Taste of the Monastery Afternoon Tour

A historical tour of E.W. Pugin’s neo-gothic, Victorian, Manchester masterpiece

Discover the history of E.W. Pugin’s neo-gothic treasure and walk in the footsteps of the Franciscans. This volunteer guided tour offers a fascinating insight into the life and work of the friars who created this much-loved place of worship and important example of Manchester architecture.

Learn about the rise, decline and fall of The Monastery and its magnificent restoration.  Our guided tours bring this incredible story to life. Come and find out what makes this famous Manchester landmark so special and spend an interesting and enlightening afternoon, steeped in local history & national heritage.

Please note, our afternoon tour includes refreshments and the whole experience lasts around 1.5hrs

If you’d prefer our shorter, morning tour, which starts at 10.30am, lasts around 1hr and does not include refreshments, please click here.

Fast facts

• This Monastery tour is £12
• This is a walking tour of The Monastery, Manchester
• This tour starts at 2pm
• This tour includes refreshments
• Tours take place on Monday afternoons.
• Children (under 16) free – accompanied by an adult
• Recommended for adults and children aged 12+
• Each tour has a capacity of 15
• Larger groups can pre-book a private tour by contacting [email protected]
• This event is fully accessible for wheelchairs and buggies

Booking info

To book the tour for Monday 19th May, 2025, please click here.

To book for all other dates, please click here.

Recent testimonials

Peter: A large membership of my congregation remember the Monastery in its heyday. It provided them with a strong faith that they still profess today. Also, to see the architecture of Pugin, this must be the zenith of Pugin’s work.

Joseph: I have had a sense of hope and belief in my dreams for God. It is a lovely building and most wonderful. All the lives involved in making it what it is today. I look forward with hope to the restoration of the backdrop.

Jean: Lovely time had by all. Everyone was helpful, and there was so much to see. I will be coming back soon.

Ian: Easy to organise for a large group. The guide was excellent, and it was an interesting tour. Thank you.

Norman: Really enjoyed it.

Robin: Very interesting visit. Informative guide. Good visitor facilities and tasty lunch.

Lesley: This has been a very interesting visit. The guide gave lots of information in an accessible way. I have learned a lot and enjoyed my visit very much. Thank you to everyone involved.

Directions to the Monastery here.