Explore Manchester’s hidden underground world from the comfort of your home

It’s no secret that there is a whole tunnel world underneath Manchester city centre. From bomb shelters to subterranean canals there’s a lot lurking below the surface…

A number of people have ventured down there and one person, Mark Crossfield has mapped the hidden tunnels which you can see here. 

Manchester historian Ed Glinert even offers tours of the tunnels but like most things, they’ve been put on hold in the pandemic.

Fear not though – they’re now on ZOOM baby! 

The first of its kind event has been selling out so fast they’ve had to add new dates. You can get your hands on tickets for two upcoming events still though, on Friday February 12th and Saturday February 20th (this one is nearly sold out). 

The overview explains: “Explore in ravishing detail, with all the relevant pictures, the places you’d love to get down to but can’t anymore, thanks to meticulous and eye-opening research Manchester’s leading historian.

“We will take you to:

• Manchester’s biggest World War II air-raid shelter: Still there, rotting away, complete with war-time relics.
• The underground Manchester & Salford Junction Canal: From its open-air source, through to its submerged section where the water resolutely refuses to go away – what a story.
• The atomic bunker that stretches for four miles under George Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Market Street that was built at a time of government paranoia.
• The massive space under Manchester Cathedral, complete with toilets, stairs, space for bunk beds.
• Manchester’s half-hearted attempts to create a proper underground tube system – where did it all go wrong?
• Not forgetting the underground streams and rivers”

Tickets will set you back just £8.75 for the over an hour-long virtual event. You can find more info and book tickets here.