Where?
Stockport is within Greater Manchester, but borders Cheshire and Derbyshire. The A6 runs right through the town, which is easily accessible by bus and train.
Why?
Nostalgia — and industrial heritage. Explore the steep cobbled streets and brows (pronounced “brews”) of central Stockport. The brows would be an apt setting for a Hovis advertisement, and are often used as film locations. To get the full flavour, go on a damp day when the 19th-century mills and factory chimneys can be seen against a background of low cloud and distant hills.
What to see
The magnificent Victorian ironwork of the 27-arch railway viaduct looks just as good, of course, when the sun comes out. When it was built in 1839, it was one of the largest free-standing brick structures in the world.
On a Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday, Stockport market draws shoppers and browsers from a wide area. It was granted its charter in 1260, and, reputedly, the last wife-sale in England took place there. Many of its stalls are still housed in the Grade II listed iron-and-glass Market Hall, built in 1861. At the popular cheese stall you can sample the sharp Lancashire cheese before you buy.
One of the market’s most famous tenants was Ephraim Marks, whose brother Michael, founder of Marks & Spencer, ran a penny bazaar in the town in the 1890s. Once a month there are stalls selling vintage clothes.
Near the market is the Staircase House, so-called because it has a rare Jacobean staircase — one of only three surviving in England. Just as rare is the Hat Works. The town once had a thriving hat industry, and this museum is home to a recreated workshop with 20 restored Victorian machines and a collection of 400 hats. There you can learn why people were said to be “as mad as a hatter”.
In the centre of the town stands a statue of Richard Cobden, a founder member of the Anti-Corn Law League and MP for Stockport from 1841 to 1847.
The banks of the River Mersey are perfect for a stroll on a fine day. The Art Deco Plaza Cinema, much loved by locals, has been restored, and now includes a theatre.
Worth a look
St Mary’s is a Grade I listed church with a chancel dating from 1334. The nave and 125-feet-high tower were rebuilt in 1814 after the tower cracked as a result of prolonged bell-ringing to celebrate Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Where to eat
The Arden Arms. Its unprepossessing position in Millgate notwithstanding, this 19th-century gastro-pub has real fires, real ales (from local breweries), real food, and a reputation to travel for. Tiamo’s, at 1 Great Underbank, is a popular continental-style café. The Staircase House has an associated café, Blackshaw’s, and also houses the Tourist Information Centre.