Manchester’s neighbour across the Irwell is a city in its own right, with MediaCityUK, the Lowry and a new RHS garden.
Salford sits on the western bank of the River Irwell, facing Manchester across the water, and many visitors do not realise they have crossed from one city into another. But Salford is a city in its own right, with its own history, character and identity. It was one of the great industrial towns of the North, and its docks on the Manchester Ship Canal once handled ships from around the world.
Today its old docks have been transformed into Salford Quays, one of the most exciting waterfronts in the country, home to the BBC and the Lowry. Beyond the quays are Victorian parks, Tudor halls, a famous canal and one of the newest great gardens in Britain. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. The Lowry
The Lowry is an arts centre at the tip of Pier 8 on Salford Quays, in a striking steel and glass building that opened in 2000. It has two theatres, which stage everything from big touring musicals and plays to opera, ballet and comedy. It is one of the busiest arts venues in the North.
It is named after L.S. Lowry, the painter who lived and worked in Salford for most of his life. He is famous for his paintings of industrial scenes, filled with crowds of thin, hurrying figures often described as matchstick men. His paintings capture the life of the mill towns of the North in the early twentieth century.
The Lowry’s galleries hold the largest public collection of his work in the world, including paintings and drawings from every stage of his career. There are also changing exhibitions of other artists. Entry to the galleries is free.
The building has cafés and restaurants with views over the water. It is a lovely place to spend an afternoon, and a night at the theatre here is a treat. The tram stop is a short walk away.
2. MediaCityUK
MediaCityUK, on Salford Quays, is one of the largest media centres in Europe. The BBC moved many of its departments here from London in 2011, including sport, children’s television and radio, and ITV followed. Many famous programmes are made in its studios.
The area has modern buildings, open squares and waterside walkways. There are restaurants, bars and a large public square that hosts events and big screen broadcasts. It has a buzzy, modern feel.
You may spot television crews at work, or recognise the backdrops of programmes. The University of Salford has a campus here for media students. The whole area is a showcase for the regeneration of the old docks.
MediaCityUK is at the end of a tram line from Manchester city centre, a journey of around twenty minutes. The waterfront walk from MediaCityUK to the Lowry and beyond is lovely. There is a large outlet shopping centre nearby.
3. IWM North
IWM North, the northern branch of the Imperial War Museum, stands across the water from the Lowry, reached by a footbridge. Its building, designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, is made of three curved shards that represent a globe shattered by conflict. It is one of the most striking modern buildings in the North.
Inside, the museum tells the story of how war has shaped people’s lives, from the First World War to the present day. Its main exhibition space is a large, dark hall, where regular shows project images and sounds onto the walls. The displays include personal stories, objects and large exhibits such as vehicles and weapons.
The museum is thought provoking and moving, and it has plenty for older children. You can take a lift up the tall air shard for views over the quays and the city. Entry is free.
Allow a couple of hours. The museum has a café with views of the water. It combines well with a visit to the Lowry and a walk around the quays.
4. RHS Garden Bridgewater
RHS Garden Bridgewater, in Worsley on the western edge of Salford, is the newest of the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens. It opened in 2021, on the site of an old estate that had been neglected for decades. It covers more than a hundred and fifty acres.
At its heart is a huge walled garden, one of the largest in the country, divided into two parts: a paradise garden inspired by gardens of the Middle East, and a kitchen garden full of vegetables and fruit. Around it are lakes, woodland, meadows and a garden for children to play and learn. The gardens are being developed and will continue to grow for years.
There is a large welcome building with a café, a shop and a plant centre. The RHS holds events and workshops through the year. It is lovely in every season.
Tickets are needed, and members of the RHS get in free. Allow at least half a day. The garden is best reached by car, about twenty minutes from the city centre.
5. Worsley and the Bridgewater Canal
Worsley, a pretty village on the western side of Salford, is where the canal age began. In the 1760s, the Duke of Bridgewater built a canal to carry coal from his mines at Worsley to Manchester. It was one of the first canals of the industrial age, and it made coal much cheaper.
The canal at Worsley is famous for its orange colour, caused by iron ore from the old mines. At the Delph, near the village green, you can see the entrance to the underground canals that ran deep into the mines. Boats once carried coal out of the hillside on these hidden waterways.
Worsley has black and white timber framed buildings, a village green and pubs by the canal. The Packet House, a distinctive half timbered building beside the water, is one of the most photographed spots. It feels like a village far from the city.
The towpath runs from Worsley into the countryside and towards Manchester, and it makes a lovely walk or cycle ride. Boat trips run on the canal in summer. Worsley is close to RHS Garden Bridgewater, so the two can be visited together.
6. Ordsall Hall, Salford Lads Club and Peel Park
Ordsall Hall is a Tudor manor house in the heart of Salford, more than seven hundred years old in parts. Its great hall and rooms have been restored, and it is free to visit. It has a reputation as one of the most haunted houses in the North, with stories of a ghostly White Lady.
Salford Lads Club, a club for boys founded in 1903, became famous when the band the Smiths were photographed outside it for the inside cover of their album The Queen Is Dead. Fans from around the world come to take their own photographs in the same spot. The club is still running, and it opens its doors to visitors at certain times.
Peel Park, beside the University of Salford, was one of the first public parks in Britain, opened in 1846. Salford Museum and Art Gallery, in the park, has a recreated Victorian street called Lark Hill Place, with shops and houses you can walk into. It also has works by L.S. Lowry and other artists, and it is free to visit.
The Working Class Movement Library, nearby, has a remarkable collection about the history of working people and their struggles. Salford is also home to Salford City football club and the Salford Red Devils rugby league team. On match days, a car booked ahead saves waiting for trams.
Getting there and getting around
Salford Central and Salford Crescent stations are a short hop from Manchester city centre, and the Metrolink tram runs from Manchester to Salford Quays, MediaCityUK and Eccles. The M60 and M602 run through the city.
Manchester Airport is about twenty minutes away by road. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Salford, the airport and the stations, and to reach Worsley and RHS Garden Bridgewater. For more on the city next door, see our Manchester guide.
Ride with ZeroLanes. From your door, the station or the airport to anywhere in Salford, at a price fixed before you confirm. Travelling between cities? Get a fixed price for the journey, or keep a car and driver for the day with hourly hire.