Discover the trailblazing women of Manchester this International Women’s Day with Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Manchester’s historic literary attraction Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is celebrating International Women’s Day this year with a fascinating new walking tour that explores the great female minds of the city’s Oxford Road corridor.

The Ardwick museum – and former residence of the famous novelist Elizabeth Gaskell – is hosting a one-off, 90-minute ‘Women of Oxford Road Walking Tour’ led by the feminist guide Philippa Vishnyakov. The trail will uncover lesser-known stories of the neighbourhood’s female artists, writers, scientists, medics and campaigners who silently shaped and powered much of Manchester’s progress over the centuries.

“This is a unique and experiential way to learn about the important lesser-known women who lived, studied or worked in the Oxford Road area of Manchester,” says Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, Director, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. “You’ll get to hear the stories you won’t find in textbooks while literally walking in the footsteps of trailblazing women!”

Back at the museum, the Grade-II listed building’s rooms will be decorated with a special International Women’s Day textile display, and visitors will get the chance to nominate an inspirational woman from their own lives at the interactive ‘Feminist Doodle Wall’. A ‘buy one get one free’ promotion will also be running for the day on all texts by women writers.

As part of its wider Women’s History Month celebrations, the museum has also joined forces with Jane Austen’s House, the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Chawton House to run a special online talk, ‘Women of Words’, that spotlights seminal novelists such as the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, Fredrika Bremer and their earlier predecessors, offering a vivid insight into the literary connections and networks that sustained women’s writing lives in the 19th century.

The Women of Oxford Road Walking Tour leaves from Grosvenor Square on March 8 at 10.30AM and ends at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House at 12:00PM midday, with entry to the museum and a free copy of the new book ‘I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell‘ included in the ticket price. Tickets can be booked here. The online event ‘Women of Words’ will run on March 4 at 7:00PM – 8:15PM. Tickets can be booked here.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM (with the last entry at 3:00 PM). Admission is £9 for adults; children under 16 are admitted free of charge. All aspects of the building are fully accessible to people with wheelchairs.