Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester

There are 242 Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester, England. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural or historic interest. Grade II* structures are those considered to be "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". In England, the authority for listing under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 rests with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, advised by Historic England, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The metropolitan county of Greater Manchester comprises 10 metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. Manchester, the world's first industrialised city, contains 81 of the county's 242 Grade II* listed buildings, the highest number of any borough; Bury has the fewest, with 10. The River Irwell forms part of the boundary between Salford and Trafford, and one structure—the Barton Swing Aqueduct—lies on this boundary and is therefore included in both borough lists. This duplication is reflected in the official total of 242.

Most of Greater Manchester's listed buildings date from the Victorian and Edwardian periods. According to a publication by the Association for Industrial Archaeology, Greater Manchester is "one of the classic areas of industrial and urban growth in Britain, the result of a combination of forces that came together in the 18th and 19th centuries: a phenomenal rise in population, the appearance of the specialist industrial town, a transport revolution, and weak local lordship".McNeil and Nevell (2000), A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Greater Manchester, p. 2. Much of the region, historically a part of Lancashire, was at the forefront of textile manufacturing from the early 19th until the early 20th century, and the county includes several former mill towns.McNeil and Nevell (2000), A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Greater Manchester, p. 2–3. Greater Manchester has a wealth of industrial heritage, represented by architecture found throughout the county, but many of its Grade II* listed buildings have a municipal, ecclesiastic or other cultural significance.

Three of the 242 buildings date from the 13th century, although it is uncertain which is the oldest. Brandlesholme Old Hall in Bury was originally an open-hall cruck-framed house, dating from the 13th century, although it was altered and extended in the 16th century and completely remodelled in 1849. The Church of St Chad in Rochdale retains a 13th-century tower, with an extension added in 1870. Mab's Cross in Wigan, the stump of a boundary cross, is probably 13th century in origin. The newest Grade II* listed building in Greater Manchester is Wythenshawe Bus Depot, built in 1942. Owing to the heavy impact of the Industrial Revolution on Greater Manchester, just under half of its Grade II* listed buildings—119 structures, or 49%—were completed in the 19th century.

Bolton

Bury

Manchester

Oldham

Rochdale

Salford

Stockport

Tameside

Trafford

Wigan

Total Grade II* listed buildings by borough

The table shows the total number of Grade II* listed buildings by borough. Although the borough totals sum to 243, the Barton Swing Aqueduct is listed under both Salford and Trafford, so the official total in the National Heritage List for England is 242.

+ Total Grade II* listed buildings by borough Borough Grade II* listed buildings Bolton 17 Bury 10 Manchester 81 Oldham 13 Rochdale 21 Salford 14 Stockport 24 Tameside 21 Trafford 11 Wigan 31 Total 243

Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester

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