Gorton Monastery, known as Manchester’s Taj Mahal, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin for the Franciscan order, and is a Grade II* listed building. Following the closure of the monastery in 1989, it fell into disrepair until it was saved by a local couple, Paul and Elaine Griffiths, who set up a charitable trust in 1996 to rescue the magnificent monastic complex. With the aid of grants and Heritage Lottery Funds, the restoration is now complete, and has been enhanced with the addition of a reception area and café.

Our coach will leave Memorial Gardens at 8.30am to travel to Gorton Monastery. On arrival we will have coffee before a talk by a volunteer. There will then be the opportunity to explore the space before a soup and sandwich lunch. After lunch we will return to York, stopping off at Nostell Priory (NT) for a free-flow visit, arriving at York at about 6pm.

Cost: £53, to include travel, fees, coffee, and lunch, but excluding entry to Nostell Priory, which is free for National Trust members. There will be some walking, so please ensure you are well prepared in terms of footwear and fitness.

Gorton Monastery

Cnbrb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons