Running from 6 October 2024 – June 2025, ‘The story of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House from dereliction to delight’ will explore the building’s restoration and launch as a cultural attraction: an outcome only made possible by the grit and determination of the passionate volunteers who came together to fight, against the odds, for its survival.

This exhibition delves into the personal stories and memories of those who played a part in saving Manchester’s only literary house, taking visitors on a journey from the building’s close brush with dereliction and the battles fought to ensure its survival, right up to its rebirth as the elegant museum it is today. From Janet Allan, who led the initial campaign, to Frank Galvin, the self-dubbed ‘House detective’, this new exhibition brings to light the personal stories and memories of those who played a part in saving this much-loved Mancunian landmark.