Metropolitan county · England
Greater Manchester
Explore Greater Manchester’s textile, transport and political history through places in Bolton, Ancoats, Castlefield and Holcombe Hill.
Quick facts
- Type of place
- Metropolitan county
- Nation
- England
- Official identifier
- gss:E11000001
- Part of
- North West (Region)
Overview
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England. Its industrial heritage includes places in Bolton and around Ramsbottom as well as Manchester. Museums, former mill buildings and a hilltop memorial provide ways to explore that history.
This metropolitan county brings together several districts, each with its own local authority.
Population and demographics
- Land area
- 1,275.97 km²
-
Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.
Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE5!D34 (binary spreadsheet decimal rounded to 6 dp). Released 29 July 2026.
Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
- Population
- 3,017,590 people
-
Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.
Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE2 - Persons!D34. Released 29 July 2026.
Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
Population density: 2,364.9 people per km²
Calculated from the population and land area for 30 June 2025, using figures from the same release and covering the same boundaries.
Textiles and political history
Bolton Museum explains Samuel Crompton’s spinning mule and its effect on textile production. In Manchester, Ancoats retains cotton mill complexes, alongside a history of glass and chemical works. Anita Street was originally called Sanitary Street because of the design of its workers’ housing. The People’s History Museum offers another perspective on the area’s past. It occupies a restored Edwardian pump house and covers struggles for political representation.
From Castlefield to Holcombe Hill
Castlefield combines the site of the Roman fort Mamucium with the Bridgewater Canal and Liverpool Road’s railway heritage. These places bring Roman, canal and railway history together. Beyond the city, Holcombe Hill near Ramsbottom is the setting for Peel Tower. Built in 1852 as a memorial to Robert Peel, it adds a different kind of landmark to the metropolitan county’s heritage.