front of the town hall hosts the city's Christmas Markets, when the Gothic exterior is lit and the square is at its busiest. Visitors who simply want to admire the building can see the facade and clock tower for free at any time, and the nearby Manchester Central Library, the Memorial to Albert and St Peter's Square are within a two-minute walk. Weekday tours are quieter than open-day weekends, which attract large crowds, and photographers get the best views of the tower from the square in soft morning or evening light.