The history of Manchester encompasses its change from a minor Lancastrian township into the pre-eminent industrial metropolis of the United Kingdom and the world. Manchester began expanding "at an astonishing rate" … See more

Prehistoric evidence of human activity in the area of Manchester is limited, although scattered stone tools have been found.
There is evidence of Bronze Age activity around Manchester … See more

The Roman fort of Mamucium was established c. AD 79 near a crossing point on the River Medlock. The fort was sited on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell in a naturally defensible position. It was erected as a series … See more

Manchester was administratively part of the Salford Hundred. In 1086 the hundred covered about 350 square miles (910 km ) and had a population of about 3,000. It was given to Roger de Poitou; Roger divided the hundred into fiefdoms and made the Gresle … See more

The name Manchester originates from the Latin name Mamucium or its variant Mancunio. These names are generally thought to represent a See more

Once the Romans left Britain, the focus of settlement in Manchester shifted to the confluence of the rivers Irwell and Irk. During the Early Middle Ages that followed – and persisted until the See more

By the 16th century the wool trade had made Manchester a flourishing market town. The collegiate church, which is now the cathedral, was … See more