Manchester Guide

The City of Manchester UK

Given city status in 1853, Manchester UK has history that extends back through time. In fact, there is evidence that Manchester was occupied in prehistoric times. Since then, Manchester has seen an incredible history and now has a population of approximately 452,000 people. Sitting at the centre of the much larger Greater Manchester Urban Area, the city has become the fourteenth most populated urban zone in Europe.

History

It is important to understand the history of Manchester UK to know exactly how it got to where it is today. As stated above, there�s evidence that the city was occupied in prehistoric times because of the extensive farming remains that exist in Manchester�s south. At some point, a Celtic tribe called the Brigantes had a hold on the area before the Roman conquest of the 1st century. Mamucium, a Roman fort, was built in 79 A.D. in an effort to protect the area from the Brigantes. It was this time in which permanent settlement of Manchester began and a piece of the foundation of that Roman fort is still visible today.

The Romans left Manchester in the 5th century. Many years later, the Manchester Cathedral was built in 1421. At the same time, Flemish weavers were making their way into the area. They seem to be the individuals who are given credit for the beginning of the textile industry for that region, which became very important to the city. Being a part of Lancashire at that time, Manchester was touted as being the quickest, fairest, best built, and most populous town within Lancashire. From this era, the cathedral and the Chetham�s Library are the only survivors today.

Manchester also saw an influx of cotton production and by 1750, fabrics were being manufactured by pure cotton. Wool was no longer the important fabric by this point. It was also this century that import and export of materials began at sea ports. This made Manchester a dominant force in textiles. Then in 1780 the first cotton mill was built. This is what led Manchester into the Industrial Revolution.

Manchester today

Since the Industrial Revolution, Manchester has seen its share fair of ups and downs. All the way from World War II when Manchester was a pivotal part of the war all the way to its extensive redevelopment in the 1990s, Manchester has grown at epic proportions, making it the �second city of the UK.� This is the case in which historical and cultural aspects are taken into consideration and not the population or the size of the city. Manchester UK most certainly has the culture and the history to make it a staple within the UK that should not go unrecognized. The title of �second city� is unofficial, but is a tradition that has stood since early in the 20th Century.

However, where the Industrial Revolution boasted Manchester as being a manufacturing powerhouse, the city is now service-based. Professional and financial services are the leading industry. Also, anything involving communications, creativity, life sciences, and cultural work is up there as far as the other top industries in Manchester. This makes it a centre for business. It has 15,000 people employed in banking and other financial sectors alone.

Manchester has also seen expansion in the night-life economy. This has occurred since 1993 due to support from local authorities that has allowed for significant investment from the bars and breweries that make up this very active industry within Manchester. Revolutionary

With this said, Manchester is certainly a revolutionary city with its rich culture, mesemerising history, excellent nightlife, and a sports club that can fascinate even the sports-avoidant scrooge. This makes a visit to Manchester or even further exploring what it has to offer a task that is certainly worth the time.

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