54 Best Sights in Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District, England

Few houses in England evoke the late Elizabethan era as vividly as Hardwick Hall, a beautiful stone mansion and walled gardens 10 miles east of Matlock. The vast state apartments well befit their original chatelaine, Bess of Hardwick, who, by marrying a succession of four rich husbands, was second only to Queen Elizabeth in her wealth when work on this house began. Unique patchwork hangings, probably made from clerical copes and altar frontals taken from monasteries and abbeys, grace the entrance hall, and superb 16th- and 17th-century tapestries cover the walls of the main staircase and first-floor High Great Chamber. Access is signposted from Junction 29 of the M1 motorway.

A cable car ride across the River Derwent takes you to this 60-acre country park on the crags above Matlock Bath. Tickets include access to the woodland walk, nature trails and a willow sculpture trail, guided tours of two caverns and a former lead mine where workers toiled by candlelight, access to the film theater, and use of the audio tour. There are also two adventure playgrounds and a restaurant. The parking lot has a display-and-pay (by the hour) system of payment.

The world's fifth-largest Anglican cathedral, this Gothic-style edifice was begun in 1903 by architect Giles Gilbert Scott and finally finished in 1978. The tower is a popular climb; two elevators and 108 steps take you to panoramic views (from April to October, twilight ascents are available). There's also a gallery of ecclesiastical embroidery, usually open only as part of the Tower Experience.

Clad in perforated steel and glass, this arts center is one of the highlights of the Salford Quays waterways. L. S. Lowry (1887–1976) was a local artist, and one of the few who painted the industrial landscape; galleries here showcase the world's largest collection of his paintings alongside work by contemporary artists. The theater has three spaces showcasing everything from West End musicals and new works by up-and-coming theater companies to some of the U.K.'s most popular stand-up comedians. The nearest Metrolink tram stop is Harbour City, a 10-minute walk away.

Behind an impressive classical portico, this splendid museum and its sparkling modern atrium houses an outstanding collection of paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites and their circle, notably Ford Madox Brown's masterpiece Work and Holman Hunt's The Hireling Shepherd. British artwork from the 18th and 20th centuries is also well represented. The second-floor Craft and Design Gallery shows off the best of the decorative arts in ceramics, glass, metalwork, and furniture. The Lion's Den (Clore Art Studio) is a creative space for families while the Derek Jarman Pocket Park pays homage to the eponymous artist's iconic garden in Dungeness, Kent.

The city's sandstone cathedral, set beside the River Irwell and originally a medieval parish church dating in part from the 15th century, is unusually broad for its length and has the widest medieval nave in Britain. Inside, angels with gilded instruments look down from the roof of the nave, and misericords (the undersides of choristers' seats) in the early-16th-century choir stalls reveal intriguing carvings. The octagonal chapter house dates from 1485. There are free guided tours on Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm.

Hop on a 50-minute River Explorer Cruise along the River Mersey for fine views of the city—a journey celebrated in "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey," Gerry and the Pacemakers' 1964 hit song. It was from Pier Head that 9 million British, Irish, and other European emigrants set sail between 1830 and 1930 for new lives in North America, Australia, and Africa.

Consecrated in 1967, this Roman Catholic cathedral is a modernistic, funnel-like structure of concrete, stone, and mosaic, topped with a glass lantern. Long, narrow, blue-glass windows separate chapels, each with modern works of art. An earlier design by classically inspired architect Edwin Lutyens was abandoned when World War II began (the current design is by Frederick Gibberd), but you can still take a look at Lutyens's vast brick-and-granite crypt and barrel-vaulted ceilings.

Clad in Jura stone and shaped like a ship, with a spectacular spiral staircase running from the atrium to each floor, this ambitious waterfront museum tells the story of the city from its earliest settlement in the Neolithic Age. Highlights include an extraordinary 3-D map with different perspectives of the city as you move around it, an engrossing film about soccer culture, and an interactive timeline peeling away layers of Liverpool's history. There's a children's gallery and family museum trails, too.

This striking, glass-skinned triangle of a building includes a galaxy of footballing (soccer) memorabilia, from historic trophies, souvenirs, and shirts (many of them match-worn and signed by legends of the sport) to such near-sacred items as the ball from the 1966 World Cup—the last time England won the sport's ultimate prize. There's also lots of interactive fun to be had, like in the penalty shoot-out area.

These 23 acres are home to a miniature train, a boating lake, a play area, and the 1870s Pavilion building. With its ornate iron-and-glass roof, the latter was originally a concert hall and ballroom, but it's now the setting for an arts center, three cafés, an ice-cream parlor, a market hall, and a gift boutique.

Caves riddle the town and surrounding area, and in this massive example, rope making has been done on a great ropewalk for more than 400 years—as evidenced by the remains of a rope-makers' village dating from the 17th century. Some trivia to keep kids amused: the cavern was called the "Devil's Arse" due to the flatulent noise that water makes when draining out of the caves. Events held here include pop-up cinemas, concerts, and Christmas carols.

The 250-mile-long Pennine Way starts in the village of Edale, 4 miles northeast of Castleton, and crosses Kinder Scout, a moorland plateau and nature reserve. If you plan to attempt this, seek local advice first, because bad weather can make the walk treacherous. However, several much shorter routes into the Edale Valley, such as the 8-mile route west to Hayfield, give you a taste.

Not everyone in 19th-century Manchester owned a cotton mill or made a fortune on the trading floor. This museum recounts powerfully the struggles of working people in the city and in the United Kingdom as a whole since the Industrial Revolution. Displays include the story of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre—when the army attacked a crowd of civil rights protesters in Manchester's St. Peter's Square, killing 15 and almost sparking revolution—together with an unrivaled collection of trade-union banners, tools, toys, utensils, and photographs, all illustrating the working lives and pastimes of the city's people.

In 1176, Henry II added the square tower to this Norman castle, whose ruins occupy a dramatic crag. From here you can still see a curving section of the medieval defensive earthworks in the town center below. Peveril Castle is protected on its west side by a 230-foot-deep gorge formed by a collapsed cave; unsurprisingly, it was considered the best-defended castle in England in its day and was never captured or besieged. However, its relative lack of strategic importance meant that it wasn't well maintained, and, in 1609, it was abandoned altogether. Park in the town center, from which it's a steep climb up.

This modern venue has a world-renowned, 5,000-piece ceramic collection that includes unique Staffordshire pottery. It also has a number of items from the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and metalworks ever found. Other highlights are an original World War II Spitfire and works by Picasso, Degas, and Dürer.

The 322-foot-tall Royal Liver (pronounced lie-ver) Building with its twin towers is topped by two 18-foot-high copper birds representing the mythical Liver Birds, the town symbol; local legend has it that if they fly away, Liverpool will cease to exist. For decades, Liverpudlians looked to the Royal Liver Society for assistance—it was originally a burial club to which families paid contributions to ensure a decent send-off. The building, now offices, can best be seen from one of the Mersey ferries.

This black-and-white mansion 6 miles from downtown is one of Britain's best examples of half-timbering. Built around a cobbled courtyard, the great hall dates from 1490; an elaborate western bay with a vast chimneypiece was added in 1560. The house, owned by the National Trust, was heavily restored in the 19th century, though a Tudor priest hole and Jacobean plasterwork remain intact. The Victorian gardens enjoy views over the Mersey toward North Wales.  Speke Hall is beside the airport, and Arriva buses between the airport and the center drop you a pleasant 10-minute walk away; ask the driver to let you off at the nearest stop.

Built between 1839 and 1847, St. George's Hall is among the world's finest examples of Greek Revivalist architecture. When Queen Victoria visited Liverpool in 1851, she declared it "worthy of ancient Athens." There are History Whisperer immersive tours (£9) by costumed guides and regular tours telling the story of the building, which today hosts music festivals, concerts, and fairs.

This handsome 19th-century mansion contains the extraordinary art collection amassed by shipping magnate George Holt (1825–96), including paintings by J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Joshua Reynolds. The interior is an immaculately maintained example of high Victorian domestic style. Sudley House is about 5 miles southeast of the city center; if you're not driving, take a train to Mossley Hill and then it's an 11-minute walk.

Winston Churchill said that the threat of a U-boat attack from the Atlantic was his greatest fear during World War II. At this evocative war museum, you can explore the warren of rooms under the city streets that served the top-secret "Western Approaches Command HQ" from 1941 to 1945. The lofty Operations Room, full of the state-of-the-art technology of the time, is especially interesting.

Heading northwest to Edale, the most spectacular driving route is over Winnats Pass, through a narrow, boulder-strewn valley. The name means "wind gate," due to the wind-tunnel effect of the peaks on each side. Beyond are the tops of Mam Tor (where there's a lookout point) and the hamlet of Barber Booth, after which you run into Edale.

Travel from the prehistoric to the space age through the stunning displays in these state-of-the-art galleries. Ethnology, the natural and physical sciences, and archaeology all get their due over five floors. Highlights include a collection of Egyptian mummies and a beautiful assemblage of Japanese arms and armory in the World Cultures Gallery. There's plenty to keep kids amused, like fish and other sea creatures in the Aquarium, monster bugs in the Bug House, and life-size casts of prehistoric monsters in the Dinosaurs and Natural World Gallery, plus a planetarium and a busy program of events and activities.

On the Wedgwood Estate's 240-acre garden factory site, this slick modern attraction offers a factory tour; a V&A Collection of ceramics, works of art, manuscripts, and photographs; creative studios hosting activities and events; woodland walks; and a children's play area. There's also a restaurant and tearoom, as well as the obligatory pottery and gift store.