It is, by a lot of people’s standard, quite an attractive corner of Greater Manchester – waterfront buildings, ultra-modern construction, landmark museum architecture.
But MediaCityUK was once given the brutal title of being the ‘ugliest building in the UK’.
For more than a decade, Building Design hosted the ‘Carbuncle Cup’, an award that celebrated not architectural excellence – but the complete opposite.
The Carbuncle Cup picked out the ugliest building that had been completed in the UK in the last 12 months.
Winners over the years included 20 Fenchurch Street in London (better known to most as the ‘Walkie-Talkie’ building that reflected sunlight in such a way that it could melt cars), Liverpool Ferry Terminal (which spoiled the waterfront), and Lincoln Plaza, also in London.
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But twice in the Carbuncle Cup’s 13-year history, it was buildings in Greater Manchester which were deemed the ugliest in the UK.
One year – the award’s final year, actually – it was Redrock in Stockport that took the crown. A surprise to precisely no one.
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Redrock was described as ‘a sad metaphor for our failing high streets’ and an ‘absolute monstrosity’.
The leisure complex, home to a cinema and restaurants, is easily visible from the M60 as you approach Stockport and is a huge warehouse-like block with a patchwork of blue cladding on the outside.
The judges said in 2018: “This is why the Carbuncle Cup was invented. Wrong in everything that is important and to a degree that makes one wonder what were the designers and planners who worked on this abomination thinking?”
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They also said: “I’ve seen better-looking prisons.” Ouch.
More brutal still – and arguably more surprising – was the 2011 winner of the Carbuncle Cup, which went to MediaCityUK.
It might not be to everyone’s taste, but the waterfront hub of office buildings has got to be one of Greater Manchester’s most-photographed locations.
But according to the Carbuncle Cup judges, it’s a ‘crazed accumulation of development in which every aimlessly gesticulating building sports at least three different cladding treatments’.
They also said: “Quite how the BBC has stooped this low is hard to fathom.”
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One judge said of MediaCityUK: “If you’re going to spend £600m on a complete city district that is also the home of one of the nation’s leading cultural institutions as well as other high-profile media and university tenants, then it’s a bit of a shame not to pay more attention to the quality of the architecture.
“It would have cost very little more to make this place really special.”
Building Design’s editor Ellis Woodman wrote: “Whatever urban aspiration may be indicated by its name, a city is the last thing one would mistake this development for.
“There is no urban idea to speak of whatsoever – no space that one might recognise as a street; no common architectural language; no difference between the fronts and backs of buildings.
“There is no distinction made between civic and private buildings either.
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“Visiting MediaCityUK, it is hard to see how the corporation could set their aspirations any lower. How uncreative can a ‘Creative Quarter’ be?”
Savage.
The Carbuncle Cup winners over the years
2006 – Drake Circus Shopping Centre, Plymouth
2007 – Opal Court, Leicester
2008 – SAS Waterfront hotel, Saint Helier, Jersey
2009 – Liverpool Ferry Terminal, Liverpool
2010 – Strata SE1, Elephant & Castle, London
2011 – MediaCityUK, Salford, Greater Manchester
2012 – Cutty Sark Renovation, Greenwich, London
2013 – 465 Caledonian Road, University College London
2014 – Woolwich Central, Woolwich, London
2015 – 20 Fenchurch Street (‘The Walkie-Talkie’), City of London
2016 – Lincoln Plaza, Isle of Dogs, London
2017 – Nova Victoria, City of Westminster, London
2018 – Redrock Stockport, Stockport, Greater Manchester
Gaping Gill – the record-breaking waterfall you can only see twice a year
Daisy Jackson
There are a lot of incredible waterfalls in the UK – but did you know that the highest unbroken waterfall in England is right here in the north?
Gaping Gill is a record-breaking spot in the Yorkshire Dales, about an hour and a half from Greater Manchester.
Despite the Fell Beck waterfall being a massive 110-metres tall, it’s actually pretty difficult to see.
Unusually, the waterfall is underground in a huge cave system – and even more unusually, it’s only accessible to the public twice a year.
Those lucky enough to visit are lowered down into the massive chamber on a winch by a local pothole club.
It’s not for the faint-hearted, or much fun for people who are scared of heights, but once your feet are on the solid ground at the bottom of the cave you’ll be in one of the most awe-inspiring settings in the country.
The Gaping Gill cave chamber is 129m long, 31m high, and 25m wide – so large you can fit an entire cathedral inside it.
Its cave system is connected to the famous Ingleborough Cave.
The first person to make it all the way inside was Frenchman Edouard Martel in 1895, who used a rope ladder to climb down and kept in touch with those on the surface using a telephone.
The Craven Pothole Club helps people to visit every August and the Bradford Pothole Club every May.
The rest of the time, all you can see from above ground is the cave’s opening on the slopes of Ingleborough.
Local photographer Tatiana Hepplewhite said after her visit: “Twice a year, England’s highest unbroken waterfall is open to the public.
“The catch? The waterfall, named aptly Gaping Gill, actually falls into the ground.
“Very helpful Bradford and Craven pothole clubs put a winch and take lucky members of the public, such as myself, all 100 meters down. How was it? In one word – awesome!”
The next trip down into the chasm will between the 25 May and 31 May for £20 per person.
The northern village, caves, and medieval street named among the most beautiful places in the UK
Daisy Jackson
The most beautiful places in the UK have been named, with several spots up north elbowing their way onto the list.
From mystical caves in the Lake District to the Mediterranean-style architecture in… Wales… there are so many stunning places to explore on our doorstep.
Time Out’s list of the 15 most beautiful places in the UK, compiled by travel writers, has picked out ‘pinch-me’ destinations across the nation.
Several of the places chosen are within a couple of hours’ drive of Manchester, too, so you really don’t have far to go to seek out the very best of the British isles.
One spot that was well-deserving of a mention is Portmeirion, a popular village in North Wales that’s famous for its colourful architecture.
The village is the brainchild of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis and was inspired by the Mediterranean, which is plain to see in the colourful buildings and palm trees jutting out from an otherwise very British scene,
The tourist hotspot completed in 1975 and Time Out says it’s ‘like something out of a dream’.
The guide said: “This unique tourist village has established itself as the most romantic spot in north Wales.
“Of course, it certainly helps if it comes with Italianate architecture, colourful facades and an unforgettable sense of romance. How could you not fall for Portmeirion?”
Another spot in the north of England that has been named one of the most beautiful places in the UK is Rydal Caves, tucked in the heart of the Lake District.
Now us Mancs know that nowhere in the country can compare to the majestic scenes right across the national park, but there is something really special about the dramatic cave system.
Located right between Grasmere and Ambleside, they’re accessible in just a 15 minute walk from the nearest car park.
Rydal Caves in the Lake District made Time Out’s list of the Most Beautiful Places. Credit: Unsplash, Jonny Gios
You can leap across stepping stones all the way to the back of the cave, then look back out at the surrounding woodland through the cave’s huge entrance.
This spot was chosen by Netflix for scenes of the second season of The Witcher – told you it was magical.
Over in Yorkshire (and it’s a surprise to no one to see this on the list), is The Shambles in York.
The well-preserved medieval street features ramshackle buildings, cobbled street, and quaint little shops, and again looks like something straight out of a storybook.
Skipping over its gory past, Time Out said: “There are few easier, more atmospheric ways to transport yourself back hundreds of years (without the iffy smells and sights) than a stroll down Shambles.”