Frosty Morning in Manchester

There is nothing quite like walking on the first cold day of the season. A frosty morning in Manchester is one of my personal joys!

Philips Park Cemetery

I know most people think of cemeteries as creepy, but I think they are beautiful places filled with peace, quiet and interesting history.  We pass by Philips Park Cemetery which is the first municipal cemetery in Manchester.  It is celebrating the 150th year this year and you can check out the celebratory exhibition in Manchester City Library.  The stories around the cemetery are amazing, including bodies floating down the Mersey from the 1832 floods.  OK, so that bit might be a bit creepy!

If you’re up for a bit of adventure, Philips Park cemetery is a lovely place to walk as it leads onto Philips Park and Clayton Vale. As well as the Ashton Canal if you fancy walking into town after your adventure.

The Gas Drums

Although not the most typical of beautiful structures, this part of the city has many gas drums that I personally think act as a frame for the surrounding buildings.  I love how they stand tall and the light catches the Meccano style shapes high into the sky.  You can also see a sneaky peek of the City ground in the distance too, just peeping through the trees.

New Islington Marina

If you’re lucky enough to get to the marina when the gates are open (usually around 8 am) you can enjoy the peace and solitude of the Marina.  You’ll get to enjoy the sweet smell of the logs burning to keep the boaters warm and the mist that sits above the still water.  You might notice from the picture that there is building work going on, so the lovely peaceful atmosphere is currently sometimes broken by the shrieking of power tools.

Northern Quarter

I used to work just around the corner from this spot in Fourways House on Hilton Street, so it holds some fun memories for me.  I posted the other day about my morning walk, so you can check it out for more pictures of the Northern Quarter.  It is a bit of a strange place at the moment with so many of the old industrial buildings having been destroyed by fires and are now raking it in as car parks.  Some of the buildings have been invested in and there is a plethora of trendy bars and cafes in the area now.  Definitely on the up!

Oldham Street

Oldham Street has also had some bad press in the past (read the old ones) but I think it is definitely on the up and has a certain charm about it.  Yeah it might be a little bit grubby at times, but show me a city without some grub!  Anyway, I love the grittiness of the older parts of the city, the forgotten bits and back streets, so It won’t tarnish my view of the street.

A wander down Market Street

One of my absolute favourite things about wandering in a city bright and early in the morning is how quiet the streets are.  Once the shopper and people come out, Market Street is crazy busy!  In the morning you get to see the shop fronts, move freely down the road and really get a feel for the place.  A far cry from the hustle, bustle, shoving and plodding that comes on a Saturday afternoon!

Deansgate

A leisurely (as leisurely as us power walkers can go) walk down Deansgate and into the tram station. I have been taking the same(ish) photo from the tram stop for some time now so that I can see the changing skyline and seasons – when I have enough I will pop them into a video, I am sure.

For now, it is the perfect place to get a clear view of open sky.  Something that is pretty rare in the city and something that we love about being in the countryside and camping.  Being able to find expansive sky in the city centre is like a little piece of space for imagination to blossom.

Walking back

As the sun started to reach the sky, it was time for me to start heading home (on my kind of reverse commute!) so I headed back up to Mosley Street, catching some lovely shots of the sunshine through the building as I went.  Taking time to enjoy the beautiful, if cold, morning before tucking myself up behind my desk for the day.

And a fabulous sight of the Manchester Art Gallery now that the tram lines are finally open and you see the full frontage again.  I ave missed seeing the sunshine reflecting on the building from the other side.

And I ended my wander in Piccadilly Gardens where I grabbed the bus home, hungry and ready for my smoothie and getting down to work.  I do even find Piccadilly Gardens as its charms (despite the ‘Berlin’ wall and insane amount of fountain repairs!)

It was definitely a very frosty morning in Manchester as even after an hour and a half, I was greeted with crisp frost on the grass.

It is certainly coming closer to Autumn now, after our strangely mild October.  I’m looking forward to wrapping up and piling on the layers for my morning walks as well as throwing stones onto the frozen canal.

Excited for cold walks and hot drinks!

What is your favourite bit about Autumn and Winter?  Do you like exploring cities bright and early?

Let me know in the comments 🙂

PS: Have are you taking part in my Weekly Photowalk Challenge?  It is a great reason to get out and about in the fresh air and taking some photos to share too.  Find out more here!