One person remarked: “Drove by earlier with cars parked everywhere on the verges with dozens and dozens slapped with parking tickets. Bonkers behaviour.”
Another said: “It was completely nuts here today. Wish I took a photo of winnats pass. Idiot parking brought the whole area to a standstill. Fair Holmes and all the car parks were full by 9.15 at Ladybower. I’m getting out early tomorrow morning. Hopefully they forget to change their clock.”
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Someone else joked: “Should have gone to the off-peak district.”
And one person shared: “This is why I don’t go anywhere on bank hol weekends. Buxton was rammed today; I missed an appt because I couldn’t get parking. Still, it’s good for local business which makes me happy.”
One person who got stuck in the traffic chaos near Winnats Pass said: “I visited for the duck race today with my 2 boys and I was so shocked at the place people were using to park, the road just before winnats pass was gridlocked both sides.
“It truly is a beautiful place to visit on any day but why can’t people park responsibly. The grass verges were been torn up by people parking. On leaving winnats was a no go zone had to go home via Bradwell, I feel for the residents if it’s like that every weekend.”
And one local said: “Just a normal weekend then! Preach about how good it is, they will come! Cant blame them really its a beautiful place and lots of people want to see it.”
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Elsewhere in the Peak District, the A57 Snake Pass was closed following a horror crash between a motorbike and a car that left a man dead.
Officers are still appealing for witnesses to that crash to come forward, particularly with dashcam footage.
You can visit hundreds of historic sites across Greater Manchester for FREE this month
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Heritage Open Day is back in Greater Manchester this September, with its biggest festival ever and more than 6,200 free day trips to choose from.
Organised by the National Trust and Postcode Lottery, these events allow millions of people across the country come together each autumn, to celebrate community, history and you guessed it – heritage.
Thousands of organisations and amazing volunteers across England will be taking part, to deliver outings between the 11 – 20 September, allowing the public to experience new opportunities that they may not otherwise have access to.
What’s more is it’s all completely free.
The festival focuses on celebrating differences and heritage both past and present, encouraging discussion on what it represents today, with 83% of attendees last year saying that their visit increased their pride in their local area.
Annie Reilly, the National Trust’s Audience & Engagement Director, said: “Heritage Open Days opens the door to thousands of extraordinary stories, places and experiences on your doorstep.
“By inspiring curiosity today, the festival helps build a stronger sense of connection, care and action for the future.”
But with so many events to choose from, it can get a little overwhelming to plan your day out – so in no particular order, here are 10 brilliant free experiences in the Heritage Open Days list in Greater Manchester.
1. Pankhurst Museum (AKA The Pankhurst Centre), Ardwick
The Pankhurst Museum will open its doors for free over the Heritage Open Days. Credit: Supplied
Pictured The Pankhurst Centre building in the NHS grounds
This September, you can enter the very home of Emmeline Pankhurst, and explore the parlour where she began the Women’s Social & Political Union (the Suffragette Movement).
This iconic building, central to feminist activism where history was made, is located inside the hospital grounds of our very own Manchester Royal Infirmary. Here you can learn of Pankhurst’s family, the movement itself, experiment with chalk graffiti in the garden and even have a drink in the tearoom.
The museum will be free to the public from 11-4pm on Sunday 13 September and Sunday 20 September to celebrate, as part of this year’s festival.
Now’s your chance to have a nosey behind the scenes, inside that super old theatre on the A6, which has probably gone fairly unnoticed until its recent exciting, VERY orange makeover.
As part of Heritage Open Days, the theatre is celebrating its 125th birthday by opening its doors and offering a rare guided backstage tour to visitors, along with a historical presentation and the opportunity for photos.
This tour is available on Saturday 12 September, on the half hour, between 10.30am-12pm and 1.30pm-3pm.
It’s important to note that due to the theatre being inside an old mill, with many stairs across multiple levels, it is sadly not wheelchair or pushchair accessible.
Pre-booking is not required.
3. Museum of Transport, Cheetham Hill
Fancy a ride on a retro bus? Look no further.
Head on over to this historic Grade II-listed garage, where you can find a collection of more than 80 vintage vehicles including buses, coaches, trams and fire engines
Not only is it home to every kind of bus and tram you could imagine, along with copious amounts of transport related memorabilia but they also have a traditional tea room and museum shop that completely transport you back in time.
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As part of the festival, the museum will be organising rides for visitors to travel in style, on some of the historic vehicles from their collection.
Visit on Saturday 12, Sunday 13, Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 September, between 10am-4.30pm, to get in for free.
4. The Station Agent’s House, Castlefield
Calling all train and interior design enthusiasts.
Forget stalking Rightmove for posh houses – for one weekend only, you can nosey around for free, inside this restored globally historic 19th century house.
This isn’t just any magnificent looking house – no, the site itself is in fact the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station, where Liverpool Road Station was first developed.
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This very building became home to the first Station Agent, as well as being where the introduction of railway waiting rooms, signals, and tickets began.
Visit across Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 September, between 10-4pm.
While not essential, priority will be given to those that have prebooked, to manage capacity.
5. Rochdale Town Centre: A Heritage Photo Walk, with Ellie Waters
Rochdale Town HallRochdale Town Hall
Think you know your local area? I bet you missed some of these.
You may have once considered yourself observant but think again – test your knowledge and go for a trip down memory lane with Ellie Waters.
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Ellie is set to lead a guided tour, through visual storytelling, amongst the various landmarks within Rochdale town centre.
This experience allows you to see your local history materialise through photographs of the exact areas you visit – some of which you may have walked past a million times without noting their significance.
You must book a slot for this free experience taking place on Saturday 12 September, 11am-1pm. Click HERE for tickets.
6. Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum – with free match tickets
Head on over to Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum to celebrate the beautiful game, swat up on your local team’s history, and be in with a chance of winning some exclusive prizes.
Not only is the museum bursting with memorabilia and steeped in rich football history, but by attending you also gain access to free tickets to the League One fixture, to see Wigan Athletic host visitors Wycombe Wanderers.
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You’re in for an afternoon full of footy – the museum is open 1-2.30pm, followed by kick off at 3pm, Saturday 19 September.
You must register HEREto gain your free digital tickets.
7. Rubbish to Resource – see your recycling in action, Sharston
I think we could all do with learning how to be a bit more green, following this past summer of extreme heatwaves and crazy storms.
Over at the Longley Lane recycling facility, you’re able to gain behind the scenes access to find out what actually happens when we recycle here in Greater Manchester.
The tour will include some indoor interactive activities debunking any recycling myths, along with plenty of time to ask questions to properly understand the importance of looking after our planet.
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Tours are available Wednesday 16 September 2.15-4.30pm and 6-8.30pm, as well as Saturday 19 September 10-12.30pm.
You must book tickets HERE and all children must be 7+ to enter, with all under 18s accompanied by an adult.
Go and have a gander behind the scenes at Manchester’s last working Edwardian heritage pool.
This community-run building dating back to 1911, is bursting with history, from the stunning roof to the stained-glass windows – this isn’t your regular swimming baths.
Head on down Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 September – the tour will run from 2-3pm.
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This experience is for ages 12+ and all under 16s must be joined by an adult.
Over in Northernden is St Wilfred’s church, some 18th century church bells have been in use for the past 275 years – and now’s your chance to hear them too.
During the Heritage Open Days festival, you are invited to celebrate the area’s milestones by attending one of many events including a bell-ringing performance and a cheese and wine event, as well as talks run by local historians on Northenden’s history.
Between Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 September, there are a range of sessions available.
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No booking needed, except for the bell ringing demonstrations on Saturday 12 September.
10. East Lancashire Railway, Bury
Don’t miss your chance to explore unseen areas of the Castlecroft Sheds, where historic locomotives are stored and cared for by a team of volunteers.
This action-packed tour allows visitors to gain an insight into the craftsmanship, care and skill needed to successfully restore these wonderful vehicles.
Each immersive tour also grants you access to a full-line return train journey, starting at Bury Bolton Street Station and will include a two mile walk, so ensure you are wearing suitable footwear.
This is a 16+ event, with tours running, Sunday 13 and Sunday 20 September between 1-2pm.
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Final call for all remaining passengers – tickets must be prebooked HERE, butdon’t hang about – tickets are limited.
New £60m fund launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new £60 million Pothole Fund has been created to repair more of the city region’s roads and pavements.
The fund – which has been set up by new Mayor Bev Craig, and is to be spent across every borough in Greater Manchester – is set to be a ‘major boost’ to efforts to tackle the pothole problem, as it will be enough to repair and maintain over a million square metres, or around 125 kilometres, of road across the wider region.
Around 2.5 billion trips are made on Greater Manchester‘s roads every year – not only by motorists, but also by buses, trams, cyclists, and pedestrians. So the fund will be used to help keep the highways network ‘safe and reliable’.
The fund will enable transport teams to repair hotspots where surfaces are in poor condition, as well as resurface roads and pavements to prevent them from deteriorating in the first place.
A new £60m fund has been launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM
Cold and wet winters, more traffic, and heavier vehicles using the roads are just some of the contributing factors to the pothole problem, which is why the fund is being introduced before autumn and winter properly arrives.
The amount each of the 10 boroughs will receive is based on an agreed funding formula, with the allocations being:
Bolton: £6,552,000
Bury: £4,374,000
Manchester: £8,155,000
Oldham: £5,258,000
Rochdale: £5,243,000
Salford: £5,388,000
Stockport: £6,820,000
Tameside: £4,980,000
Trafford: £4,992,000
Wigan: £8,241,000
The extra cash comes from the region’s transport budget, with leaders agreeing to reallocate funding towards highways maintenance, and it fulfils a commitment Bev made in her Mayoral Manifesto to repair more roads and make sure pavements are safe.
“Keeping our roads and pavements safe and well maintained is essential for a growing city region like Greater Manchester,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.
“That’s why I promised to create this new Pothole Fund that will benefit drivers and everyone who uses our roads to get around. Properly maintaining our roads will save motorists money on costly repairs, and by preventing potholes forming in the first place, councils won’t have to spend as much money on emergency road repairs.
“This issue came up repeatedly on the doorstep during my election campaign so I’m pleased that I can do something about it so quickly, building on the significant work already planned by councils across Greater Manchester.”
Daisy Jackson -
1st April 2024 
