Ancoats and New Islington sit side by side just north east of Manchester city centre, divided by the line of the Rochdale Canal and joined by a shared story. Two centuries ago this was the engine room of the cotton trade. Today it is one of the most sought after places to live in the city, and the reasons are worth understanding whether you are looking for a home or letting one.
Ancoats: where the mills came first
Manchester City Council describes Ancoats as the first industrial estate in the world, the place where the Industrial Revolution began on a grand scale. Steam power allowed huge spinning mills to be built beside the Rochdale Canal, with workers' housing packed in around them. Historic England notes that within 50 years the area changed from open countryside into one of the most densely developed industrial landscapes anywhere.
Many of those buildings survive. Murrays' Mills includes Old Mill, built in 1798 and 1801 and probably the oldest surviving mill in Manchester. Sedgwick Mill, from 1818 to 1820, is believed to be the oldest surviving iron framed, fireproof factory in Greater Manchester, and Beehive Mill of 1824 has an unusually early cast iron roof structure. The council designated the Ancoats Conservation Area in June 1989.
The recovery took time. In 1998 six Grade II* listed mills in Ancoats were placed on the first national Heritage at Risk Register, and Historic England describes the funding secured in 2003 to repair the shell of Murrays' Mills as a turning point. Since then the mills have been converted into apartments and offices, and new buildings have filled the gaps between them.
New Islington: the canal side neighbour
New Islington was built on the site of the former Cardroom estate as one of the government's Millennium Communities, with Urban Splash leading the regeneration. Its centrepiece is the marina, which opened in summer 2011 with moorings for up to 40 boats and links to both the Rochdale and Ashton canals. Cotton Field Park sits beside the water, giving the neighbourhood a green space that much of the city centre lacks.
New Islington tram stop opened on 11 February 2013 on the East Manchester Line, and Piccadilly and Victoria stations are both within walking distance. For commuters that combination of tram, rail and walkable streets is a large part of the appeal.
Food, music and evenings out
The area's restaurants are now a destination in their own right. Mana, on Blossom Street in Ancoats, holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. A short walk away, the Victorian church of St Peter's became Hallé St Peter's, the orchestra's rehearsal and performance space, opened in 2013 and extended with the Oglesby Centre in November 2019. Independent bakeries, bars and cafés occupy many of the ground floors of the converted mills, and the Etihad Campus is within easy reach in east Manchester.
What renters should know
- Most homes are apartments in mill conversions or newer blocks, with fewer houses than in the suburbs. Check service arrangements, bike storage and parking before you commit.
- If a canal or marina view matters to you, visit at different times of day to get a feel for towpath footfall and evening noise.
- Under the Renters' Rights Act, a landlord cannot ask for more than one month's rent in advance or accept offers above the advertised rent.
If you are looking for a home here, you can register your search with us.
What landlords should know
The Office for National Statistics does not publish rents for individual neighbourhoods, but its figures for Manchester as a whole give useful context. In the year to August 2026 the average private rent in the city reached £1,373 a month, up 4.2%. One bedroom homes averaged £1,003, two bedroom homes £1,233, and flats and maisonettes £1,147. Individual homes in a central neighbourhood like this need to be judged on their own merits, which is why we never rely on an automated figure.
Apartments in converted and new buildings come with service charges, building management and, often, a mix of owners in the same block. Good presentation and quick, well handled repairs make a real difference to how long tenants stay. Our property management service takes care of that day to day, and guaranteed rent pays you an agreed sum every month instead. For a figure for your own home, use our rent calculator and a property manager will come back to you, or read more on our Manchester page.
Sources: Manchester City Council, Ancoats Conservation Area; Manchester City Council, Ancoats Conservation Area: buildings; Historic England, Better Places Partnership case study: Ancoats, Manchester; Urban Splash, New Islington; Place North West, New Islington marina to open in summer; Hallé, Hallé St Peter's history; The MICHELIN Guide, Mana; ONS, Housing prices in Manchester.
