Hotels in Stockport

Stockport is a former mill and hat-making town on the southern edge of Greater Manchester, and its skyline still belongs to the industrial age: the vast brick railway viaduct striding across the Mersey valley is one of the great Victorian engineering landmarks in England. Hat Works, the national hatting museum, tells the story of the trade that once defined the town, and the wartime air-raid shelters cut into the sandstone are worth an hour.

The steep Underbanks and the old market area have picked up independent bars and cafes as regeneration slowly takes hold. The centre still has tired stretches, the Merseyway shopping precinct is functional rather than charming, and most visitors are here because it is a cheaper, quicker base for Manchester. Stay near Stockport station for the fastest links to both the airport and central Manchester.