A historic corner of the Science and Industry Museum is set to be turned into holiday accommodation, with overnight stays starting from next year.
The Grade I-listed Station Agent’s House, which dates from 1808, will be able to sleep eight people thanks to a partnership between the beloved museum and The Landmark Trust.
The beautiful building on the corner of Liverpool Road and Water Street is one of the city’s oldest surviving Georgian houses.
Following a sensitive repair programme, the house will be made available to all through self-catering stays and free public open days.
Over the years, it’s been used as a home, then as a shop, but hasn’t been suitable for museum gallery use because of its size and layout.
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The Station Agent’s House is considered one of the UK’s most significant heritage buildings, pre-dating even the Science and Industry Museum‘s Grade I-listed 1830 station, which is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world.
The Station Agent’s House at Science and Industry Museum. Credit: David Oates
This corner of Manchester was home of the world’s first steam-powered, inter-city railways designed to carry both passengers and goods.
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The adjacent 1830 Station is currently being repaired ahead of re-opening to the public in future years as part of the museum’s major conservation and redevelopment plans.
The house’s redevelopment is the latest milestone in the museum’s multi-million pound redevelopment, which has included the opening of the beautiful Special Exhibitions Gallery.
Soon, there’ll be a new experience in the 1830 station, a Wonderlab gallery for children, a new entrance route through to Factory International, significant new outdoor landscaping and public realm provision and opportunities for outdoor play.
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The Station Agent’s House will be the Landmark Trust’s first property in the region. The charity is seeking to fundraise a final £118,000 to cover the restoration, following early support from donors and previous legacy income.
The Station Agent’s House. Credit: David OatesCredit: David OatesHistoric platform and the Science and Industry Museum’s 1830 Station. Credit: David Oates
Sally MacDonald, director of the Science and Industry Museum says: “We are delighted that the Landmark Trust will be bringing their expertise in sensitively restoring incredible heritage buildings to enable Station Agent’s House to be experienced by the public for the first time.”
Anna Keay, director of The Landmark Trust says: “The Landmark Trust is delighted to be working with the Science and Industry Museum at historic Liverpool Road, site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station.
“The Station Agent’s House, around which the pioneering station was created, is an outstanding piece of industrial heritage. The building will be sensitively repaired and made available to all through self-catering stays and free public open days. As a charity, the Landmark Trust is committed to saving and sustaining outstanding heritage, and is thrilled to be playing a role in Manchester.”
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council says: “We welcome this exciting partnership and the Landmark Trust to Manchester as part of the Science and Industry Museum’s pioneering improvement plans. This scheme will enable people to enjoy an important aspect of our city’s heritage for the first time as part of a thriving and rejuvenated destination.”
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Sheona Southern, managing director of Marketing Manchester says: “Manchester’s rich history is woven into the fabric of Station Agent’s House, and we are thrilled to see the Landmark Trust’s redevelopment plans that will preserve its incredible heritage while opening up a new chapter for the building.
“Located in the historic Castlefield neighbourhood, Station Agent’s House will join local residents such as the Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield Viaduct, and Factory International, undoubtedly adding to the city’s already vibrant cultural scene and will also serve as a truly unique addition to the city-region’s growing accommodation offer.”
Calum McGowan, chair, Castlefield Forum says: “We are absolutely thrilled at these proposals, and what great news to see more of the museum’s estate come to life. Part of our mission at the Forum is to ensure that we celebrate and cherish the heritage assets in our neighbourhood so this is another great contribution towards that. The building looks set to be a wonderful place to stay, on iconic site, in an iconic neighbourhood!”
Featured image: David Oates
Travel & Tourism
Chester Zoo opens massive ‘African savannah’, one of the UK’s largest-ever habitats
Chester Zoo has today opened its doors and revealed a magnificent new African savannah habitat, the Heart of Africa – one of the largest in the UK.
The massive new habitat at the beloved attraction is home to dozens of African species, including giraffes, rhino, zebra, vultures and meerkats.
Chester Zoo has created a vast open savannah where guests can come across species living side-by-side, as well as new indoor habitats where you can see smaller species like never before, and habitats you can clamber inside.
The centrepiece of the Heart of Africa is the savannah, where you can see giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, roan antelopes and ostriches all roaming together across grasses and water.
As you weave around the incredible new habitat, which spans an area the size of 17 football pitches (22.5 acres), you’ll also come across several new aviaries where birds hoot, tweet and screech.
There are 31 species of bird here, including a fabulous flock of 120 greater flamingos, three types of critically endangered vulture, colourful black cheeked lovebirds, and Africa’s largest owl, the Verreaux’s eagle owl.
One of the most impressive new areas is the Hidden Savannah, where you can clamber inside a safari jeep that’s within the actual enclosure, so that you can see 10,000 locusts all around you from the driver’s seat.
This indoor habitat is also home to adorable, wrinkly little naked mole rats, who have a network of tunnels to burrow through, and other rodents like short-eared sengi and pygmy mice.
Heart of Africa at Chester Zoo, in pictures
Heart of Africa at Chester Zoo, in pictures. Credit: The Manc Group
As for the cold-blooded animals, or ectotherms, there’s Trevor the African bull frog, plus dung beetles, red spitting cobra, Ethiopian viper and pancake tortoises.
There are 15 other mammal species to encounter too, including African wild dogs, meerkats, Eastern black rhino, yellow mongoose, and dik-dik.
The Heart of Africa stands as a symbol of Chester Zoo’s continued conservation efforts across the continent, which includes combatting poaching and illegal wildlife trade.
It’s thought that the Heart of Africa will attract an additional 200,000 visitors to Chester Zoo each year while creating 30 new jobs.
Heart of Africa officially opens to visitors on Saturday 5 April – you can book zoo tickets HERE.
Esteemed UK newspaper The Sunday Times’ has published its list of the ‘Best places to live in the UK 2025’, and it features two Greater Manchester boroughs.
Us Mancs didn’t need anymore clarification to know that where we live is incredible but we’ll always take it, especially when the compliment is coming from none other than The Sunday Times.
The publication revealed its annual guide of ‘Best places to live 2025’ which featured more than 70 different locations throughout the nation.
Although we may have been pipped to the top spot, Greater Manchester is featured not once, but twice, which is pretty impressive.
Claiming the victory this year is the market town with a name as pretty as its surroundings, Saffron Walden, which is only 15 miles from Cambridge.
The locations were ranked through a number of key categories including transport, house prices, broadband, schools and a new addition, mobile signal.
All the contributors to the full list acknowledge the obvious missing puzzle piece,food, and we know if this was factored in a few more Greater Manchester locations may have nabbed the ‘Best places to live’ honour.
The first Greater Manchester based entry is The Heatons, a hotspot nestled between the city centreand the city of Stockport, which is actually four neighbourhoods – Heaton Chapel, Mersey, Moor and Norris.
These areas are home to living history in the form of the iconic century old Savoy Cinema and lots of open green spaces.
Food may have been missed off The Sunday Times’ list but it certainly didn’t go a miss on ours.
Mossley has been named on The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list. Credit: Instagram, @ariadneexploresThe Heatons also made the list. Credit: Instagram, @fourtheheatons
The second spot which managed to grab the title of ‘Best places to live 2025’ is Mossley, a town packed to the brim with cosy cottages, blissful walks and a close-knit friendly community.
It’s not too far from Dovestone Reservoir and the Peak District National Park – when you’ve got all this greenery on your doorstep you’re bound to be in a good mood.
Our friends over in Leeds at The Hoothave lots to cheer about as Ilkley, Hebden Bridge, Easingwold and Ripon all got a mention.
You can find out the full rundown on all the spots up and down the country that have been selected as part of ‘The Sunday Times’ Best places to live for 2025′ HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
27th April 2023 
