Sitting atop a hill overlooking the incredibly adorable town of Castleton, Peveril stands out…read moreprominently against the sky. Work began on it around 1066 and for a few centuries it served as an important asset toward protecting the Peak forest area. Today it appears to be in ruins, but it has one discernible tower that is easy to spot from all around the valley. Unfortunately, that was about all I saw of the castle because it was unexpectedly closed yesterday morning due to cold weather. Unsure of the protocol of rating a place I haven't technically been to, I went with a neutral 3. The rating could have been higher or lower if I'd been able to get up to it, but it is impossible to walk up to the castle and wander around the outside of its walls when it is closed since the entrance gate is at the bottom of the hill. Still, it served as a beautiful decoration in the background of the town during our short excursion. So, if you plan to brave the windy roads of the Peak District to get to Peveril Castle, call ahead of time to make sure it's open!

English Heritage places do tend to be a bit, well basic and Peveril Castle is no exception…read more There is not a huge amount to see (just a keep, some ruined walls and a couple of information boards), so the main attraction is the fantastic views of Castleton and Mam Tor once you have climbed to the top. As an EH member, I get in for free - I'm not sure I would necessarily pay to go in when there are so many other great viewing places for free nearby in the area.

Sir Benjamin Dobson was a leading industrialist in his time, but was also Mayor of Bolton for four…read moreyears and actually died in office. Dobson was mayor of Bolton from 1894 to 1898, and was so respected that he was even knighted in 1897. This statue is one of two statues flanking the Albert Halls on Bolton's Victoria Square. The statue portrays him as a portly man with a great flicked moustache. You've got to love a good moustache. I love that the inscription on the statue reads "a useful life and public service to Bolton." Nice. Just useful, was Dobson.

Staff helpful but don't use the passport photo machine. It takes photos that get rejected because…read morethey are not the right size.

I am sure we all have had one of those blah days which suddenly get very exciting with a new…read morediscovery...I had one of those days last week when I dropped my very close friend at the train station (was a little sad, emotional cow that I am) and then met a friend who was walking home with me just to point out this incredible library. Its located right above the pub Bank (I used to call it 'The Old Man's Pub') which is very close to Piccadilly Gardens. The minute he pointed out I wanted to go in and see what it is like. The most interesting entrance ever, because we had to ring the door bell (very old English style bell) to enter. Very Cool and Very British. The moment I walked in I felt like I am in a Sherlock Holmes movie.. yeah its Grand and so mysterious. This is a 19th century library, with books from the late 18th century (whoa) and a little fun fact the librarian told us ... John Dalton wanted a membership here which he could not afford so he was asked to clean the grand clock (which btw was made by the same chap who made the clock for Big Ben) instead of paying the membership fee! How awesome is that? This used to be the hub for the rich and the famous once upon a time but sadly not many people know about it now and barely a few visit. *sigh*. The space inside is incredible and perfect for art exhibitions and guess what they actually do have quite a few of those. There are book reading sessions here too, so next time you complain about not finding a good place to do such cultural stuff, you know where to go! The membership fee here is as low as 175 pounds for the whole year and you get to access every book and much more... Verdict : *Phew* I am totally bowled and sold! Can't wait to go back again!

This place is my little escape from the city, a step back to times of tail coats and top hats…read more. perhaps even a monocle or two! The library sits on top of the bank pub (once upon a time the entire building was a library but the library now rent the downstairs out to the pub to help fund the restoration of the antique books they house upstairs). Anyone can visit the library, there's a little black door around the side, you need to ring the buzzer and wait to be let in. There's an art gallery and café that is open to the general public but only members can actually read/borrow the books and there's a members lounge at the back that is AMAZING, please see attached picture. The interior is stunning, ask the staff to give you a free guided tour and they'll explain all the features, the wind dial and various coats of arms to you. I find this place so comforting. I love tucking up in one of the huge leather armchairs reading one of the many glorious books, wondering who else much have cast their eyes over the same words in times gone by. Membership is around £110 (cheaper for concessions) a month and members can take their guests in to the members room. You can order lunch/drinks and enjoy them in the room too. FUN FACT: the oldest post box in Manchester, which happens to be Victorian is located just outside the bank pub, it's still in use and bears Queen Victoria's coat of arms.

Modern library in the heart of the city…read more Business and IP centre is worth a visit. Good cafe. Directly opposite Tram station.

I've genuinely never left a bad review in my life, but the experience I had at Manchester Central…read morewas beyond disappointing. I came in to print a few pages and was incredibly polite the entire time--even when things kept going wrong. The papers kept coming out incorrectly, but I stayed calm and asked nicely if they could be reprinted. At no point was I rude or demanding. Eventually, the price on the screen didn't match what it should've been, but I even said I'd just pay the higher price to avoid causing trouble. After paying, one of my documents printed completely wrong--an A3 image came out as A2 on an A3 paper, with no visible writing. I pointed it out and explained that I wouldn't pay again for a print that was clearly incorrect. This clearly upset the ginger receptionist at the bottom front desk, who suddenly told me (in a very rude and dismissive tone) to not come to her anymore and that I should take out cash and print everything myself. Even then, I told her it was fine--I actually felt bad for making her print something I didn't pay for, even though it was their machine's error. But on my way back to my seat, I overheard her talking about me to another receptionist, and when I showed the incorrect printout again, another staff member (with shorter hair) said it was my fault. I've never been treated with such disrespect by people in a public service role. You'd expect librarians to be kind, helpful, and professional--but what I experienced was the opposite. I walked out feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, despite being nothing but polite and patient throughout. Absolutely shameful service.

St Ann's is a good multi purpose area for Manchester, even if it is often overshadowed by the more…read moreopen and upmarket Albert Square down the road. Surrounded by all the usual high street shops like Holland and Barrett, coffee from Starbucks - plus there's some good high street banks here still like HSBC and Barclays (I know... a bank you can actually walk into and do banking stuff still exists in town...) The best thing on offer though are the travelling markets which come and go pretty much every month - there's always something going on here so definitely worth checking out any time of the year - especially the Xmas ones from mid Nov to Dec.

St Ann's is currently holding its annual (I think?) Feast Market. A collection of food stalls all…read morein one convenient place - especially when you work close by, like me! Although St Ann's isn't the biggest public space in Manchester, there are plenty of traders to choose from. It can be hard to take everything in, especially when your stomach's growling and you know you're short on time, but it's worth it trust me. Don't dive in to the first thing you see! You can choose from a Turkish grill serving up different flavours of chicken in wraps, Indian, Chinese, Thai Pies, regular pies, hog roast (the same stall from my previous review and well worth a visit!), fudge, nuts, cakes and breads. There's even a bar serving up beer, wine and prosecco if you feel the need. What more could you want? On this visit - and I'm sure there will plenty more, as I always love walking back into the office with something exciting and everyone then mentally planning their next lunch break - I just went for a cheese and bacon pastry from Martin's, along with a slice of flapjack. The pastry was gone in minutes and the flapjack served very well as a naughty hangover breakfast.

As part of the Manchester Histories Festival, Chetham's Library was open to the public for a day. I…read moretook the opportunity to sneak into this hidden gem and was overwhelmed at just how spectacular the library is. You feel like Harry Potter as you walk up the stairs into the half-timbered library space. It is dark, creaky and full of beautiful old wooden shelves. It is one of those spaces that takes your breath away, particularly as it is so beautifully hidden in Manchester city centre. It is worth organising to visit this wonderful space and to walk amongst the beautiful old books in the school's collection. Manchester is lucky to have a library like this - go and appreciate its beauty.

If you love a little bit of history and you also love to read, then Chetham's Library might be a…read moreworthwhile trip. Established in 1653, it's the UK's oldest free public library (although to visit you must make an appointment). Housed in the most incredible 15th-century Baronial Hall, the stunning dark-wood aisles are packed to the rafters with all kinds of publications from 'large folio books to manuscript diaries, letters and deeds, to prints, paintings and glass lantern-slides'. There's also an incredible selection of archives, newspaper cuttings and old photographs. In fact, all together, there are over 100,000 publications here, the majority of which were printed before 1850. If anybody has ever read 'Shadow in the Wind', you might have some idea of how special a place this is and what a wonderful insight it can give you into our heritage (note that to see specific material you'll have to enquire). A nice little bit of trivia: this is a library where Marx and Engels would meet, you can see exactly where they sat and what book Marx was reading at the time. Ok, I'm a geek. What can I say?

Castle hill is a great view of Huddersfield below. You can drive up and park right next to the…read morecastle and walk around the trails.

+ Excellent viewpoint upon Huddersfield town and district. Brilliant on a summer's day where views…read moreextend as far as the Derbyshire. - There isn't a pub up there any more. There is limited access to the Victoria Tower. Recommonded